What was, was amazing. What coulda been Always going to be one of the greatest RB the NFL has ever seen. Post your favorite highlight, share your Ricky story.
Yup, fun stuff...he was incredible to watch. He definitely belongs in the HOF and we all know he'll probably never get there due to his off-field activities.
Had he not basically missed all of 2004, 2006 and 2007, he would almost certainly be in the top ten all time, and possibly the top five. Even with just pretty good years, and he would assuredly be in the HOF then. But he's always going to be on the outside looking in as it is.
Ricky would be my Back if I had to start an all time team or franchise, one of my favorite Dolphins of all time!
To expand on my point from earlier, Ricky is currently 31st all time in the NFL list with just over 10,000 yards rushing. This despite missing his age 27, 29 and 30 seasons. Tony Dorsett is 10th all time with 12,739 yards. Had Ricky not stepped away and continued to be used at a somewhat reduced level from where he was in 2002/03, and the team not drafted Ronnie Brown, I think that he would have been around where Dorsett is by the time he turned 30, and then it would have just been a question of how much further he could have pushed it from there. And thats even assuming no more huge seasons like in 2002, just solid ones. Another what if for our franchise. And to stick the knife in further, imagine if Ricky didn't step away and we signed Brees in 2005. LOL. *sigh*
Fun player to watch, glad he got his life on track, hate that we wasted 2 1st round draft picks for a guy who couldn't stop smoking pot.
It was a long, strange trip with Ricky, but the way he came back and those last few fun seasons and the memories of him paired up with Ronnie Brown in the Wild Cat made him my second favorite Dolphin of all time.
Its funny for me, because two of the only three NFL ganmes I've seen in person featured him in 2009 and 2010. He scored a TD in each game, and was a key part in each of the two wins I saw for the Fins. And still, when I think back on his career, that's very much an afterthought, and I focus mostly on 2002 and 2003 because of how special his performance was in those years, and how unique it was in my time as a Dolphins fan.
I love Ricky. However, I always gets angry when his name gets brought up, because I firmly believe that Wannstadt wrecked him and was the real cause of his retirement/drugs issues. 1) By overworking him 2) By thinking that running Ricky into a brick wall over and over was a substitute for a passing game. 3) Ricky is a smart guy and knew he was getting his body hammered and that there was zero chance of a SB win with Wannstadt’s coaching. 4) Ricky knew Wannstadt would never change his ways. If Ricky could see a light at the end of the tunnel for the abuse his bod was taking then the retirement and drugs issues would never have happened.
I don't disagree. Wanny should have been fired after 2003. His coaching was clearly responsible for the Fins losing 2-4 games per season that they should have won. Had he been replaced by a better coach, who knows how things might have worked out.
I feel bad for being so late but yeah man, I blaze one for Ricky for all his birthdays. Thank you Ricky. We never went to the playoffs while you were with us(or did we? I don't think so, but i'm not positive) but of course that was never your fault. They expected you and a solid defense to carry us, but that defense would often choke. Ricky did his job on the field, that's all I ask for so I will always salute him, just like Zach, Jason, Surtain, Madison, Marion, et al.
Our Unis looked soo much better even in those years with Cartoon Fin. Our Unis just keep getting lamer.. and lamer.. Either go full old school or go Full 90s.. I think the majority of fans would vote to bring back the old school unis full time if they held a vote... but they wont. I'd bet money the "throwbacks" would win the popular vote. edit: Ricky Williams in all aqua (teal I suppose is the technical color) running all over Buffalo in the snow gave me a woody... But seriously, those all teal uniforms with the orange and white stripe..one of our best looks ever for me.
I absolutely agree with you that they keep getting worse. Imo, they peaked in at the end of the Shula era, and have gotten worse with each change
Saying Ricky had "drug issues" for smoking weed is so incredibly lame. He's not out there taking opioids and washing them down with Jm Beam or something. The states are falling like dominoes in making it legal. Soon it will be nationally legal for recreational use. Soon people will be doing bong hits in the local park. The way Ricky ran? He would be practically crippled in his later years like many RBs of that type become. It's better he had an alternative to the more damaging prescription meds. With that said; Ricky will always be one of my favorite fins players of all time. He was just such a beast, an amazing runner. I loved his playing style.
So we shouldn’t say Dion Jordan had alcohol issues purely on the basis that alcohol is legal? Doesn’t matter what happens afterwards. If it was illegal at the time and there’s regular testing and he didn’t stop, it’s an issue.
Exactly. I have no problems with anyone smoking weed. But if it impacts your work, family, mental health/health, it’s a problem. Just like alcohol or anything else.