Ricky Williams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ricky Williams

Williams in 2020
No. 34, 27
Position:	Running back
Personal information
Born:	(1977-05-21) May 21, 1977 (age 48) San Diego, California, U.S.
Height:	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight:	230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High school:	Patrick Henry (San Diego)
College:	Texas (1995–1998)
NFL Draft:	1999 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5
Career history
New Orleans Saints (1999) Miami Dolphins (2002; 2005) Toronto Argonauts (2006) Miami Dolphins (2006) Baltimore Ravens (2011)
Career highlights and awards
First-team All-Pro (2002) Pro Bowl (2002) NFL rushing yards leader (2002) Heisman Trophy (1998) Maxwell Award (1998) Walter Camp Award (1998) AP College Football Player of the Year (1998) SN Player of the Year (1998) Chic Harley Award (1998) 2× Doak Walker Award (1997, 1998) 2× Jim Brown Trophy (1997, 1998) 2× Unanimous All-American (1997, 1998) 2× Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year (1997, 1998) 3× First-team All-Big 12 (1996–1998) Second-team All-SWC (1995) Cotton Bowl MVP (1999) Texas Longhorns No. 34 retired
Career NFL statistics
Rushing attempts: 2,431 Rushing yards: 10,009 Rushing touchdowns: 66 Receptions: 342 Receiving yards: 2,606 Receiving touchdowns: 8
Career CFL statistics
Rushing attempts: 109 Rushing yards: 526 Rushing touchdowns: 2 Receptions: 19 Receiving yards: 127
Player stats at PFR
Player stats at CFL.ca (archive)
College Football Hall of Fame

Errick Miron (born Errick Lynne Williams Jr.; May 21, 1977) is a former American football player. He was a running back for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He also played one season in the Canadian Football League (CFL).

Ricky Williams played baseball and football at Patrick Henry High School. He then played college football for the Texas Longhorns. He was named an All-American twice. In 1998, he won the famous Heisman Trophy. He set new records for rushing yards and all-purpose yards in college. He also played minor league baseball for four seasons while in college. In 2015, he was added to the College Football Hall of Fame.

The New Orleans Saints picked him fifth overall in the 1999 NFL draft. He played three seasons with the Saints. In 2002, he was traded to the Miami Dolphins. He played for the Dolphins for two seasons. In 2002, he led the entire league in rushing yards. He decided to retire from football for the first time in 2004. In 2006, he played for the Toronto Argonauts due to a league suspension. He returned to the Dolphins in 2007 and played until 2010. His last season was with the Baltimore Ravens in 2011. He was named a first-team All-Pro and went to the Pro Bowl in 2002.

Early Life and High School Sports

Ricky Williams was born on May 21, 1977, along with his twin sister, Cassie. His parents divorced when he was young. Ricky was a very smart child. He scored very high on a test at age six. He was also a good student in high school. He earned honor roll recognition. By age 12, he had a brown belt in Taekwondo. He started growing dreadlocks when he was 15.

At Patrick Henry High School in San Diego, Ricky played baseball and football. He also ran track and wrestled. In baseball, he was named all-league as a junior. As a senior, he was named all-state.

Ricky gained a lot of weight before his junior year of high school. He played outside linebacker and strong safety in football. His main position was running back. During high school, he ran for 4,129 yards and scored 55 touchdowns. In his senior year, he had 2,099 yards and 25 touchdowns. He won the San Diego Union-Tribune Player of the Year award in 1994. He helped his team win their first league title in 11 years.

College Football Career

Playing for the Texas Longhorns

Williams went to the University of Texas. He played for the Texas Longhorns football team from 1995 to 1998. The Philadelphia Phillies baseball team paid for his college scholarship. This was part of his minor league baseball contract.

In his first year (1995), Ricky was set to be the starting fullback. He set a school record for rushing yards by a freshman with 95 yards in his first game. He finished the season with 990 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. This broke Earl Campbell's freshman rushing record. He was named the Southwest Conference Freshman of the Year.

Before his second year (1996), The Sporting News called Williams the best fullback in college football. He led Texas with 1,272 rushing yards. He ran for over 100 yards in seven games that season.

Williams became a running back for his junior year in 1997. He scored five touchdowns in one game against Rice. This set new school and Big 12 Conference records. He broke the school record for career touchdowns with 43. He finished the season with 1,893 rushing yards and 25 rushing touchdowns. He set new school records for rushing yards, carries, and rushing touchdowns in a season. He also had the most all-purpose yards with 2,043. He was fifth in voting for the Heisman Trophy. He won the Doak Walker Award and was named a unanimous All-America player.

Record-Breaking Senior Year (1998)

Williams decided to stay at Texas for his senior season. He could have been drafted by the NFL, but he chose to return. Texas gave him a $2.8 million insurance policy. This would protect him if he got hurt and was drafted lower.

In his first game of 1998, he scored six rushing touchdowns. This broke his own school record. In the next game, he broke Earl Campbell's career rushing record. He gained 4,530 total yards. Against Rice again, he scored six touchdowns and ran for 318 yards. He also became Texas's all-time leading scorer. He set a school record for all-purpose yards in a game with 350.

