Ricky Williams making a comeback?

Former Dolphin Ricky Williams considers comeback

By Ethan J. Skolnick And Alex Marvez
Sun-Sentinel
Posted August 25 2004, 10:34 PM EDT

For the first time since filing his retirement papers with the NFL, ex-tailback Ricky Williams reached out to Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt earlier this week and is considering a comeback in the future, according to several NFL sources.

It is believed Williams raised the subject of returning to the Dolphins if they met specified conditions, including the renegotiation of his current contract, during a telephone conversation with Wannstedt.

A return in 2004 would be unlikely unless Williams were to register a favorable appeal to NFL Commissioner Paul Tabliabue. Because he was in the league's drug-testing program following three positive tests for marijuana, Williams automatically was credited with a fourth failed test when he filed retirement papers earlier this month. That means the automatic imposition of a year-long suspension.

Wannstedt was unavailable for comment Wednesday night. Williams' agent Leigh Steinberg did not return telephone messages seeking comment

Sources close to Williams say he has given countless reasons for his retirement, many of which are not related to football. But a few have related specifically to the Dolphins' situation.

These sources say he had several frustrations with the team, foremost among them his contract status. Williams' contract, which runs through 2006, was slated to pay him $3.74 million this season.

Sources also say Williams was bothered by the frequency he was used - an NFL-record 775 carries in a two-season span - and did not think that would change with the promotion of Chris Foerster to offensive coordinator after Joel Collier stepped down and returned to his post as running backs coach.

Williams, who was close to Collier, apparently believed there was a better chance for offensive diversification that would allow him to shoulder less of the burden if quarterbacks coach and passing specialist Marc Trestman was promoted instead of Foerster.

Last week, the Dolphins notified Williams that he needed to report to play or face the recoupment of $8.6 million in paid salary. The Dolphins, which included recoupment provisions in a restructured contract Williams agreed to in 2002, would have to repay $5.3 million in salary from the Dolphins and $3.3 million in signing bonus money he received from New Orleans in 1999.


http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/...back,0,3210611.story?coll=sfla-dolphins-front

Just heard about it on ESPN News. The Dolphins would be foolish not to meet his demands. They need him desperately even though he might not see the field for them till 2005.

On the contrary, they would be foolish to meet his demands. No one player is bigger than the game itself. I mean what would be the purpose of coming back now. I'm quite sure he has burned a bunch of bridges. I'm not going to lie, I gave him a bunch of support when he walked away (albeit the reason(s), who knows?) but even this in my mind would be worse than walking away. I like to think of a song by Phil Collins in this situation. I believe a verse went something like, "If leaving me is easy? Then you know, coming back is harder."

Don't shoot that integrity of the game line

This is the same league that let T.O. and Kevin Johnson basically strong arm it into doing what they wanted.


If Ricky wants to come back, he'll serve a 4 gamer at most!

From a team perspective, I believe it ruins chemistry. The guys that showed they were going to be there for thier teammates will now be pushed to the side just for him, and his teammates don't know if he would bail on them in a heartbeat again.

Agree with El T..... I think it's just Ricky had a moment of conscious thought and figured $8.6 could buy quite a bit of smoke.

El Tejano said:

From a team perspective, I believe it ruins chemistry. The guys that showed they were going to be there for thier teammates will now be pushed to the side just for him, and his teammates don't know if he would bail on them in a heartbeat again.

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I agree that Ricky's credibility is suspect, but should he return, I don't think the team chemistry would be harmed. I believe the chemistry is in ruins trying to play without him, especially on such a short notice.

The Dolphins really don't have much of a choice. They invested so much into Ricky that to get nothing for him would be a waste. Hopefully he can get this resolved, serve his suspension, and get the changes he needs from the Dolphins to make it work. I suspect he wasn't happy with the O-line either. His line might actually be worse than the Chargers.

What they will actually do I don't know (and coincidentally I don't care). All I do know is that if I never see Ricky Williams on the field again I'll be perfectly satsified. I was never much of a Williams fan to begin with so it's no big loss. I simply would not want him on my team, talent or no talent.

