Free agent DeAngelo Williams, whom the Carolina Panthers released last week, said he was upset by the team's lack of support for him when his mother, Sandra Hall, passed away in May after a long battle with breast cancer.
Few NFL fans may know Williams's mother by name, but her impact has been visible in the league every October since 2009. Her long battle with breast cancer, which Williams's four aunts also died from, led Williams to work with the NFL to make October the league's month for breast cancer awareness, as symbolized by the color pink.
Williams's mother lost her battle to cancer in May 2014, and on Monday he admitted the team's lack of support for him after her death upset him.
"Nobody came to the funeral," he said, via WBTV.com. "The owner didn't reach out. He didn't say anything. Never talked to me. Nobody upstairs ever talked to me. The only two people who ever said anything to me was Coach (Ron) Rivera and (general manager) Dave Gettleman. Everybody else was... they were busy because it was the draft.
"I was upset with Carolina, because the last five or six years during October, (my mom) was celebrated, but then when she was no longer here -- let's move on. (I was) very disappointed. And, somewhat angry (...) it stung to know that a place of business that you've worked for, you've bled, you've played through injuries, you've done everything you possibly can for this organization to be successful, and then upon your darkest hour, they let you, handle it by yourself."
While Williams may begrudge most of the organization for not being there for him after his mother's death, he doesn't begrudge them for releasing him last Monday. He told WBTV he respected Rivera and Gettleman for telling him the news to his face and indicated he held no resentment over the team's decision to cut him after nine seasons.
Williams, 32, plans to play for another team in 2015.
