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| accessdate = 2007-04-22}}</ref>
| accessdate = 2007-04-22}}</ref>


On [[May 11]] [[2007]], league medical advisors revealed that Williams tested positive for marijuana in April. This is expected to delay Williams' application for reinstatement to the league until at least September.<ref name="2007_05_pot_test">{{cite news
On [[May 11]] [[2007]], an anonymous source reported that Williams had failed a drug test again. The NFL has made no comment, nor have the Miami Dolphins.Ricky Williams did make a comment:

| url = http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2867381
"Due to the recent reports about me failing a drug test, I feel it is appropriate for me to issue this statement," Williams said. "Last month, following a psychological evaluation requested by the NFL, we — the psychiatrist and I — came to the realization that there were a few things I needed to iron out about myself in order to make my return to the NFL as successful as possible.
| title = Docs recommend delay of Williams' NFL reinstatement

| author = Mortensen, Chris
"I am an honest, God-fearing man who is intensely dedicated to being the best person I can be on and off the football field. There is no need to smear my name or to defame my character for the sake of news. When the time is right, God willing, I will be back on the field scoring touchdowns for whatever team is fortunate enough to believe in me."
| publisher = ESPN.com

| date = [[May 11]] [[2007]]
"I appreciate all the support I have received from my fans," Williams added in his statement, "and I assure all others that I am strong, clean, and happily preparing myself for a triumphant return to the NFL."
| accessdate = 2007-05-11}}</ref>

The matter of relapse is unproven.


==Personal life==
==Personal life==

Revision as of 04:52, 13 May 2007

Ricky Williams
Career history
New Orleans Saints
Miami Dolphins
Toronto Argonauts (CFL)
Stats at Pro Football Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Errick Lynne Williams, Jr. (born May 21, 1977 in San Diego, California) is an American football running back whose NFL rights are held by the Miami Dolphins. He was originally drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round (fifth overall) of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at Texas.

Early life

Williams was born, along with his twin sister Cassandra, in San Diego, California. Williams was born to relatively young parents, who ultimately separated when Williams was six years old. Although the mother was awarded custody of Ricky and his siblings, Williams still has a close bond with his father.[1] In San Diego's Patrick Henry High School, Williams primarily played baseball and football, but also ran track and wrestled. On the football field, Ricky gained 2,099 yards and scored 25 touchdowns. He was named "Offensive Player of the Year" by the San Diego Union-Tribune.[2]

College career

File:SI cover November 1998 Ricky Williams.jpg
Ricky Williams on the cover of Sports Illustrated, November 1998

A tremendous athlete, he was selected out of Patrick Henry High School in the 8th round of the 1995 baseball amateur draft by the Philadelphia Phillies, and played four years at the Class 'A' level with the Batavia Muckdogs of Batavia, New York. He was then taken in the 1998 Rule 5 draft by the Montreal Expos, who sold his rights to the Texas Rangers. He played college football for the University of Texas at Austin and was backed up by future-Chiefs running back, Priest Holmes. Williams holds or shares 20 NCAA records, and became the NCAA career rushing leader in 1998 with 6,279 yards (broken one year later by University of Wisconsin-Madison's Ron Dayne). He also broke the NCAA Division 1A career rushing touchdowns and career scoring records in 1998 with 73 and 452 respectively (topped one year later by Miami University's Travis Prentice), and rushed for 200 or more yards in twelve different games (an NCAA record he shares with Dayne and USC's Marcus Allen). Williams won the 64th Heisman Trophy, becoming the second Texas Longhorn to win this honor, joining Earl Campbell. Williams was sometimes known as the "Texas Tornado."[3] Sports Illustrated ran a cover (pictured) featuring Williams and that nickname. The cover photo depicts Ricky rushing against Texas Tech, a team that happened to also feature a player named Ricky Williams.[4]

