Full story at PalmBeachPost.com:
Running back Ricky Williams, who missed last season because he violated the NFL’s substance-abuse policy for the fourth time, said he’s ready to get back to the life he left behind.
Interviewed Friday on a national radio show, Williams said he has fulfilled all the steps to date required for his return to the Miami Dolphins, including weekly counseling and continuous drug testing that at times made him “feel like a criminal.”
To complete the reinstatement process and end his one-year suspension, Williams, just minutes after taking a drug test Friday, told ESPN Radio’s Dan Patrick that he must send a handwritten letter to Commissioner Roger Goodell and have a final clinical evaluation.
Saying he hasn’t smoked marijuana in “maybe three years,” Williams, who turns 30 on May 21, is optimistic he’ll be back in the NFL soon after the 12-month anniversary of his April 25 suspension.
Williams ended his career in Miami by walking out and angering Dolphins fans everywhere. The Phins organization is now essentially welcoming the running back-turned-yogi with open arms and desperate feelings.
His skills as a runner before his exit were as good as anyone else in the league; his powerful style made him a threat to defenses and early pick on fantasy teams. But when he hung up his cleats in 2004 — rumored to be because he had failed his third drug test — he was dubbed a traitor and punchline.
If he does return to Miami — and all indications say that he will — fans may not be as welcoming as the team, unless, of course, he plays well enough to make them forget his past. Doubtful, certainly. After all, his return will land him a spot behind Ronnie Brown, and most of his chances to run the ball will come on short yardage and goal line situations.
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