On the eve of a new NFL season, one of the league's perennial bad boys, Dolphins running back Ricky Williams, has announced plans for a new, post-football career. He wants to attend medical school and become an osteopathic physician.
In fairness, Mr. Williams has apparently come a long way from his pot-smoking days, when a fondness for weed almost destroyed his NFL career. Alex Marvez of Fox Sports believes Williams could become the greatest success story of pro football's drug policy--assuming he stays on the straight and narrow.
As for his medical aspirations, let's just say that Ricky has a way to go. Almost a decade after he won the Heisman Trophy at the University of Texas, Williams is roughly half-way to his bachelor's degree. It's not a matter if Williams is smart enough; by most accounts, he's a bright and creative guy. The knock on Ricky is the same one that's haunted him throughout his NFL career--can he stay focused long enough to achieve his goal, and stay away bad habits of the past.
Ricky Williams as an osteopath? Well, it's not as far-fetched as, say, Mike Vick becoming a veterinarian.
Shortly after Ditka wagered away the future of the Saints to get Ricky, I ran into the manchild in the Borders Books of Causeway Blvd. At the look of recognition on my face he got a panicked look on his. I, luckily for him could care less about who he was, and made nothing out of it other than to say welcome to town. one of the casheres also noticed him, and quietly asked for an autograph...Ricky looked like he wanted to disappear.
ReplyDeleteHe had a large stack of philosophy books and a few others I didn't catch the name of. He was in line before me and paid over $300 for those books. The impression I got in that little time was he was very smart, but lacking people handling skills.
A friend of mine knew a lady who worked for the Saints organization. She described him as "A Lost Little Boy", and she would cook him stuff and make cookies for him. She worried he would not be able to handle the stress of all the hopes heaped upon his back.
She was right.
I think Ricky is one of those fragile geniuses who has trouble functioning in normal society.
I hope he does well for himself.