Ricky Williams was one of the best running backs of the previous decade, churning out chunks of yardage for the Miami Dolphins before abruptly retiring in 2004. Most people believe Williams walked away because of personal issues, but now the running back is insisting he left because the Dolphins didn't have a quarterback.
Ricky Williams says he retired because of Dolphins’ quarterbacks
Since Dan Marino retired, the Dolphins have endured a string of horrible quarterbacks. Ricky Williams apparently had enough.
Andy Lyons
After garnering a league-high 775 carries over 2002 and 2003, Williams was tired of being the lone source of offense for a Dolphins team featuring Jay Fiedler and A.J. Feeley behind center. Williams was coming off four consecutive seasons of 1,000+ yards but felt his body beginning to give out, leading to his decision to quit.
All these years later, Williams is the subject of NFL Network’s A Football Life and states in the show why he skipped town. Via NFL.com:
“I led the NFL in attempts the past two years and they really didn’t go out and get a quarterback to help me, so I knew it’s going to be all on me again,” Williams says in the documentary, which premiers Friday. “I could see my mortality as a football player, that I’m not going to be able to do this much longer. It just became obvious to me that playing football for me is not going to be fun, not something I’m going to enjoy and it’s time for me to do something different.”
Ultimately, Williams returned to the Dolphins for the 2005 season after serving a four-game suspension for a failed drug test. After violating the NFL's drug policy for the fourth time in February 2006, Williams was suspended for the entirety of the 2006-07 season. The former Texas star played only four more years with Miami before finishing his career in 2011 with the Baltimore Ravens. He ended his career with 10,009 rushing yards.
Williams currently sits 29th on the all-time rushing yards list, one spot behind Adrian Peterson.
Williams’ A Football Life is scheduled to premiere on Friday.
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