The Patriots have won two out of the last three Super Bowls with a running game that nobody in their right mind would consider a product of real "talent". Their backs are pretty much average IMO and yet they're sporting two rings doing that. Having Ricky Williams doesn't bring you a free pass to the postseason and losing him doesn't exclude you from it. The Dolphins will be fine (or at least no worse off) without him. They've wasted too much time and energy on this bum as it is.

Just my 2 cents. Disagree if you please.

Marijuana is a powerful drug.

How do you retire for a month? He MUST be smoking.

I think that the Dolphins should take Ricky back and bench his butt for the entire season, put him on the practice squad or make him play special teams. He has shown no regard for them and should recieve no favorable consideration. He should have to work his way back plain and simple. Maybe he would appreciate it more.

I don't know why, but I thought of Emmitt when I thought of this story. The Cowboys survived just fine in spite of his holdout that year.

I realize it's not the same situation, but if the Dolphins are better off with Ricky than without him. This isn't Mersilis. This is Ricky Williams. He didn't have an 1,800 yard season last year, but we know he is capable of having one and we know that the Dolphins used him too much last year. If they can get it back down to the 4-game suspension, it's best for him to come back.

Ricky's good for football. He personally drives me crazy (this coming from a former fan), but characters like him give the NFL some personality and increase interest: resulting in ticket sales, merchandise sales, and TV ratings/ad sales. It's a win-win for everyone. Including Ricky, who'll get paid and who should be fighthing their weed policy from the inside. It's a ridiculous policy, IMO. Unless they can prove that weed enhances performance or endangers a player's life, there's no real basis for it.

Off the now.

The only time I remember Emmitt holding out was after a Super Bowl win and if I remember right the Cowboys lost both games. It might even have been 3 games.

So they gave in to his contract demands and signed him and the team was back on track.

He might have held out a training camp or some of one but they didn't do so great without him if I'm remembering right.

I think the bottom line is that the NFL is a business, and the Dolphins stand to make more money marketing Ricky Williams than they do without him. I think the right thing to do would be to sit him for the year, but if given the chance I'm sure the Dolphins would start him as soon as possible. They made themselves dependant upon one player, and that made them vulnerable. I feel that most NFL teams would choose the path that benefits them financially as opposed to morally. It's not a side of the league we like to see, but I feel it is the reality of the situation.

I was just reading an article on MSN and Ricky said yes he did call them but it was at the urging of his agent and that the discussion was about monies the Dolphins want from him. The call was not about him returning this year.

He said that he probably would have been out for the whole season due to a drug suspension and while he's not ruling a return to football in the future he is not interested right now and that is not what the conversation was regarding. He's on his way to India for several months.

Vinny said:

Not only is it a buisness, it is a talent-based buisness. If you have tickets to see Aerosmith then the experience isn't the same if their concert was cancelled and texasguy346 dressed up in their duds and started singing their songs. Ricky has talent and talent drives things such as sports, music or any of the arts.

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Eww Aerosmith? Couldn't I have been one of the guys from Story of the Year? Or at least the guy from Staind? I don't believe I've got enought wrinkles to be Steven Tyler.

Plus Aerosmith has only had about 1-2 decent songs since the '70's. I hate it when a band sells out.

WWJD said:

The only time I remember Emmitt holding out was after a Super Bowl win and if I remember right the Cowboys lost both games. It might even have been 3 games.

So they gave in to his contract demands and signed him and the team was back on track.

He might have held out a training camp or some of one but they didn't do so great without him if I'm remembering right.

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Sorry, I wasn't clear. I was talking about the two-game regular season holdout, and I meant that they got back on track easily even after losing him (and the games) for two games that year. I thought the Dolphins could survive those 4 games without Ricky, and would be better off having him play in 12 games instead of none. Looking at what I posted now, it was worded very poorly.

But if he's off for several months to India, I guess the speculation is moot.

You know what confused me about Ricky's comments was that he was going to be suspended for the whole year. I thought the consensus was it would have been a 4 game suspension.