Against Iowa State, he ran for 350 yards and five touchdowns. This broke the school record for single-game rushing yards. He also broke the record for career total touchdowns with 67. In a game against Baylor, he broke the NCAA Division I-A record for career points scored with 428.

On November 27, 1998, Williams broke the NCAA Division I-A career rushing record. This record was held by Tony Dorsett. He did it with a 60-yard touchdown run against Texas A&M. The game stopped briefly to celebrate his achievement. He finished that game with 259 yards. He also broke the Division I-A career all-purpose yards record with 7,206 yards.

Williams won many awards after the 1998 season. He won his second Doak Walker Award. He also won the Walter Camp Award, Maxwell Award, and Associated Press College Football Player of the Year. He received the Heisman Trophy, becoming the second Texas Longhorn to win it. In the 1999 Cotton Bowl Classic, he set a bowl record with 248 all-purpose yards.

Ricky Williams broke or tied 21 NCAA Division I-A records. He also broke 24 Big 12 Conference records and 46 Texas Longhorns school records. The University of Texas retired his No. 34 jersey in May 1999. He has a statue at the University of Texas campus in Austin, Texas. It honors his Heisman Trophy win, alongside Earl Campbell's.

College Statistics

• This table includes Williams' bowl game performances. Before 2002, bowl games were not part of official NCAA career statistics.

Minor League Baseball Career

The Philadelphia Phillies drafted Ricky Williams in 1995. This was after he graduated from high school. He signed a contract with a $50,000 signing bonus. He played four seasons in the Phillies' minor league system. He never played higher than Single–A. He was an outfielder. He played in 170 games. He had a .211 batting average, four home runs, and 46 stolen bases.

In 1995, he played for the Martinsville Phillies. He had a .239 batting average. In 1996 and 1997, he played for the Piedmont Boll Weevils. He was teammates with future Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins. Rollins said Williams was the fastest player he had ever seen. In 1998, Williams played for the Batavia Muckdogs. He played 12 games before returning to Texas for his senior year of football.

In December 1998, the Montreal Expos picked Williams in the Rule 5 draft. They then traded his rights to the Texas Rangers. The Rangers were owned by Tom Hicks, a Texas Longhorns supporter. Williams was put on the Rangers' major league roster. However, he decided not to join spring training. He wanted to focus on the NFL draft. He never played for the Rangers.

Professional Football Career

Starting with the New Orleans Saints

Ricky Williams was picked fifth overall in the 1999 NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints. The Saints' coach, Mike Ditka, made a big trade to get Williams. He traded all of the Saints' other 1999 draft picks. He also traded first and third-round picks for the next year. This was the first time an NFL team used all its draft picks for just one player.

Williams and Ditka appeared on the cover of ESPN The Magazine. Williams's first contract was for seven years. It had many incentives, meaning he had to perform very well to earn all the money. After injuries in his first year, he earned less than expected. Williams later changed agents. Ditka was fired because the team did not do well.

Williams played three seasons (1999–2001) with the Saints. In his first game, he ran for 40 yards. As a rookie, he had 884 rushing yards. In 2000, he rushed for 1,000 yards. He scored nine touchdowns in 10 games. He missed some games due to an injury. The Saints won their first-ever playoff game in 2000. In 2001, Williams had a great season. He rushed for 1,245 yards, ranking eighth in the NFL. He also caught 60 passes for 511 yards.

Time with the Miami Dolphins

First Period with the Dolphins

Williams during his first time playing for the Dolphins.

The Miami Dolphins traded for Williams on March 8, 2002. They gave up four draft picks, including two first-round picks. In 2002, his first season with the Dolphins, he had an amazing year. He had ten games where he rushed for at least 100 yards. In one game, he ran for 228 yards and two touchdowns. In another, he had 216 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He was the NFL's leading rusher with 1,853 yards. He was named a first-team All-Pro and went to the Pro Bowl.

In the 2003 season, Williams had 1,372 rushing yards. He scored nine rushing touchdowns. He also caught 50 passes for 351 receiving yards.

Williams was known for his dreadlocks hairstyle. He was also known for being shy. He often did interviews with his helmet on. He was later diagnosed with social anxiety disorder. This made it hard for him to be around many people.

Taking a Break from Football

Williams announced his retirement on August 2, 2004. He was not able to play in the 2004 NFL season. During this time, he studied Ayurveda, an ancient Indian health system. The Dolphins finished the 2004 season with a 4–12 record.

Williams has said he does not regret retiring. He believes it was a very positive choice for him. It gave him time to learn about himself.

Returning to the Dolphins

Williams at the 2005 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game.

Williams officially returned to the Dolphins on July 24, 2005. He played in 12 games that year. He rushed for 743 yards and scored six touchdowns. He also had a good average of 4.4 yards per carry. He ran for 172 yards in one game and 108 yards in another.

On February 20, 2006, the NFL announced that Williams faced another league suspension. On April 25, 2006, he was suspended for the entire 2006 season.

Playing in Canada: Toronto Argonauts

Since Williams was suspended from the NFL in 2006, the CFL team, the Toronto Argonauts, became interested. The Dolphins allowed Williams to play for the Argonauts. This was on the condition that he would return to them in 2007.

