Ricky Williams Retires

[EastCoaster]

It looks like Ricky Williams is going to retire. The Dolphines are expecting his retirement papers by mid next week. I'm sad to hear that, he's a great running back.... but thats great news for by Buffalo Bills!

[Aboot]

Yeah I just saw this on espn.com. I guess it's not that surprising but just weird that last pre-season he was talking smack about rushing for over 2000 yards and now this year he's retiring. Wacky guy.

Here's the link.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1846012

[Jack87]

Ricky as it's been well documented has alot of mental issues...
Maybe he stopped taking his meds... If this is true it's just
crazy... The guy is going to throw away his NFL career???

If you read the story from the link it sounds like someone that
is half crazy... And the greatest part is you still have Philadelphia
Eagle fans pissed that they didn't draft this head case instead of
Donovan McNabb... I'm not the biggest fan of McNabb, but if they
drafted Williams it would have been one of the worst draft picks
they ever made...

[d-lineman]

Wow this is crazy. Williams could have ended up being one of the greatest backs of all time. I am really shocked.

[Lozgod]

****!!!!! You beat me to it, I just saw it on the news. LMAO!!!!!! I am glad the Eagles went with Donovan.

[PIMPOLOGY101]

I think Ricky retired because he couldnt pass a drug test. I mean yes the guy could have been great, but his idol was BOB MARLYEY. But this is great news for the BILLS.

[Juggernaut]

I think Ricky retired because he couldnt pass a drug test. I mean yes the guy could have been great, but his idol was BOB MARLYEY. But this is great news for the BILLS.

please...the guys who have to take these tests are given plenty of prep time. Besides he's all ready admitted to the fact he's taken stuff to mask his drug use.

Maybe he's doing what a lot of people have thought about doing if they were a pro....get in make a pile O'cash and retire. I kind of feel bad for the Dolphins though....they gave up two first round draft picks to get his contract. At least I think they did or something like it.

[builtthekid]

yeah the guy has to smoke a ton of green look at his lips

[Lozgod]

Yeah I used to get pissed every week on probation and I smoked everday back then, I mean all day everyday and I never failed a drug test. Only an idiot fails drug tests nowadays. It is only 20 bucks to buy a kit to pass it. Just need a 2 day break prior to testing.

please...the guys who have to take these tests are given plenty of prep time. Besides he's all ready admitted to the fact he's taken stuff to mask his drug use.

Maybe he's doing what a lot of people have thought about doing if they were a pro....get in make a pile O'cash and retire. I kind of feel bad for the Dolphins though....they gave up two first round draft picks to get his contract. At least I think they did or something like it.

[builtthekid]

yeah i use someone elses piss but ive gotten good at disenfecting it

[PIMPOLOGY101]

What is good to use to get Weed out of your system??

[bluethunder]

Yea. but not overwelmingly surprised. He has other issues like social phobia. He is not the only back to retire young. Look at Barry Sanders. But heck I'm happy cuz the Pats picked up Corey Dillion. Finally are quality back to help Bledsoe ooopss Im mean Tom Brady lol. Good riddens Drew too...But its unfortunate the Dolphins now are stumped..

[Bob Balco]

I hate speculating about players off the field issues but I think we have that right now since Ricky Williams just retired at age 27. In my opinon the weed is a big issue here. I know he has had documented social anxiety disorder in the past and has not been taking his meds. What he has been doing is smoking lots of weed instead. I have seen this exact thing happen with people who have had some mental issues and were chronic smokers. I am not bashing Marijuana and its potential uses here at all. I believe that when you stay high on THC all the time you are not living in reality. It becomes your comfort zone and your life tends to revolve around it. Wanting to quit one of the best high paying jobs ever at 27 is not living in reality. What bothers me is he said "i am finally free". If making multi millions, working from Aug-Jan, having over half the year to better yourself, and living like a king is not freedom I dont know what is. I am sure chronic smokers make self destructive decisions like this all the time. The difference is its not in front of the world as a pro athlete.

[Mighty Joe]

He's a quiter....plain and simple!

MJ

[PIMPOLOGY101]

I think weed is the major decision on quitting, but also what he said today was very true about the Dolphins givin him the ball everytime and letting him run. I mean **** i would get tired of getting hit everytime by guys twice as big as him. I know thats what he gets paid for, but let the man smoke his weed and chill.

[animal-inside]

Pot was not the biggest reason....

Theres more too the life of a pro football players life then what we will ever know about.. therefore we can't judge...

Hwo many people here have said to themselves "I would rather be doing so-so and happy then rich and miserable"?

[se11]

I think Ricky retired because he couldnt pass a drug test. I mean yes the guy could have been great, but his idol was BOB MARLYEY. But this is great news for the BILLS.

I don't think thats the only reason for his retirement. It's also good news for the Jets.

Also look at Barry Sanders, retired so young.

