Ricky Williams retires (!)

[Carolina Red]

Now this is a total shocker. I know that he has had some anxiety troubles in the past, but Ricky Williams had been improving over the years in play. Why he would retire when his career was heading upward is completely beyond me.

Here's a NFL.com report (http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/MIA/7524441) and a Miami Dolphins release (http://www.miamidolphins.com/pressbox/pressreleases/pressreleases.asp?contentID=3335) that I found.

I think he could have been a 1000+ yard-a-year rusher in the NFL, maybe get the Dolphins into the playoffs again if he stayed with them. Could he really have had that much pressure on his mind?

[Sheamon]

What do I have to say about this?

HHAAAAAAAAHHHHAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
HHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
HHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

:D :D :D :D :D

I don't think I'm stepping out on a limb by saying in late July that the Pats will cruise to another easy division title. The best non-Patriot player in the division is now gone, reducing Miami's already poor offense to a horrific one.

[Chris Wood]

Well, the upside is this will make Jay look so horrible that they'll have no choice but to replace him.

Now pass the bottle...

[randomguy]

That means Ricky Williams peaked in his days with the Texas Longhorns. Which is sad.

[SSJPabs]

Well he did have mental problems in Louisianna. The only fault I have for him is that he waited until after Eddie George was signed. He really hurt the Dolphins with this. Of course as I'm a fan of the choke-a-riffic Vikings (who are the Vegas Bookie Choice to get to the Superbowl) I don't mind this at all.

[Tanooki]

wait a minute...who was eddie george signed by? i heard rumors the vikes were interested (they're also my favorite team as i'm from MN)

Hero

[Squall]

What???

As a graduate of U.T. Austin, who got to see Ricky Williams play at Texas in person in college, this just floored me. I figured he'd have a 12-15 year NFL career, with many Pro Bowl appearances (and hopefully one Super Bowl ring). This is like the sports version of the Twilight Zone...

[SSJPabs]

wait a minute...who was eddie george signed by? i heard rumors the vikes were interested (they're also my favorite team as i'm from MN)

HeroCowboys I think. We don't need him Hero. Well okay, we do, but just a tiny bit. Did you read the Strib story about salary cap? We have money to burn right now.

[PaQ]

Speaking of Minnesota, Ricky Williams follows Robert Smith, in quality running backs leaving while barely into their prime.

Yeah, George signed with Dallas on like Thursday I think. Poor guy, I bet he's wishing he'd had waited longer, his price might've gone up had he waited.

This hurts the Dolphins big time, he was their main part of the offense. If anything this will probably show why AJ Feeley should be the quarterback over Jay Fiedler.. I do like Travis Minor, so I don't think Miami is completely empty at running back, but it's a big blow.

Ricky's not all for the glitz and glamour. I saw an interview they aired today that they did last year, and it looks like he has plenty of things he likes to do besides football, like photography and being with his kids. I wish him all the best, even if he really hurt the Dolphins for at least this season.

[RedBoot]

As a graduate of U.T. Austin, who got to see Ricky Williams play at Texas in person in college, this just floored me.
Same here, minus the graduate part since I'm still here. (and I actually wasn't a student yet when he was playing, so don't go thinking I'm on the 7-year plan or something).

Anyway, I heard he had some social anxiety problems, but I don't know if that factored in at all.

Actually, the real reason he retired is because he was on the cover of NFL Street, and anyone who is on the cover of an EA Sports game is cursed. Just look at Dany Heatley, Michael Vick, Vince Carter, and, well, Dale Earnhardt.

[Carolina Red]

Whatever the case is, this was a completely ignorant move to opt out of the NFL right before training camp. He obviously didn't think much of his teammates; if he did, then he'd retire a few days after the Super Bowl, thus giving the Dolphins a chance to try and get a quality free agent running back like Eddie George or build up on the passing game. Instead, the passing is still the same old crummy game and George is now in Dallas.

And as for Barry Sanders....I don't think we'll ever truly know the reason why he retired so soon. He was such a great player who could have passed Walter Payton's rushing record (now held by Emmitt Smith), and he just walked away. :confused:

[SSJPabs]

Speaking of Minnesota, Ricky Williams follows Robert Smith, in quality running backs leaving while barely into their prime.Robert Smith just released his book actually. His explanation for why he left was that the culture of celebrity around atheletes disgusted him and he wanted no part of it.

Ricky Williams seems to have left because he didn't want to meet the demands of football anymore. He's bought a one-way ticket to Asia and I guess he's gone already.

