DeAngelo Williams Calls Out Carolina Panthers For Not Attending Mom’s Funeral

Freshly released NFL running back DeAngelo Williams has taken to television and social media to express his displeasure over some very sensitive subject matter.

In an interview on CBS’s North Carolina affiliate station WBTV, Williams aired his grievances regarding ‘a couple of things that upset [him] about the Panthers’, claiming ‘nobody came to the funeral. The owner didn’t reach out; he didn’t say anything.’ Williams then posted the video on his Twitter account, presumably to get the message out to any many of his fans as possible.Williams aside, the news must be disheartening to say the least for Panthers fans. Just last season, the front office alienated many supporters with its treatment of Steve Smith – undoubtedly the face of the franchise over its albeit brief history – ultimately resulting in him landing a contract in Baltimore and promptly capturing the imagination of football fans all over again.

Some twelve months removed from that debacle, another beloved veteran has claimed that same organisation couldn’t so much as make a phone call to offer condolences after his own mother’s passing. Not that it should make any difference, but Williams’ connection to his mother was well known across the NFL, most notably when he dyed his dreads pink for Breast Cancer Awareness month last season out of respect for his late mother and the disease that took her life.

Whether it is a star player or third-string journeyman, common courtesy would surely dictate that teammates and other relevant staff attend a funeral hosted by a man who wears that same uniform. For several seasons, Williams was one of the very few bright spots on a Panthers team stuck in NFL purgatory. Now, as he moves on to another chapter of his career, it will be with a sour aftertaste.