A second record setting Miami Dolphins player has decided to hang up his cleats this season, with running back Ricky Williams, who spent the final one of his 11 year career with the Baltrimore Ravens, telling the team yesterday he would retire. Williams spent seven seasons with the Miami Dolphins, following a 2002 trade with the New Orleans Saints to bring in the former Heisman Trophy winner.
As Williams head off into the sunset, he leaves the game as the 26th player to break the 10,000 yards rushing mark, despite having missed nearly three entire seasons during the past thirteen years. Williams originally retired just two days before the Dolphins' 2004 training camp, choosing to leave the game than face a drug suspension.
He returned for the majority of the 2005 season, before being suspended for all of the 2006 season, again due to drugs.
After sitting out the beginning of the season, awaiting reinstatement from the league, Williams returned for six rushing attempts in November 2007, before Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons stepped on Williams, tearing Ricky's pectoral muscle and landing him on injured reserve.
Williams would return for the 2008-2010 seasons with the Dolphins, splitting carries with Ronnie Brown throughout most of the time. However, in 2009, with Brown out for the season, Williams would eclipse the 1,000 yard mark - setting the NFL record for longest span of time between 1,000 yards seasons at six years.
This past season, as a backup to the Ravens' Ray Rice, Williams averaged 4.1 yards per carry, over 444 yards with 2 touchdowns.
Williams is the Dolphins' second all time rusher, trailing just Larry Csonka. He holds the teams single season rushing yardage (2002 - 1,853 yards) record, and has the second highest season total as well (2003 - 1,372 yards), as well as the single season carries record and second highest totals (2003 - 392 carries, 2002 - 383 carries). His 2002 stats led the NFL, in both yardage and carries.
Williams also has the franchise record for most rushing yards in a game, with 228 yards in a December 1, 2002 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Which brings us to the question. Does Ricky Williams belong in the Dolphins' Ring of Honor? Vote below to let us know how you feel.