With Ricky Williams, it is hard to be surprised. And then he goes out and surprises anyway.
The former Heisman Trophy winner, who once wore a wedding dress and who quit the NFL to live off the land and smoke marijuana, has reemerged after a few years in retirement to become a running backs coach at the University of The Incarnate Word in San Antonio.
And it was Williams’ idea.
“Ricky reached out to me about getting into coaching,” UIW football coach Larry Kennan said in a statement. “We have an opening and he is looking to get into coaching so I think it is a good fit. His experience will be a big help to our staff and players and I think he will have a positive effect on our recruiting efforts.”
If you’ve never heard of Incarnate Word, you’re not alone. It is a school that is in the process of making the move from the Lone Star Conference in NCAA Division-II to the Football Championship Series (FCS) Southland Conference. The Cardinals will play an independent schedule in 2013 before making the full leap to the Southland Conference in 2014.
Williams’ hire isn’t official yet, according to the school. He still has to go through Human Resources procedures before he can officially join the staff.
The former Texas All-American retired from the NFL in 2011 after 11 seasons in the league. The one-time pro bowler spent three seasons in New Orleans, seven seasons in Miami and one season in Baltimore. Williams finished his career with 10,009 rushing yards, 27th best in NFL history.
As a Dolphin in 2002, Williams finished with 1,853 yards rushing, the 14th highest single-season total in NFL history. He went the other way after that, and has hardly been seen or heard from since retiring two years ago.
