According to media reports Ricky Williams is retiring from the NFL… again. However, this time it appears that he decided to hang up his boots permanently. In a news conference on Tuesday, the 34-year-old Williams told the Baltimore Ravens that he won’t be returning to the club for his second year of contract he signed in August last year.
 
Williams played as a backup to Ray Rice this year, but despite that he ran 444 yards and scored two touchdowns. Williams also became the 26^th player in NFL’s history to reach a 10,000 rushing yards. He completed his record in the last game of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals.
 
“The NFL has been an amazing page in this chapter of my life,” Williams said in his news conference. “I pray that all successive adventures offer me the same potential for growth, success and most importantly, fun. ... As for what's next, I am excited about all the opportunities ahead — continuing my education, running The Ricky Williams Foundation and whatever other opportunities present themselves.”
 
Previously, Williams retired in the 2004 season whilst facing a four-game suspension for not following the drug policy. He returned to play in 2005 but left to play for Toronto in the Canadian Football League in 2006.
 
Williams had an impressive college career at Texas, where he won the Heisman Trophy. Later, he was snatched by the New Orleans Saints in 1999. The head coach of Saints back then was Mike Dita. He traded all the team’s draft and first- and third-round picks in order to pick Williams fifth overall in 2000.
 
Williams was with the Saints for only three years but during the course of his 11 year career in NFL he had over 1,000 rushing yards in 5 seasons. Williams received his lone Pro Bowl invitation with the Miami Dolphins in 2002 after rushing for 1,853 yards. The very next year Williams produced 1,372 yards; hence producing the most productive rushing seasons in Dolphins’ history.