Professional career

Early NFL career

File:ESPNWilliamsDitka.jpg
Ricky and coach Ditka on ESPN The Magazine cover

Williams was selected as the fifth pick of the 1999 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. Head coach Mike Ditka traded all of the Saints' 1999 draft picks to get Williams, as well as a 1st and 3rd pick the following year. This was the first time one player was the only draft pick of an NFL team. Williams and Ditka posed for the cover of ESPN The Magazine as a bride and a groom with the heading "For Better or for Worse." Rapper Master P's (a.k.a. Percy Miller's) organization No Limit Sports negotiated his contract, which was largely incentive-laden in exchange for an $8M-plus signing bonus with salary incentives worth a range of $11 million to $68 million should he hit all of his incentives, with most of them requiring higher than top-level production to attain. Williams later made Leigh Steinberg his agent. Ditka was later fired for the team's poor performance, and Williams was traded after 3 seasons to the Miami Dolphins on March 8, 2002 for two first-round picks. In his first season with the Dolphins, he was the NFL's leading rusher and a Pro Bowler with 1,853 yards.

Williams was noted for his dreadlocks, but shaved them off during a solo trip to Australia. His shyness also makes Williams somewhat of an odd ball. "Ricky's just a different guy," former Saints receiver Joe Horn explained. "People he wanted to deal with, he did. And people he wanted to have nothing to do with, he didn't. No one could understand that. I don't think guys in the locker room could grasp that he wanted to be to himself, you know, quiet. If you didn't understand him and didn't know what he was about, it always kept people in suspense." Besides keeping to himself, Williams was also known for conducting post-game interviews with his helmet on and avoiding eye contact. Williams was later diagnosed with depression and social anxiety disorder and was able to overcome most of his conditions through medication and therapy.

Early retirement from football

It was announced on May 14, 2004 that he tested positive for marijuana in December 2003 and faced a $650,000 fine and a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy. He previously tested positive for marijuana shortly after he joined the Dolphins. Shortly before training camp was to begin in July 2004, Williams publicly disclosed his intent to retire from professional football.

Rumored to have failed a third drug test before announcing his retirement, Williams made his retirement official on August 2, 2004, was ineligible to play for the 2004 season, and studied Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of holistic medicine at the California College of Ayurveda that autumn in Grass Valley, California. He has recently converted to Hinduism.

During that year he retired, the Miami Dolphins finished the season in second to last place with a 4-12 record and the second pick of the 2005 NFL Draft, in which they would select Williams' successor Ronnie Brown. This was one of the events of the final year of Dave Wannstedt's coaching tenure before his resignation.

Williams maintains (to this day) that he doesn't regret the retirement decision. He feels that it was the "most positive thing" he has ever done in his life, allowing him time to find himself.[5]

Return to football

Williams officially returned to the Dolphins on July 24, 2005, paid back a percentage of his signing bonus and completed his four game suspension for substance abuse. At his return press conference, Williams expressed his apologies for leaving the team two days before the start of training camp, which had contributed to the Dolphins' having their worst season in years, only winning 4 games in the 2004 season. Ricky Williams finished with six touchdowns and a 4.4 yards per carry average on 168 carries and 743 yards during 2005. While he shared time with Brown, he did have 172 yards in week 16, and 108 yards in week 17.

On February 20, 2006, it was announced that Williams had violated the NFL drug policy for the fourth time. His mother reportedly said she doesn't think it was another marijuana violation and that he may have been in India when he was supposed to be tested. Nevertheless, on April 25, 2006, Williams was suspended for the entire 2006 season for testing positive for a drug other than marijuana. It has been suggested that the substance may have been an herb related to his interest in holistic medicine.[6]

Canadian Football League

File:WilliamsMain.jpg
Ricky Williams shared the backfield with incumbent starting running back for the Toronto Argonauts John Avery during the 2006 CFL season.

