Coleman-Williams’ maternal grandfather, Michael Coleman, revealed that the name’s significance came from Williams’ great-great-grandfather, who was White and bore the last name Coleman. At the time, slaves were given their names. But the Coleman family had theirs at birth, which made the name “special” to Michael. Ryan’s involvement comes from the fact that he is likely the last male in the family line to carry the name. Regardless, his mother, who has been overwhelmed by his name change, still believes he did not have to.
“It’s amazing because he doesn’t have to do this,” Tiffany Coleman said. “At the end of the day, Ryan doesn’t owe me anything. All I want is to see him be great.”
Ryan Coleman-Williams new name is anything but. There are centuries of history behind it and he’s the last known male in the family line.
He changed it as a tribute to his mom but as so much more, too.
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— David Ubben (@davidubben) May 15, 2026
Ryan Coleman-Williams got an idea of how significant the name was from his grandfather after several conversations. Despite working as a firefighter, a pastor, in the Army Reserve, and at Walmart, Michael was intentional about his relationship with his grandson. He would seldom take him to watch him put out a fire or to the military base to watch training exercises. This connection to his maternal side was what Williams meant when he adopted the name.
The name ‘Williams’ came from his father, Ryan Williams Sr., who played defensive back at Auburn. The “Coleman” prefix would have come way earlier since Ryan was a boy. But his mother, Tiffany Coleman, had him as a teenager, while she was too young to understand the process. She recently explained her dilemma at his birth that led to him bearing Williams for 19 years, despite his birth certificate reading “Ryan Alexander Coleman Williams.”
“That was the name he had since I popped him out. But me being young, I didn’t know about hyphenating last names. I was thinking of my dad, but didn’t realize people wouldn’t say Coleman-Williams if it wasn’t hyphenated,” Tiffany Coleman said.
The name was truly adopted to honor his mom, whom he calls his best friend. But there is the historical background he got from his grandfather and the strong bond they share, while remembering that he has the responsibility to carry the family name for generations to come.
Ryan Coleman-Williams changes the jersey number
While his name change was meant to preserve a family tradition, Coleman-Williams also changed his number. This time, his reason was to preserve his football reputation. His 2025 did not go so well; his performance dropped from the exciting freshman he looked like in 2024.
Last year, he had an uncharacteristic performance, with 689 yards on 49 catches and four touchdowns in 12 starts. He was not targeted as much and looked nothing like the only two-time Mr. Football in the history of the state of Alabama. But ahead of a new season, he has announced he is ready for a reset, including changing his number.
“As far as my number, it’s just an opportunity to have a hard reset, just maybe feel like myself again [and] get ready for a season that doesn’t disappoint.”
Also, when Coleman-Williams arrived at Alabama, Kendrick Law wore No. 1. Last year, he left it for Isaiah Horton, who transferred to Alabama from Miami. Now, in 2026, he has reclaimed it and is set to rediscover his high school form.