[Bob Balco]

Hey I agree with everyones post in here. It bothers me how the media gets involved with players off the field crap and fans seem to think they know players lifestory. He is free to do what he wants with his life and if he wants to retire and do his thing thats fine. Dont do the team like that though man! He is a millionaire because of the team and had lots of fans. He picked a really brutal time to do this. Maybe its because I am a Lions fan and Barry quit like that but I hate seeing this.

Maybe pot is not the biggest reason. I am just taking in to account the fact that he pissed + on more than one occasion and the all the marijuana related comments he supposedly made in that interview. If I cant refrain from smoking weed I fail a drug test at work, get fired(i know not all jobs will fire you 1st time...mine will), cant pay rent, lose my girlfriend etc. Then If I told everyone my story they would tell me that I need to clean up my act and stop smoking. Ricky Williams gets warnings and fines that dont even faze him.

Like everything else there is a fine line between use and abuse. I know there are several athletes that smoke. I just cant help but think it was abuse from all I have heard. Hey here is a link I found about another NFL RB who claims weed hurt him in his playing career http://www.cracksmoker.com/NFL/NFL%20SalaamR.htm Forgive the link name LOL

[EastCoaster]

Leave the man alone and stop trying to figure out whats in his train of thought for quitting fooball. He just didnt want to play football anymore, simple as that. The money was not an issue, he didnt need to stick around for that because he's already made a TON of that.

This first contract with the Saints was messed up with all those crazy incentives, but I know he got a signing bonus of $8.84 million dollars just days after the draft.

When his rights were trades to the Dolphines, they reconstructed his 8 year contract with incentives that were more realistic. Its hard to determine exactly how much he made with his time as a Dolphine because of all the incentives but its roughly around $13-18 million dollars. Keep in mind that none of this is including any other gigs he did as far as advertising goes.

While playing football alone, he's made roughly 20 million dolllars. I think he's doing OK financially.


I know I cant compare college to pro... but I didnt like playing college football and I LOVED football, it was my life. Once I got to the college level I realized it was a different game, it starts to turn into a money making business for the school.... I can only guess what the league is like (much worse) . For all those players who dream of making it to the NFL, its not what you expect (except for the money).

[jbigdog69]

p U S S Y !!!!

[Bob Balco]

Leave the man alone and stop trying to figure out whats in his train of thought for quitting fooball. He just didnt want to play football anymore, simple as that. The money was not an issue, he didnt need to stick around for that because he's already made a TON of that.

This first contract with the Saints was messed up with all those crazy incentives, but I know he got a signing bonus of $8.84 million dollars just days after the draft.

When his rights were trades to the Dolphines, they reconstructed his 8 year contract with incentives that were more realistic. Its hard to determine exactly how much he made with his time as a Dolphine because of all the incentives but its roughly around $13-18 million dollars. Keep in mind that none of this is including any other gigs he did as far as advertising goes.

While playing football alone, he's made roughly 20 million dolllars. I think he's doing OK financially.


I know I cant compare college to pro... but I didnt like playing college football and I LOVED football, it was my life. Once I got to the college level I realized it was a different game, it starts to turn into a money making business for the school.... I can only guess what the league is like (much worse) . For all those players who dream of making it to the NFL, its not what you expect (except for the money).

Hey man that was a good post. I never played football past the high school level and know I became burned out by the end of the year big time. Thats just high school. I was watching some kind of piece on ESPN that showed Jerome Bettis trying to walk the day after a game and he looked beat down man. Rickey Williams was a punishing runnner who got a ton of carries in that Miami O. Trying to figure him out and judge is wrong. Maybe he just wanted to leave with his body intact. Who knows

[animal-inside]

Hey man that was a good post. I never played football past the high school level and know I became burned out by the end of the year big time. Thats just high school. I was watching some kind of piece on ESPN that showed Jerome Bettis trying to walk the day after a game and he looked beat down man. Rickey Williams was a punishing runnner who got a ton of carries in that Miami O. Trying to figure him out and judge is wrong. Maybe he just wanted to leave with his body intact. Who knows

Ya like i posted above, no one can judge another mans mind..

In high school almost every university here in Canada tried to recruit me.. And notyhing was more important to me then football.... and nothing gave me more please then playing football and being on the team.. I LVOED practise/games... then I went to University with everyone expecting great things from me.. I quit 3 days into training camp.. The game was different.. not the skill level or stuff like that.. the team atmosphere had changed.. the feel of the game and the team had changed.. it wasn't fun anymore.. I quit and I haven't regretted it since.. ALOT of times I knwo I miss it and I almost regret quitting but then i realise I miss football in high school, not football at university.... ALOT of people were pissed at me for quitting and I had a hard time expaining why I quit.. so to this day people are still pissed at me..

Its almost like playing hockey or little league when ur 8... and then someone comes along and say "hey your good.. come play on this team with better players and etc..".. then you get there and the game just ain't fun anymore.. it happens to alot of atheltes..

thats my experince