With Williams suspended for the entire 2006 NFL season, the CFL's Toronto Argonauts decided to put Ricky on the negotiation list for the 2006 season.[7] This guaranteed that the "Argos" would become the rightful CFL team to negotiate with Williams if his NFL contract be terminated at any point in time.[8] The Dolphins allowed Williams to play for the Argonauts on the condition that he would return to them in 2007.[9]

On May 28, 2006 Williams became the highest paid running back in the CFL when he signed a one-year C$240,000 contract with the Argonauts. He chose to wear the number 27 on his jersey.[10]

The signing drew the ire of former Argonauts quarterback Joe Theismann. On May 30, 2006, Theismann was interviewed by Toronto radio station The Fan 590 whereupon he criticized the Argonauts for signing the suspended Williams. Theismann claimed he was disgraced to be associated with a team that would knowingly sign "an addict" such as Williams. The CFL has no substance-abuse policy currently in place, nor did it prohibit its teams from signing players suspended from other leagues, despite Williams being under contract with the Dolphins for the 2006 season. (Click here for an audio download of the interview).

Argo ownership responded to Theismann's criticism, noting Theismann's son, Joe, pleaded guilty in 2002 to a felony charge of possessing drug paraphernalia. He received a 10-year suspended prison term, was placed on five years of probation and fined. "It's really a delicate subject for him to attack someone if he has that in his own family," Argo co-owner Cynamon said. "If I was his son and he's calling (Williams) a drug addict and he should quit and he's a loser, I'd be shattered. This thing is really bothersome."[11]

Williams made his official CFL debut on June 17, 2006 in a home game against the Tiger-Cats at the Rogers Centre. In that game, he rushed for 97 yards on 18 carries, with his longest carry for 35 yards in the fourth quarter. Williams also caught two passes for 24 yards as the Argonauts defeated the Tiger-Cats by a score of 27-17.

On July 22, 2006, Williams suffered a broken bone injury in his left arm during a game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Regina, Saskatchewan.[12] He underwent surgery on July 23, 2006 to repair the broken bone.[13] Shortly after injuring his arm, Williams' suffered yet another injury after a door at the Argonauts' practice facility swung behind him and clipped the running back on his left achilles tendon requiring 16 stitches to close the gash.[14] During his recovery, Williams received hyperbaric oxygen therapy in St. Catharines, Ontario to expedite his return from injury.[15] In all, Williams missed two months of game action because of the injuries, returning on September 23, 2006 against the Calgary Stampeders.

In the 11 games that he played during 2006 CFL regular season, Williams rushed 109 times for 526 yards, scoring 2 TDs and his longest run was 35 yards. He also caught 19 passes for 127 yards.[16]

Williams stated his love for Toronto and mentioned the possibility of returning to the Canadian game during his professional career. "I was thinking it wouldn't be bad to come back up here and kind of follow the same steps as Pinner -- play here a couple years and maybe get a chance to coach up here," Williams said. "Because I really like Toronto, I really like this organization ... you can live here, you know? You feel like you have a life. I come to work, I go home, play with my kid, walk to the store. It's really nice. I get to teach. It's wonderful here."[17] In another interview, he expressed further desire to remain in the CFL, "If I came back here, you can put me anywhere," he says. "Up here, I can play offense, defense, special teams. I can do everything. I can block, play tight end, running back, receiver — even play the line. The NFL is so structured — 'You do this.' Here I can do so much."[18]

The controversy over the Argonauts signing Williams prompted outgoing CFL commissioner Tom Wright, in his final state of the league address, to introduce a new rule that would come in effect before the start of the 2007 CFL season that would prevent a player under suspension in the NFL from signing with a CFL club. This rule has been informally known as "The Ricky Williams Rule".

