The longtime chaplain for the Auburn University football team died Sunday night when he drowned in an Alabama lake following a tragic mishap. Rev. Chette L. Williams, 61, affectionately called "Brother Chette," had plans to dine out with a friend at a restaurant near Lake Martin. But when they realized the eatery was closed and Williams attempted to get back onto his pontoon from the dock, he fell into the water and his friend was unable to help him, AL.com reports. About 90 minutes later, his body was recovered, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, the Montgomery Advertiser reports. Before his 24 years as the team's pastor, Williams, who also served as director for the university's Fellowship of Christian Athletes organization, attended the university himself and played for the Auburn Tigers as a linebacker.
"Brother Chette was a remarkable man who led hundreds of young people to the Lord through the years," said Sen. Tommy Tuberville—who was Auburn's football coach in 1999 when he appointed Williams as chaplain—in a statement. "More than sports, Brother Chette helped athletes understand that their purpose was much greater than anything they could ever accomplish on the field. I am thankful that we recently had the opportunity to catch up. Auburn wouldn't be what it is today without him." He is survived by two daughters; his son died at age 19 in 2019. (More Auburn University stories.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