[Ajax]

This hurts the Dolphins big time, he was their main part of the offense. If anything this will probably show why AJ Feeley should be the quarterback over Jay Fiedler.. I do like Travis Minor, so I don't think Miami is completely empty at running back, but it's a big blow.It way hurt the Dolphins offense big time, but not there chances in the playoffs. Let me explain, I don't know if this is some kind of calculated irony but since Ricky Williams join the Dolphins, they have yet to make the playoffs (the previous five seasons before he joined, the Dolphins were a playoff regular) Yeah he got a rushing title, a pro bowl appearance and the most 100 yard games in Dolphin history but no playoff appearance. My point, maybe this isn't such a big blow.The Dolphins are still loaded on the defensive side. And there WR are really talented.
Actually, the real reason he retired is because he was on the cover of NFL Street, and anyone who is on the cover of an EA Sports game is cursed. Just look at Dany Heatley, Michael Vick, Vince Carter, and, well, Dale Earnhardt. Vince Carter has been "cursed" since 2001. And Dale Earnhardt hasn't gone the way these fellows I'm about to mention have.I like to say that your right, but only about the Madden games. Since 2001 any player on the cover has gone to have the worst season of his career.
2001: Eddie George, got hurt I believe, and was the last time he made the Pro Bowl. Since then he has gone on a steady decline.
2002: Dante Culpepper, was plagued by injuries and had the worst season of his career. Was actually benched a couple of times. A real fall from grace.
2003: Marshal Faulk, plauged by injuries, worst season of his career, didn't even break 1000 yards.
2004: Micheal Vick, got hurt in perseason, turning the hopes of a bright season into a nightmare.

[Tienshin]

Wow. Between the utter bizarre nature of his retirement and the huge impact this has on the Dolphins this is easily the biggest news of the NFL season...AND IT HASN'T EVEN STARTED YET!

Has anyone checked on Dave Wannstedt lately, because I am worried he is going to fling himself off Pro Player Stadium.

Have fun wandering the Earth and smoking pot Ricky!

[Redi]

Good for Ricky Williams. Its just a game that apparently he only played because of outside pressures to play.

His move was selfish to a point but really the Dolphins(like any other pro sports team) don't really care about the players...only the money and prestige they bring.

Coaches cut players all the time...leaving them up the creek without a paddle. They don't help them find a job after they tell them to clean out their lockers.

They have no loyalty towards their players...trade them like baseball cards. Drug them up just to play. Use them until they're all used up then cut them just like the Titans did to Eddie George.

Its a bit hypocritical for the team to call him disloyal...because the just bs.

[PaQ]

Seems today we here more about Ricky Williams from Dan Lebatard and Robert Smith.. Comes out that Ricky was already going to make this his last season, and that he never wanted to play in the NFL. His goal was to be a college running back, and that he didn't know what he wanted to do with his life, so he had no way to object to the people (family, friends, experts) that told him to play football...

The only reason he was gonna play at all this season was for his teammates, but as he told people of his plans, the more they objected and tried to talk him out of it, the more he knew he couldn't last a whole season and decided to retire now. He didn't like the rules of the NFL that told him what he could and couldn't do, and that the pounding a runningback takes (he led the league in carries the past 2 years, and it's the most in a 2 year span in NFL history) you need a certain amount of passion for the game.. and he just didn't have that anymore.


Robert Smith just released his book actually. His explanation for why he left was that the culture of celebrity around atheletes disgusted him and he wanted no part of it.He wrote a book? .. Wow.. Hmm, I'm not surprised by that.. He left around the time of Randy Moss didn't he? .. I know Moss basically drove Chris Carter out of playing, perhaps he was one of Smith's reasons as well.


It way hurt the Dolphins offense big time, but not there chances in the playoffs. Let me explain, I don't know if this is some kind of calculated irony but since Ricky Williams join the Dolphins, they have yet to make the playoffs (the previous five seasons before he joined, the Dolphins were a playoff regular) Yeah he got a rushing title, a pro bowl appearance and the most 100 yard games in Dolphin history but no playoff appearance. My point, maybe this isn't such a big blow.The Dolphins are still loaded on the defensive side. And there WR are really talented. I still say it's a big blow because Ricky led the league in carries the last 2 years, showing Miami's dependency on the running game. And another thing that doesn't give me much hope for Miami, is I just realized who they have on their team this year. WR David Boston, the same Boston who basically screwed up a decent San Diego team last year that had high hopes.. He'll have to have gotten his act together for Miami to have a chance to succeed in reaching the playoffs, especially with Ricky gone.

