He arrived in 2002, he retired in 2004, he was suspended in 2006, and now he’s leaving in 2011.
Running back Ricky Williams made clear on Monday that his time with the Dolphins has ended.
Williams described playing for coach Tony Sparano as “not a great fit for me,” via Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post.
“It was an experience for me, and I learned a lot about myself and I got better as a football player, but at the same time, I didn’t enjoy it,” Williams told Sid Rosenberg during his weekly radio show on WQAM. “For me it’s about playing football, it’s about having a good time and it’s about working hard.”
He didn’t have to work very hard in 2010; Williams said that he didn’t have to take an Advil all season.
But Williams still ran the ball 159 times for 673 yards, 14 yards more than his full-season totals for 2008, and he became the franchise’s all-time leader in rushing attempts on Sunday, passing Hall of Famer Larry Csonka.
Williams criticized Sparano for micromanaging the team, and Williams believes Sparano lost the locker room. Williams also said that the team was not prepared for the regular-season finale at New England.
“Usually after a rough season there’s a sense of relief when it’s over with, but I didn’t feel like that,” Williams said. “It’s the contrast with what they have going on in New England and what we have going on here, and it’s a very stark contrast.”
The good news for Williams is that his contract is expiring, so he can leave. “It seems like now is time to move on,” Williams said. “I was drafted in 1999, and this is the first time I’ve been a free agent. I’m excited to see what happens.”
Somewhere in New Jersey, Jets coach Rex Ryan’s interest has been piqued. And Williams threw in one more message aimed at doing so.
“I like watching the Jets play,” Williams said.
Though he’s 34 and has plenty of wear and tear, he also has a lot of tread left on the tires. The fact that he teed off on his current head coach could be viewed as a possible negative, because it means that Williams eventually will do the same thing to his next head coach.
Of all the coaches in the NFL, Rex Ryan seems to be the last one who would worry or care about that. The bigger problem is that the Jets have a crowded house at tailback, with Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson and, suddenly in Week 17, Joe McKnight.