The new rule; however, will be grandfathered so that players still playing in the league, such as Argonaut tackle Bernard Williams, who was also suspended by the NFL for drug abuse and did not seek reinstatement when the ban ended, can continue playing.[19][20]

2007

Williams is currently adhering to multiple drug tests per week in order to attempt to be reinstated by the NFL. He is currently residing in Grass Valley, California, teaching and studying yoga (which he claims has weaned him off of marijuana), though he plans to return to the NFL and to the Dolphins for the 2007 season.[21] On March 30 2007, KFFL.com reported that Williams was likely to be reinstated by the league. A decision by the league on whether or not to reinstate Williams was expected in the days after the 2007 NFL Draft, which took place April 28-29.

On April 19 2007, St. Louis Rams coach Scott Linehan said that he would consider acquiring Williams as a backup to Steven Jackson. "He's proven himself with me" said Linehan, who coached him as a offensive coordinator in 2005 with the Dolphins. There is no word on whether the Dolphins will pursue tampering charges against the Rams, as it is against NFL rules to discuss players under contract with another team.[22]

On May 11 2007, an anonymous source reported that Williams had failed a drug test again. The NFL has made no comment, nor have the Miami Dolphins.Ricky Williams did make a comment:

"Due to the recent reports about me failing a drug test, I feel it is appropriate for me to issue this statement," Williams said. "Last month, following a psychological evaluation requested by the NFL, we — the psychiatrist and I — came to the realization that there were a few things I needed to iron out about myself in order to make my return to the NFL as successful as possible.

"I am an honest, God-fearing man who is intensely dedicated to being the best person I can be on and off the football field. There is no need to smear my name or to defame my character for the sake of news. When the time is right, God willing, I will be back on the field scoring touchdowns for whatever team is fortunate enough to believe in me."

"I appreciate all the support I have received from my fans," Williams added in his statement, "and I assure all others that I am strong, clean, and happily preparing myself for a triumphant return to the NFL."

The matter of relapse is unproven.

Personal life

Ricky Williams has admitted being very shy and was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, which he struggled to cope with during his football career. Williams was treated with therapy and medication. To alleviate his symptoms, he smoked marijuana during the NFL football season and was consequently penalized. Williams was briefly a spokesperson for the drug Paxil as treatment. He worked with the drug company GlaxoSmithKline to educate the public about the disorder.[23] Williams later quit Paxil saying the drug didn't agree with his diet.

Ricky Willams said marijuana had been a better treatment since it produced fewer side effects (than Paxil).[24] In an interview with ESPN, Williams stated, "Marijuana is 300,000 times better for me than Paxil."

Williams admitted in a 60 Minutes interview that one of the main reasons for his retirement was to avoid the humiliation of his marijuana use being made public (with his third failed drug test).[25] After his retirement he quickly went to California to get a prescription for medical marijuana (which he had no problem securing). In 2006 he claimed he no longer needs marijuana but doesn't criticize others' choices on the matter.[26] In April 2007, however, he tested positive for marijuana.[27]

Williams is a qualified yoga instructor. He has stated that one of his main reasons for joining the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts is for the opportunity to teach free yoga lessons at a local Toronto yoga facility.[26]

Williams has four children, and a fifth, with his fiancee, is on the way as of 2006. Ricky is a supporter of PETA.[28]

Trivia

  • A cut-scene of Williams is shown in NCAA Football 06.
  • In 1998, the year he won the Heisman Trophy, he was also a member of the All-Time Team.
  • Cedric Benson, another star running back out of Texas who is currently with the Chicago Bears, was widely compared to him during his college career due to similar running styles and Benson's dreadlocks. However, Benson says he wants to separate himself from Williams and be a better player and because of this he decided to cut off his dreadlocks before the 2005 NFL Draft.
  • Williams appeared in a wedding dress on the cover of ESPN The Magazine (pictured above).
  • He is one of the few players to have been contracted to both an NFL team and CFL team at the same time.
  • He appeared in an infomercial for Natural Golf alongside Mike Ditka.[29]
  • HBO's Inside the NFL had a skit about Ricky trying to return to the Dolphins. It featured him trying to raise $8.6 million, avoiding drug tests, and even asking Dan Marino to return with him.
  • His likeness appeared on the cover of the original NFL Street.

