Editor's note: No national publication has a richer sports history than that of Sporting News, which was founded in 1886. The following content appeared in the April 5, 1999 issue of the Sporting News magazine.
Leading up to the 1999 NFL Draft, Texas running back Ricky Williams offered his account of the pre-draft process in an essay for Sporting News' magazine. A couple weeks later, on April 17, 1999, he would find himself at the center of one of the most notorious trades in NFL history — the Saints sent all of their picks in that year's draft to the Redskins in order to move up to fifth overall and select Williams.
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Original publish date: April 5, 1999
There is nothing wrong with me
Ricky Williams wants NFL teams to look past his dreadlocks, pierced tongue, tattoos and rap-star agent. Draft him for what he can do on the football field — and because his head and his heart are in the right place.
Errick Lynne "Ricky" Williams has gone from being Lassie to Godzilla, at least in the minds of some. Good guy par excellence during his four years at Texas, Williams capped his career by winning the Heisman Trophy and becoming the all-time leading rusher in NCAA Division I history last season. He was praised for his greatness and his goodness, and the world was at his feet. He'd sure look good in a Browns uniform, wouldn't he? That was December. Now, the question is whether he'd look good in an Eagles or Bengals or Colts uniform — it's unclear how far he might slip in the April 17 draft. There are concerns about his weight, his association with Dennis Rodman, his additional tattoos and, especially, his choice of representation for his first NFL contract. Simply, Williams has gone from the poster boy for college football to the goat of the 1999 draft. Here's Williams’ view of what happened, as told to TSN correspondent Kevin O’Keeffe.
By Ricky Williams
February 3. That's when it began. "It" is what seems to be a calculated campaign to chip away at me as a football player and a human being. Not that anyone will say anything directly, you understand. It's just that these reports show up in newspapers, magazines and on TV about teams being unhappy with something about me. My weight. My hair. My tattoos. My pierced tongue — which I've had for the last two years, by the way. Chip, chip, chip.
February 3. That's when I ceased being the All-American guy. That's when the good will and good work of four years in college went poof. Better make that a capital "P," as in Master P, the rapper with whom I signed to represent me in the NFL. There is no question that the negatives from the media, as well as others, become more prevalent when I joined with No Limit Sports, which was founded by Percy Miller. That's his name, you know. The Master P stud is just part of his act. No one actually calls him that. He's just Percy.
Of course, judging by the response, you'd have thought I signed with the devil himself. It was as if I no longer had credibility because I had this rapper representing me. It didn't matter that the Boston Celtics' Ron Mercer and Charlotte's Ricky Davis also signed with him.
But I know what is in a lot of people's minds. It's a picture of Master P in hat, sunglasses and flashy medallion sitting across the table from Carmen Policy of the Browns, who own the first pick in the draft. C'mon. That's not going to happen. That's not Percy's role. There are people who handle negotiations for No Limit. I wouldn't have signed with them if I was going to be a circus.
Ignorance is alive and well, unfortunately. That's why people had that kind of reaction to my going with No Limit Sports. They hadn't taken the time to get to know Percy, as I did. They made up their minds before learning anything about No Limit Sports, just as some make up their minds about me when they see my dreadlocks.
Still, it was incredible. At the NFL Scouting Combine in February, about the only thing anybody wanted to talk about was why I signed with a rapper.
It was as if Percy had two heads and a tail. And it hurt my feelings. I was not angry. Just hurt. I had gone from being this mature, clear-thinking young man who was wise enough to return to school for his senior year to a rapper wannabe who would jeopardize his future by hiring an agent with no NFL track record. Even my mom disagreed with what I did initially. But at least she took the time to get to know Percy. After that, she was very happy with my decision.
Remember, too, No Limit Sports wasn't my first choice as an agent. I already had an agent, Wolff and Associates. They represented me in baseball, so I signed with them for football. It seemed like the right thing to do. But they treated me as if I was a potted plant in the corner of the room. It was like they knew they had me for baseball and figured adding me for football was automatic. I wasn't pleased with that approach. That's why I looked elsewhere.
By signing with No Limit Sports, I wasn't making a statement. I simply was choosing to work with people who made me feel comfortable. It also wasn't that they had thrown a lot of money at me, which was one of the inaccurate stories making the rounds after my decision. The night I signed with them, there were 25 people at dinner. It was a family, not a business. That was the appeal. That was important to me. The family seemed more of a fit for me.
When people talk about the fact that they never have done an NFL contract, well, how are they ever going to do one if someone doesn't hire them? Somebody has to be their first and I kind of like that idea. They deserved a chance that no one else was giving them. And when they start cleaning up on new clients after this year — and they will — I'll just sit back and smile because I helped get it started.
Hey, I know all about being the little guy. That’s why one of my tattoos, the one on my left biceps, is of Mighty Mouse. I've been the little guy with the bigger guys, as was Mighty Mouse. As is No Limit Sports.
