Ricky Williams Enjoys Retirement As 'a Healer And A Philosopher'

[DKphin]

I'm conflicted on Ricky. On one hand I hated the fact that he left the team out to dry when he went on his sabbatical to India. But I could understand the way Dumbstadt was running him into the ground. Although he is a little out there in left field, I like his attitude on life. When he played he seemed to play to the best of his ability

It has been nearly seven years since Ricky Williams retired from the NFL for the final time. His football legacy is complex: He won a Heisman Trophy at Texas, rushed for more than 10,000 yards in the NFL and was one of the best Dolphins running backs to ever suit up. Yet some people will always remember him for marijuana use that consistently landed on him on the suspended list.

Several people who've met Williams simply describe him as a "different guy," but his former teammate Ronnie Brown told ESPN last month: "People didn't really understand Ricky. But when you got to know him, you would figure out what he was all about. In 2008, we were like a band. We would look at each other and know what the other person was thinking. He's extremely smart. We had a great bond."

Williams made a splash earlier this month by announcing on Outside the Lines that he is a co-founder of a new spring football league called Freedom Football League. There's some significance in the name because Williams says he feels more free than ever these days.

ESPN caught up with Williams recently to reminisce on the lasting memories of his NFL career, detail the complexities that define him and discuss life after football.

http://www.espn.com.au/blog/miami-d...ying-retirement-as-a-healer-and-a-philosopher

 

[Jimi]

Can we hire him as a team healer? I'm all out of ideas.

 

[Danny]

Ricky was really mess up in the head back in the day so I guess he needed a lot of healing.

 

[gfish24]

Good for Ricky. I’m glad he’s on a positive path

 

[Awsi Dooger]

I respect him. Very good handicapper. The 2004 Dolphins were very likely to fall off the ledge whether Williams was there or not. That team had extended a ton of energy 4 seasons in a row but not much to show for it. The Patriots had leapfrogged them and recently won their second Super Bowl in three seasons. It was a deflating situation all the way around.

The Dolphins in 2004 figured to be like the Bengals a couple of years ago, a natural decline after so many seasons of regular season overachieving despite moderate quarterbacking.

But somehow the public didn't understand the situation as well as Ricky Williams did. By far the most memorable exchange was when Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes quizzed Williams and said something about, "Some people say the Dolphins were headed to the Super Bowl..."

Ricky quickly cut him off: "What if I disagree?"

No kidding. Terrific comment. There was nothing to suggest a Super Bowl or anything close to that in 2004. Prior to Ricky's departure I had already wagered under on the Dolphins the season win total, and so did most of my friends. Everything pointed downward.

 

[tylerdolphin]

What is your lasting memory of your time with the Dolphins?

I loved it. I’ll always consider myself a Dolphin. Always. That’s where I had my best years. That’s where I raised my kids. It will always be a special place for me. The one unfortunate thing when I look back is I would have loved to finish my career in Miami. For one, I would have broken Larry Csonka’s Miami Dolphinsrushing record if I would have played that last year. It would have felt better to go out a Dolphin. I loved my time in Baltimore and it’s a great organization, but I felt like a fish out of water. I’m a Miami Dolphin, and I should have ended my career as a Miami Dolphin. I hope the organization one day lets me sign a one-day contract and retire as a Miami Dolphin.

What are we waiting for?

 

[royalshank]

I respect him. Very good handicapper. The 2004 Dolphins were very likely to fall off the ledge whether Williams was there or not. That team had extended a ton of energy 4 seasons in a row but not much to show for it. The Patriots had leapfrogged them and recently won their second Super Bowl in three seasons. It was a deflating situation all the way around.

The Dolphins in 2004 figured to be like the Bengals a couple of years ago, a natural decline after so many seasons of regular season overachieving despite moderate quarterbacking.

But somehow the public didn't understand the situation as well as Ricky Williams did. By far the most memorable exchange was when Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes quizzed Williams and said something about, "Some people say the Dolphins were headed to the Super Bowl..."

Ricky quickly cut him off: "What if I disagree?"

No kidding. Terrific comment. There was nothing to suggest a Super Bowl or anything close to that in 2004. Prior to Ricky's departure I had already wagered under on the Dolphins the season win total, and so did most of my friends. Everything pointed downward.

No way we were going to the SB. 2003 was already a decline over 2002 when he had one of the best seasons in NFL history for a RB at the time. It sucked losing him but I got it. The guy was smart. He wanted to walk when he retired. Dumbstadt had no plan but to have him touch the ball 450 times again. I also think he got a bad rap for the pot. He refused the OxyContin and such that the team prescribed and coped w a much safer alternative. He looks like a genius now but at the time the NFL hated what he was doing.