Ryan Williams’ on-field heroics have earned him ‘star’ status in Tuscaloosa, with NIL deals coming in like it’s nothing. Despite these dynamics and the ever-increasing stardom of Ryan Williams, the wide receiver has still kept himself grounded. It showcases it both in the locker room, on the field, and beyond. “Ryan never points fingers. He’s about the team,” said Kalen DeBoer. That attitude isn’t new. Ryan Williams’ selfless being goes way back. To a moment when he was 11.

At 11 years of age, the now-Bama WR did something way more mature for his age. It was Sunday morning, and both Ryan and his mom, Tiffany Coleman, had left the church, driving in their car to get a haircut. Williams’ mom at the time was pregnant and was in her third trimester. Ryan Williams was sitting in the passenger seat with Tiffany’s cousin in the back. Out of nowhere, a big truck came into their lane, and the car eventually hit a telephone pole.

“I was just trying to protect my mom. She was pregnant. I unbuckled my seatbelt and tried to get in front of her. My face hit the windshield,” said Ryan Williams about the incident. The car crashed into a nearby telephone pole. Tiffany quickly checked herself for blood, and she was unscathed, including her cousin. The 11-year-old hero, Ryan Williams, acted to rescue Tiffany, which was a surprise for her, too.

“Before the car hit a pole, I’m assuming that Ryan reached over to protect me because once the car hit the pole and we stopped, there was a big spot where a head hit the windshield,” said Tiffany Coleman, and described how her 11-year-old son leaped quickly to protect her. “I’m looking down on me, and I had no blood on me. My little cousin was in the car and screamed RYAN! He had blood leaking from the right side of his face. He was trying to protect us,” recounted Tiffany to The NY Times. While Ryan’s mom came out unscathed, the WR still suffered some injuries.

People from nearby rushed to help the Coleman family and brought towels to help Ryan Williams’ bleeding. Although he never lost consciousness. Williams was quickly taken to a nearby hospital and came out with a hole in his ear and cuts on his face from the accident. The injury healed quickly within six weeks, and all that is left now are some faint scars on his face. His mother described how Williams still wears those scars “with pride.” For Ryan Williams, though, it was a life-changing moment and gave him a whole new perspective on life.

Right from showcasing resilience in adversity to spreading infectious joy and boosting team spirit. The incident still guides Ryan Williams to show humility and stay grounded amid stardom. The wide receiver greets the Alabama dining hall staff as his own family and radiates positivity to his peers. “Ryan’s vibe keeps us loose. He’s smiling even in walkthroughs,” said Alabama’s Isaiah Horton. Taking accountability as a leader, as he showed it after Vandy’s loss in 2024, is remarkable for a player of his age. Surely then, Williams is not just a star on the field; he is a gem of a human, too. As for Williams’ mom, Tiffany, Ryan Williams was way calmer than she had expected him to be after the incident.

“He kept on going, I guess. Ryan was just calm. He said, ‘I just had to make sure you were OK.’ He was only 11. We were overwhelmed. Ryan was cool as a fan. He was the coolest out of the whole situation,” said Tiffany Coleman about the incident. Notably, Williams’ mom herself was a standout athlete and even had a scholarship to Alabama. But she sacrificed it for raising Ryan. Despite that, the athleticism that Tiffany instilled in Ryan still shows when he runs those routes or runs riot over teams like Georgia.

“My mom ran like an 11.5 in the 100 (meters),” said a beaming Ryan Williams. Williams is currently busy preparing for the Georgia game after a solid showing against Wisconsin. He notched up 165 receiving yards for two touchdowns, and his 75-yard reception was incredibly exceptional. Overall, Williams averaged a whopping 33 yards per reception. Surely then, Georgia would need to watch out for the guy.