Besides my signing with No Limit Sports was also a boost for me. No Limit expands my reach. It gives me credibility with inner-city kids. They may not know anything about me being a football player, but because of them knowing Master P, I have their attention. That gives me a bigger platform to help me show kids that it's cool to be a nice guy.
Really, the kids mean even more to me now because they give me reason to smile. Little else does now, what with the digs I’ve been taking. I guess I should have seen it coming, but I didn't. Maybe a hint was at the combine when I was talking with a few reporters I didn’t know and the question was raised as to who is the greatest running back in Texas history. When they said Earl Campbell, I said no. But before I had a chance to say more, they were through, I know they left thinking I believed it was me. What I was going to say was that the film I saw, I thought Roosevelt Leaks was the best running back ever at Texas, before his career was beset by injuries.
That's likely why I've heard the innuendos about me being cocky. I'm honest. I'm frank. It seems one of my first challenges in the pros will be to work with a new group of reporters and help them learn what I'm all about.
I understand about the fishbowl being bigger now. That's apparently why there was a fascination with me being at a party with Dennis Rodman during Super Bowl week. I don't know the guy. It was one night. But just being linked to Rodman is like strike two in some people's minds. I have pierced ears and a pierced tongue. I have tattoos and I was with Rodman. So, I must be like Rodman. Again, I'm not angry, but my feelings are hurt. I'm amazed at how easily people can jump to conclusions and how those conclusions are perpetuated and into fact, just like that.
I can't turn around today without hearing a report that Team X just isn't sure about me anymore because I gained 15 pounds on the banquet circuit. I knew my weight would go up when I was traveling, eating at late hours and not having the time to work out. I understood that, but I wasn't bothered by it. Never once did I want to put my hands up and say stop. I loved the hoopla. I met a lot of cool people and was enjoying myself.
Oh, and about me being too heavy. I was 244 at the combine after playing at around 230 last year. But I already had decided it might be wise for me to carry a little more weight in the NFL in order to take the pounding. I'd always thought I wanted to be as light as I could and that was easy to maintain with playing baseball after football each year. But then I thought that playing in the NFL at, maybe, 235 wouldn't be a bad idea.
I'm excited about playing the game in the NFL, even though I haven't been excited about the games being played in advance of the draft. I would have thought I'd be feeling good right now, considering the position I'm in, but I'm not. I'm tired of the negatives.
That's why I liked Saints coach Mike Ditka when he came out and said he'd trade all of his picks this year to draft me. That made me feel great, and then we had a good visit at the combine. Honestly, I thought I had several great visits with coaches at the combine. Other than coach Ditka's honesty, the rest has been hard for me to take. I've seen almost daily that there is some controversy I'm part of.
Word was that Tim Couch, the quarterback from Kentucky, and I didn't like each other. That we were both campaigning to be the top pick in the draft by the Browns. Now, I didn't get to know Couch at the combine, but we talked and I liked him. I liked him a lot, in fact. He's a good guy. I understand that the best player in the draft doesn't always go No. 1, so I'm not going to worry about it. Worrying is a waste of time.
I'm not denying that it would be cool to be taken by the Browns. I'd love to start my career as they start their new tradition. But that's out of my control. If the Browns elect not to pick me because they believe Tim Couch is a better fit for them, I'll respect that. If I'm not selected because I picked No Limit Sports to represent me or because I was with Dennis Rodman for a night at the Super Bowl or because I gained weight after winning the Heisman, I'll have a problem with that. But again, that's out of my control and worrying is a waste of time.
Ricky Williams (Getty Images)
Really, there isn't anywhere I wouldn't be comfortable playing. I'd just like the chance to be somewhere I could grow as a football player and have a chance to win. I'm going to be a player who will be a good teammate and be coachable. I've never had trouble getting along with any coaches because I don't cause trouble and I don't talk back. Whoever drafts me will be getting someone who is ready to play and ready to learn and happy to have this opportunity.
I have no doubt I can play at the next level. I'm curious what the next level will be like. I think football can remain a game, if I allow it to. The NFL is a business, but when you're on the field, it's just football. There is no thought of contracts, endorsements and the rest. The thought is to play hard, to excel.
I'm sorry there has been so much baggage with me. Obviously, I knew going with No Limit Sports would create some conversation, but I didn't know it was going to be open season on Ricky Williams. I didn't know I was going to be the patient while everyone from Oprah to Dr. Laura to Jerry Springer tried to figure out what was wrong with me.
Bottom line: There is nothing wrong with me. I'm as I always have been. I like my quiet time alone, and I get my feelings hurt when I think someone has been unfair. I'll tell you the truth when you ask me a question. I don't want to play football forever, but I hope I have a long, successful career.