On May 28, 2006, Williams signed a one-year contract with the Argonauts. He became the highest-paid running back in the CFL. He chose to wear the number 27 jersey.

Williams played his first CFL game on June 17, 2006. He rushed for 97 yards on 18 carries. He also caught two passes. The Argonauts won the game.

On July 22, 2006, Williams broke a bone in his left arm during a game. He had surgery the next day. He also cut his achilles tendon in another accident. He missed two months of games because of these injuries. He returned to play on September 23, 2006.

In 11 games in the 2006 CFL season, Williams rushed 109 times for 526 yards. He scored two touchdowns. He also caught 19 passes for 127 yards.

Williams said he loved Toronto and thought about returning to the CFL. He liked that he could have a more normal life there. He felt he could play many different positions in the CFL. After Williams's time in the CFL, a new rule was made. It stopped players suspended from the NFL from signing with a CFL team. This rule was called "The Ricky Williams Rule."

Back with the Miami Dolphins (Second Time)

Williams worked hard to return to the NFL in 2007. He practiced yoga. In October 2007, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell allowed him to play again. Williams returned for a game on November 26, 2007. He rushed for 15 yards before injuring his right shoulder. He tore his pectoral muscle. He missed the rest of the season due to this injury.

In 2008, Williams played in all 16 games for the Dolphins. He rushed for 659 yards and scored four touchdowns. He and Ronnie Brown often ran the Wildcat formation together. This helped the Dolphins have a good season with 11 wins and 5 losses.

In 2009, the starting running back, Ronnie Brown, got injured. Williams, at age 32, became the main running back. In one game, he ran for 119 yards and two touchdowns. He finished the season with 1,121 rushing yards. He set an NFL record for the longest time between 1,000-yard seasons (six years). He also became one of only seven players aged 32 or older to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.

In the 2010 season, Williams carried the ball 159 times for 673 yards. He scored two touchdowns for the Dolphins. He averaged 4.2 yards per carry at age 33.

Final Season with the Baltimore Ravens

Williams signed a two-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens on August 8, 2011. He scored his first touchdown with the Ravens on October 16. He finished the 2011 season with 444 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. On January 1, 2012, Williams reached 10,000 career rushing yards. He became the 26th player in NFL history to do so. On February 7, 2012, Williams told the Ravens he was retiring from the NFL.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular Season

Miami Dolphins Team Records

• Most rushing yards in a season: 1,853 (2002)

Life After Football

In 2013, Williams became a running backs coach. He worked at the University of Incarnate Word for two seasons. In 2015, he went back to Texas to finish his degree. He studied educational psychology and finished in 2017. He then worked as an analyst for the Longhorn Network.

Ricky Williams is now a wellness expert and business owner. He co-founded Real Wellness Herbal. He is also a licensed astrologer and CEO of LILA Astrology. He is a spokesman and podcaster.

Personal Life and Interests

Ricky Williams has said he was very shy. He was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder. He worked to cope with these challenges during his football career. He used therapy and medication.

Williams is a certified yoga instructor. He said one reason he joined the CFL's Toronto Argonauts was to teach free yoga classes. He has also used pranic healing to help recover from injuries. In 2009, he studied massage therapy and Japanese Shiatsu. In 2018, he started an herbal wellness company with his second wife, Linnea Miron.

In May 2022, Williams legally changed his last name to Miron, his wife's last name.

Ricky was raised Southern Baptist. He still identifies as a Christian. However, his yoga studies opened his mind to other religions. He believes religions are cultural. His beliefs include parts of Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu ideas.

In 2015, Williams signed with a talent agency. This was before he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Williams is a vegetarian. He was previously a vegan or mostly ate a meat-free diet. He has appeared in videos for PETA. In these videos, he talks about meatless food options.

In the Media

• Williams was a football analyst on the Longhorn Network.
• He appeared in an infomercial for Natural Golf with Mike Ditka.
• HBO's Inside the NFL had a skit about him.
• Williams's image was on the cover of the video game NFL Street.
• He had a small role in the movie Stuck on You.
• Williams was on the reality game show Pros vs. Joes.
• He is the subject of an ESPN Films documentary called "Run Ricky Run." It is part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series.
• He is also the subject of an NFL Network film called Ricky Williams: A Football Life.
• In 2017, Williams was on The New Celebrity Apprentice. He finished in 7th place.
• In 2018, Williams appeared on Hell's Kitchen as a guest star.
• In 2019, Williams was a houseguest on Celebrity Big Brother. He finished as the runner-up.
• In 2022, Williams appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher.

Images for kids

• 

  Williams during his first time playing for the Dolphins.

• 

  Williams at the 2005 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game.

See also

In Spanish: Ricky Williams para niños

• List of NCAA Division I FBS running backs with at least 50 career rushing touchdowns
• List of NCAA major college football yearly rushing leaders
• List of NCAA major college football yearly scoring leaders
• List of New Orleans Saints first-round draft picks
• List of Texas Longhorns football All-Americans
• List of doping cases in sport