References

  1. ^ "Ricky Williams - Biography". Site Vip. Retrieved 2006-05-28.
  2. ^ "Ricky Williams #34". NFL Players. Retrieved 2007-02-13.
  3. ^ Richard, Dave (December 9 2002). "Q & A: Williams makes it look easy". Miami Dolphins. Retrieved 2007-01-26. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ "1990s". Sport Illustrated. Retrieved 2007-01-26.
  5. ^ "Lost and found: Ricky Williams interviewed". Toronto Sun. 2006-05-29. Retrieved 2006-06-01. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ "NFL suspends Ricky Williams for 2006". The Sporting News. 2006-04-25. Retrieved 2006-05-28. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ "Argonauts looking at Ricky Williams". TSN. 2006-04-27. Retrieved 2006-05-28. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ "Ricky Williams interested in joining Argos". TSN. 2006-05-03. Retrieved 2006-05-28. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ South Florida Sun-Sentinel story, not available online as of November 24 2006.
  10. ^ "Williams headed to CFL, signs with Argonauts". ESPN. 2006-05-29. Retrieved 2006-05-29. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ "Argos owner blasts Theismann". Associated Press. June 1, 2006.
  12. ^ "Williams out indefinitely with broken arm". TSN. 2006-07-22. Retrieved 2006-07-22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ "Toronto Argonauts Statement - Ricky Williams". Toronto Argonauts press release. 2006-07-24. Retrieved 2006-07-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ "Ricky ready to return for Argos". Rogers Sportsnet. 2006-09-14. Retrieved 2006-09-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ "Williams turns to oxygen tank to heal arm". National Post. 2006-08-15. Retrieved 2006-08-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ "Ricky Williams (roster info)". CFL.ca Network. Retrieved 2006-11-24.
  17. ^ Fitz-Gerald, Sean (2006-08-24). "Williams weighing return to CFL". National Post. Retrieved 2006-08-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ Saraceno, Joe (2006-11-06). "Living in the moment, Williams enjoying his time in Canada". USA Today. Retrieved 2006-11-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ "CFL to bar suspended NFL players". CBC Sports. 2006-11-20. Retrieved 2006-11-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. ^ "CFL unveils 'Ricky Williams Rule'". The Toronto Star. 2006-11-17. Retrieved 2007-03-31. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. ^ Ostler, Scott (March 1 2007). "Williams' clear vision: An NFL comeback". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2007-04-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  22. ^ Marvez, Alex (April 20 2007). "Rams interested in Williams". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved 2007-04-22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  23. ^ "Social anxiety disorder: Miami Dolphin Ricky Williams". USA Today. 2002-10-22. Retrieved 2006-05-28. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  24. ^ http://www.mpp.org/releases/nr080404williams.html
  25. ^ "Ricky Williams Returns". 60 Minutes. 2005-09-18. Retrieved 2006-07-21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  26. ^ a b "Yoga helps Williams find his karma". The Globe and Mail. 2006-05-30. Retrieved 2006-05-31. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  27. ^ Cite error: The named reference 2007_05_pot_test was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  28. ^ Santiago, Jennifer. "Ricky Williams: Taking the Veggie Plunge". PETAWorld. Retrieved 2006-06-09.
  29. ^ "Mike Ditka Joins Natural Golf Team". The Wire. Retrieved 2006-11-25.

Further reading

Preceded by Pro Bowl MVP
2003 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Heisman Trophy Winner
1998 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Maxwell Award
1998 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Walter Camp Award
1998 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Doak Walker Award
1998
1997 		Succeeded by
Preceded by NCAA Football Cover Athlete
2000 		Succeeded by

Template:EA-NCAAFB-Athlete

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