This series will look at some of the greatest legends in Miami Dolphins football history. The first Dolphins legend that will be spotlighted is former Dolphins running back Ricky Williams. He was drafted by Saints in 1999, where he was picked in the first round at fifth overall out of the University of Texas. He played for New Orleans for three years before getting traded to the Miami Dolphins in 2002. This is Miami Dolphins’ Legends: Ricky Williams.
Ricky Williams Playing Style
Williams was 5-foot-10 and weighed 226 pounds when he played in the NFL. He had blazing speed and was great at shedding off defenders and breaking tackles. He was a rough and tough runner that was not afraid to stiff-arm or run defenders over if they were in his way. Williams had great vision and was patient trying find holes through the defense. The Dolphins’ running back was also a force in the red zone with his playing style, where scored many touchdowns in his NFL Career. Williams was also great as a receiver out of the backfield, which made him even more dangerous. He was good at every aspect of being running back, and he backs that up with his numbers throughout his career.
Ricky Williams with the Dolphins
When Williams was traded to the Dolphins, he was already a star. He had just had two 1,000-yard seasons with the Saints. His first season in Miami was in 2002, which was probably his best season of his career. He started 16 games that year and rushed for 1,853 yards and 16 touchdowns. He averaged 4.8 yards an attempt on the season. The even more impressive thing about Williams 2002 season is that he averaged 115 yards per game, which is insane. He went to the Pro Bowl that season and captured the rushing title. Williams did the same thing the next season but was not able to match the numbers of 2002. He had 1,372 yards and nine touchdowns.
In 2004, Williams decided to retire from the NFL, but it was short-lived as he came back in the 2005 season. He did not rush for 1,000 yards that season but was still a great running back for the Dolphins. He had 743 yards and six touchdowns. In 2006, Williams suffered a setback in his NFL career as he violated the league’s substance abuse policy and missed that whole season. Williams’s next big season came in 2009, where once again rushed for over 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns. Williams left the Dolphins after the 2010 season and played one season with the Baltimore Ravens before retiring from the NFL for good.
Where is Ricky Williams now?
Williams has been a longtime fan of marijuana, which is the industry he is working in now. He co-founded Real Wellness in 2018 with his wife, in which he sells marijuana as a medicinal product. He also has a podcast out that discusses sports content, astrology and the benefits of Marijuana. The podcast is entitled “Curious Questions with Ricky Williams”.
Williams should be an NFL Hall of Famer, but his substance abuse issues while he was in the league has kept him from being in it. Williams is still an NFL great and is one of the better running backs of all time. This concludes Miami Dolphins’ Legends: Ricky Williams.
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