The Rev. Chette L. Williams, who had served as Auburn football’s team chaplain since 1999, died Sunday after he fell into an Alabama lake, officials said.
Williams, 61, fell from his pontoon boat on Lake Martin in Elmore County on Sunday evening and his body was found 90 minutes later, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said. The incident occurred near a dock.
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Auburn Tigers chaplain Chette Williams leads the team prayer after the game against the Samford Bulldogs at Jordan Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama, Nov. 22, 2014. (Shanna Lockwood-USA Today Sports)
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of former Auburn football player and longtime team chaplain Rev. Chette Williams,” the program said in a post on X. “He made a profound impact on countless people during his 26 years with our program. Brother Chette will be greatly missed.”
Williams was a linebacker for the Tigers from 1982 to 1984 before he became the team chaplain. He was also the school’s campus director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the state director for Urban Ministries for FCA.
He served as the president of Impact Ministries in Spartanburg, South Carolina, from 1995 to 1999. He was also the pastor at New Covenant Baptist Church in New Orleans from 1993 to 1995 and at New Song Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama, from 1991 to 1993.
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Team chaplain Chette Williams leads the Auburn Tigers in a prayer before the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs game at Jordan Hare Stadium, Sept. 27, 2014. (Shanna Lockwood-USA Today Sports)
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., who was a head coach at Auburn from 1999 to 2008, mourned the loss of Williams.
“His leadership has been a steady part of Auburn athletics for more than two decades,” Tuberville said. “But more than sports, Brother Chette helped athletes understand that their purpose was much greater than anything they could ever accomplish on the field.”
Williams became a licensed minister in 1987 and was ordained in 1988 after earning a bachelor’s degree in adult education from the school in 1985, according to a news release. In 1993, he received a master of divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze speaks with team chaplain Chett Williams before a game against the Samford Bulldogs at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Sept. 16, 2023. (John Reed-USA Today Sports)
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The school added that he’s survived by his two daughters. His late son, Chette Jr., died in 2019.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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