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Ricky Williams Begins Post-NFL Life
By STEVEN WINE, AP Sports Writer
MIAMI - Retired but hardly slowing down, Ricky Williams is racking up mileage instead of yardage.
Frequent flyer Williams was in Los Angeles on Monday after a brief visit to Tokyo and may next be bound for Martha's Vineyard. It's all part of a whirlwind trip that became a retirement tour when Williams decided last week he was done with football and the Miami Dolphins (news) at age 27.
"He's very excited about exploring, traveling, maybe going back to school," said his agent, Leigh Steinberg, who talked Monday with Williams. "He is an American original. He is an example of the bright, gifted athlete who has turned away from this massive contract, endorsements, every conventional thing that society has to offer, to explore an alternative life."
While on the road Friday, Williams used a long-distance calling card to share his decision to retire with Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt. Their phone conversation lasted several calls because they kept getting cut off, and the news left Wannstedt and his players stunned.
The timing is what has the Dolphins most upset. By waiting until a week before the start of training camp to retire, Williams prevented them from pursuing a high-caliber replacement because most of the offseason dealing is done.
"He really put his team in a bind," former Dolphins receiver O.J. McDuffie said. "He could have given them a little bit of advance notice, and they could have gone out and gotten some quality backs. It's a really tough situation."
Williams has no immediate plans to return to Florida, but his itinerary is fluid, with Massachusetts perhaps the next stop, Steinberg said. In the past week the peripatetic ex-running back has traveled from the Bahamas to Hawaii to Tokyo to California, which might be an NFL record if he were still in the league.
"He feels like since he was in college he did the conventional thing," Steinberg said. "He's been a responsible person. He's done what he's supposed to do. It's enough already."
With Williams retired, Travis Minor becomes the Dolphins' No. 1 running back — at least for now. That's a worrisome downgrade for a team built on defense and ball control.
Williams rushed for 3,225 yards the past two seasons, Minor 373. But the Dolphins want to resist the temptation to make a hasty acquisition to fill the void Williams left.
That means Minor will work with the first team when training camp workouts begin Saturday, even though the three-year backup has yet to start an NFL game.
"Hopefully now I will have a bigger role, which I anticipate," the former Florida State star said. "I look forward to doing good things. I have confidence in my ability."
Minor's career totals are modest but respectable — an average of 4.5 yards per carry and five touchdowns in just 144 carries.
"He's a heck of a back," quarterback Jay Fiedler said. "He's had limited opportunities being behind Lamar Smith and Ricky over the last three years, but every time he gets in the game he's made some big plays for us. So we're going to expect him to continue making those plays, just a little bit more often now."
The vacancy Williams created might be filled by committee. Sammy Morris, acquired in March as a backup fullback, played running back in college and could become the third-down back.
Other running backs on the roster are Leonard Henry, a two-year veteran with no NFL carries, and undrafted rookies Fred Russell and Renaldo Works.
"Guys rise up when opportunities present themselves," Wannstedt said.
While the timing of the decision handicaps Miami, Wannstedt likened it to a season-ending injury — the sort all too common during training camp. And with the season opener nearly seven weeks away, there's still time to bring in help.
The Dolphins are interested in free agents Stacey Mack and James Stewart, and a trade is another option. Williams' departure creates plenty of salary-cap space to swing a deal.
But the Dolphins said they won't rush to make a move. For one thing, Williams might change his mind, although he has said that won't happen.
"He's got my cell number," Wannstedt said. "He knows the number."
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07-27-2004 04:35 PM
