I’m a huge Ricky Williams fan and have always felt he got a bad deal — and not just with his first contract. Master P ruined his earning potential, the Dolphins ruined his legs, and weed derailed his career. He’d had four straight 1000 yard rushing seasons before his “hiatus”. I remember where I was when Ricky broke the career NCAA rushing record. I was at a soccer tournament and we were actually eating at a mall in between games. With a dirty soccer uniforms still on, we went into Montgomery Ward and watched him rip off a 60 yard touchdown to pass Tony Dorsett’s mark. I still don’t count Ron Dayne’s record due to fatness.
Texas fans will always remember Ricky’s greatness but unfortunately that didn’t translate into the NFL. After failed comebacks spanning a few years and two football leagues, Williams has found a new profession. The currently non-dreadlocked running back is now training to become a massage therapist. Here’s an excerpt from the South Florida Sun Sentinel:
He sees two more years of football in his body. And he’s assembling a plan toward that point. He plans to attend medical school for osteopathy, a holistic manner of treating the body.
To do so, he needs the undergraduate degree he didn’t complete at Texas. So he enrolled at Nova Southeastern and has taken classes. Last season, for instance, he took an algebra and English course, even writing an essay on a subject he knows: Obedience.
So yeah, Ricky is now pursuing a massage therapy career. But wait, there’s more. Ricky has a new name… and it’s his old name. But it’s only for his massage buddies or something like that. Ricky may not be Ricky anymore, but he’s still effing crazy. The explanation of his new name is below.
“What’s your name?” Browne asked.
“Errick Williams.”
Browne looked closer. “Aren’t you Ricky Williams, the Dolphins running back?”
He was. And still is. But Ricky, he says, is “tainted,” because of the name-tag baggage that comes with the NFL suspensions. And he’s always felt Ricky was a kid’s name. So in certain circles he’s Errick.
“If I introduce myself as Errick, and someone calls me, ‘Ricky,’ I usually correct them,” he says. “I’ll say, ‘I didn’t introduce myself to you as that. Please call me Errick.’ “
Oh, Errick. You’re so nutty. I’ve heard that it’s been hard for some of his acquaintances to adjust. It’s probably because “Errick, pass me the blunt” just doesn’t have the same ring to it. Equally hilarious is that the school established the Ricky Williams Scholarship that, coincidentally, he was given. Does he really need a full ride? I guess it’s free publicity for the school.
Personally, I always thought that Ricky deserved more love. That’s probably because I’m biased. But we’re talking about the man who unabashedly rocked dreadlocks, the king tut beard, and a homeless guy beard. How can you not like a hulking Hindu vegetarian that smokes weed and practices yoga? Give the guy a break. Errick is now in his third (and most successful) comeback to professional football. I also blame the Dolphins for giving him nearly 800 carries in the 2002 and 2003 seasons. As a comparison, Larry Johnson has the NFL record for carries in a season with 416 and his two most demanding seasons don’t add up to Ricky’s workload those years. Even more recently, his broken arm in the CFL was horrific. The man has endured more than most people could imagine. So I implore all of you to start rooting for Errick Williams, football and life bad ass.
Tags: football, massage, miami dolphins, NFL, ricky williams
