Ricky Williams is a big Nick Saban fan.
After a record-setting career at Texas, Williams’ NFL career was at a crossroads. He retired after five seasons in 2004 and wasn’t quite sure what to do the following year. Then one day the phone rang.
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Saban, a first-year coach with the Miami Dolphins, wanted Williams on his team. Williams, who was working with Panini trading cards for a promotion in advance of Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship between No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Clemson, remembers that conversation well.
"I don't talk about this much but as a coach it’s the faith he had in me,” Williams told Sporting News. “Coach Saban really helped my confidence and really helped me love the game again."
Williams rushed for 743 yards and six touchdowns in that one season under Saban. Williams has memories of trying to get on the “Tiger Board” — Saban’s motivational tool for players who “played hard and played smart” — every Monday morning. Williams didn’t see a “control freak” or have a negative connotation of Saban at all.
"He does the things the right way,” Williams said. “As a coach, he makes it clear what he expects from you. Players want to do well and please their coaches. When their minds are free, then they can go out and have fun."
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Williams played for Saban for one year in the NFL before a fourth failed drug test forced him to sit out one year — a year he spent playing in the CFL. He returned and played five more NFL seasons with the Dolphins and Ravens, finishing a successful NFL career with 10,009 rushing yards.
Williams said that’s a big reason why Saban — who is going for his fifth national championship at Alabama and sixth overall — has so much success at the college level. Williams, who rushed for 6,592 yards and 87 touchdowns with Texas and won the Heisman Trophy in 1998, wanted the Longhorns to hire Saban after Mack Brown retired following the 2013 season.
"For sure, I think if he would've come to Texas I think by now we would have played for national championships,” Williams said. “We haven't played in a bowl game the last two seasons, so that would be nice."
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Williams, however, said new coach Tom Herman was the “best coach available” and “brings a lot of energy” to the program now.
Williams worked with Panini in promoting their new college football trading cards, which includes Alabama, Clemson, Texas and several other big-time schools. Fans can order a special order of College Football National Championship Pack while supplies last at iCollectPanini.com.
Williams — who grew up as a fan of the San Diego Chargers fan and of collecting football cards of players such as Lionel “Little Train” James and Dan Fouts — still remembers the thrill of getting a rare Junior Seau football card in a USC football uniform.
“I love the college football cards,” Williams said. “To me there is nothing better than college, and the quality of these cards is amazing.”