I'm confused and that's not hard to do with me but well I'll see if I can find that MSN story and post a link.

I know he did say he was going to India for several months.

Don't worry about your post Tulip. I misinterpreted it and now I see what you were saying.

Something about his retirement papers being filed is the same thing as a 4th failed test. The 4th test is a year-long suspension. I thought it was strange.

I'm beginning to agree with some posters on here. This was posted some time ago when he initially "retired" and at the time I didn't agree but I've changed my mind.

The theory was that since he was going to be suspended anyway he'd just take the year off and travel and then come back. At the time I thought he was sincere about permanently retiring and would never come back.

It sure seems like the feelers are being put out for him to come back next year.

Are there any Dolphins fans on here? How do you feel about that?

My best friend is a Dolphin's fan that lives in Austin (lived in Miami as a kid). He told me he would love for Ricky to come back.

I hate bringing Ricky Williams up again, but this story just made my jaw drop. Ricky could have paid a fine this spring and been released from the NFL's drug abuse program.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello declined to discuss the chance running back Ricky Williams could return to play this season if he were to reach a settlement with the league regarding his three failed drug tests and fourth violation of the substance abuse policy.

''There's nothing that has been talked about or decided, so it's all just speculation,'' Aiello said.

Two sources close to Williams said the idea has been bandied about in the former Dolphins running back's camp. In April, Williams was offered a chance by the NFL to pay a fine that would have cleared him of two failed tests and gotten him out of the program. Williams and another source both said in May he decided to continue an appeal of a second positive test rather than accept the deal. Williams felt confident the low level of his second positive, which was the result of a test done in December, made winning an appeal possible.

''He could have been free and clear of the program,'' the source said.

The appeal was never resolved, Williams failed a third test and then retired before a suspension was handed down. His retirement is considered a fourth violation because it's considered a way of avoiding detection.

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What kind of advice was Leigh Steinberg giving Williams? Pay the fine and get out of random testing is a no brainer...if you're using drugs.

Now, he may be "will play football for food" in the near future.... from kffl....

Dolphins | Williams May File for Bankruptcy
Mon, 30 Aug 2004 23:24:08 -0700

Alex Marvez, of the Sun-Sentinel, citing an ESPN report, reports former Miami Dolphins RB Ricky Williams may file bankruptcy in hope of avoiding repaying the Dolphins $8.6 million the team is trying to recoup from him due to his retirement. The Dolphins sent Williams a letter that he needed to report by Monday, Aug. 30, or they would begin the process of recouping the money. Williams, of course, did not report to the team.

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The whole bankruptcy seems so wrong.

The guy is in Australia having fun and said he was going to India. That costs money which he obviously has.

It seems very wrong that he has millions but will renege on a contract.

Really the Dolphins only have a true claim to 2.6 million of that and perhaps any roster bonuses he got in the spring. The 2.6 million is the remaining amount of his initial signing bonus that the Dolphins still have to count against the cap. The rest of the money is incentive bonus money and past signing bonus money.

Still, the guy royally screwed up waiting until a week before camp to "retire".

TheOgre said:

Really the Dolphins only have a true claim to 2.6 million of that and perhaps any roster bonuses he got in the spring. The 2.6 million is the remaining amount of his initial signing bonus that the Dolphins still have to count against the cap. The rest of the money is incentive bonus money and past signing bonus money.

Still, the guy royally screwed up waiting until a week before camp to "retire".

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there was a clause in Ricky's contract stating that any incentive money earned can be taken back if he did not fully honor his contract.

The Dolphins GM already said (only half-jokingly) they want to use the $ they get back from Ricky to build a new practice bubble. Must be hot down here or something. Wonder where they got the idea?

Bankruptcy wouldn't terribly disrupt his world travels as long as he has a better financial advisor than he does a football agent. There's a reason OJ Simpson retired to Florida. As a "retiree" in Florida, you get quite a bit of legal protection from civil actions that you don't get in other states. Ricky's still too young to benefit from most of them, but in the meantime, well, he's always got da ganja, mon. Good thing for him that his pot addiction's a fairly cheap one.