For the 2 year absence of the playoffs, it is ironic that it's been since he was there, but also it's been that long since they divided into 4 divisions and took away a wild card spot.. which is what Miami used to lean on a bit to make the playoffs a few of those years.

[okendri]

I never heard of any problems between Moss and Carter that lead to Carter's retirement. Robert Smith retired in 2000, so that would be Moss's 3rd year. I don't think that you can entirely blame Miami's playoff failures just on Rickey. In the last two years, Fiedler has missed at least four games. In Rickey's first year with the Dolphins, the backups to Fiedler were horrible and really hurt their chances of making the playoffs.

Hopefully for Rickey he doesn't follow the route of Bison Dele.

[Chris Wood]

Has anyone checked on Dave Wannstedt lately, because I am worried he is going to fling himself off Pro Player Stadium.

I've got my fingers crossed. Maybe Jay will be next.

[Ajax]

Man, I just realized how screwed the Dolphins are this year. I forgot how old they were on the defensive side. If anything Dolphins fans should look past this year and onward to the 2005 season. I just heard James (RB for the Colts) would have no problem playing for Miami. Besides the Colts won't be able to keep both Harrison and James next year and I'm guessing they'll be offering Harrison the Extension. So if James is healthy he should replace that hole in left by Williams (I remember these two were heavily compared when they came out in 2000).


Coaches cut players all the time...leaving them up the creek without a paddle. They don't help them find a job after they tell them to clean out their lockers.
They have no loyalty towards their players...trade them like baseball cards. Drug them up just to play. Use them until they're all used up then cut them just like the Titans did to Eddie George.
Its a bit hypocritical for the team to call him disloyal...because the just bs
The Eddie George thing (and like most other situations) we like to think it was because of Salary Cap issues. Same thing happened to Emmit Smith.
That view is a little harsh. Plus, its not really the coaches who handle that kind of stuff, more like the GMs or the owners. But anyways, to say "they" have no loyalty towards the players is unfair. When in times its the players who don't have loyalt to there clubs. T.O (Terrlle Owens) is the best example of this. Got traded to the Ravens, and he cried a river. Didn't care about the Ravens, just wanted what he wanted. Players getting cut because there washed up is part of the business. Hey, you use up a car until it can't go no more and then you buy a new one. Just like in life, just like in football. But this, this is like you brand new car saying "naw I quit" just before an important event in your life. Got no problem with his retirement, but the timing is horrible. I don't call it being disloyal, just ****ed up.

[Matthew Williams]

hey, remember when the Eagles booed Andy Reid for signing Donovan and the Governor and the fans wanted them to sign Ricky Williams?

...yeah.

[Squall]

Same here, minus the graduate part since I'm still here. (and I actually wasn't a student yet when he was playing, so don't go thinking I'm on the 7-year plan or something)...
I envy you! I don't live in Austin, TX, anymore, and I miss it every day. :( When did you start there? What is your major? When are you going to finish? What part of town do you live in, or are you on campus? To answer my own questions:

I started Spring 1997, lived in Rio Nueces (sucked, but it was a mere block from campus), and graduated Fall 2001 with a BSEE. :D (Well, for what little good it does in the current economy...)

[Road to Gotham]

Ricky is a POT HEAD.
He can't see thru the Haze of smoke.
The Dolphin Players and Management got screwed big time.

[cross blues]

In some ways Williams' decision to retire in his prime was not a surprise because he was never the stereotypical football player. His passions include shopping and photography, and in 2001 he was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, a condition contributing to his extreme shyness. While with the Saints, he often conducted interviews while wearing his helmet. He said he felt like a weirdo in New Orleans but professed to be happy during his two seasons with Miami.


"You can't understand how free I feel." - R. Williams

I couldn't be happier for him. Instead of continuing his career as a workhorse for a lousy team, Ricky Williams decided to do what he wants. He could have stayed for the money, but he didn't. Sure it's a huge blow to the NFL and the Dolphins, but this is a man's life we're talking about. He should do what makes him happy, and obviously that's not football. Besides that, Ricky Williams was being used way too much last year. He had way too many carries and I'm sure the ****** Dolphins would have used him even more this year. He didn't just do the right thing, he did the smart thing. Now in ten years he'll be able to walk without using a cane.