DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Report: Ricky Williams fights off urge to use pot

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MIAMI (AP)—Ricky Williams says he was briefly tempted to smoke marijuana during the Miami Dolphins’ bye weekend, an act that could have ended his roller-coaster NFL career.

Williams has been in the league’s substance-abuse program since 2002 and has tested positive for marijuana.

Williams told The Miami Herald for Tuesday’s editions that when players were given Friday off, “automatically your mind, which is so constrained since training camp began … says, `I’m free, what can I do?”’

“So there was definitely an urge,” he said. “But I just thought about what I have to lose, and it was easy. The urge didn’t last very long.”

Since 2004, the Dolphins running back has played only 16 NFL games, including three this year. If Williams were to smoke marijuana again, he would likely be out of the NFL for good because he has already violated the league drug policy four times.

“There’s no space, no wiggle room for me,” Williams said.

He said that doesn’t scare him, because he feels he’s in control and on the right path. He said he successfully combated the latest urge to smoke by meditating instead, which gives him the same “feeling of being free” as marijuana.

“A lot of times when people have some kind of addiction, what happens is they make a mistake and trip up and afterward say, `I don’t know what I was thinking,”’ he said. “If you always try to be aware of what is going on in your mind, you won’t ever get to that point where it’s too late.”

The 1998 Heisman Trophy winner and 2002 NFL rushing champion said it’s normal to have an urge to smoke. Williams is tested nine times per month on a random basis. The man who administers the urinalysis for the NFL sometimes shows up at Williams’ home before dawn.

Williams said he will not smoke marijuana again while he’s in the NFL, but he’s uncertain whether he’ll abstain when his career ends.

“I’d be lying if I said I’m never going to do it again after I’m done,” he said. “I don’t know. I don’t spend much time thinking about it.”

Wow will someone give him an award already? I'm Dolphin fans were glad to hear that he was able to fight off the "urge"

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“So there was definitely an urge,” he said. “But I just thought about what I have to lose, and it was easy. The urge didn’t last very long.”

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I am with that guy here. Can't say I don't love it, can't say that if I won the lottery I woudldn't do it again in a heart beat. Marijuana is something i had to drop (longterm) in my life recently. I think he's finally realized that you can't let it effect what you want to do, it's just not worth it. Period. Props to Ricky.

Ricky will retire sometime soon, and he's smart to wait til he is outta the league to get high.

Its too bad that we have such a intolerant stance towards cannabis.

Does anybody read this and get a visualization of Ricky Williams as Towelie from South Park?

~Lyuokdea

Good for Ricky. I'm glad the NFL let him back in the league, he'll get to earn money and gain skill in meditation and the benefits it brings. All the best.

This is a story? Why not just keep it to yourself, Ricky?

Need a little spotlight after Ronnie Brown's big show?

I'm sure the press was asking about it, and this was his answer. I doubt he put together a press conference to discuss it.

Williams was a way better player when he was a pothead.