Ricky Williams will forever be a Texas legend after winning the Heisman and becoming the Longhorns all-time leading rusher. One could say that he is certainly high in the record books. Catch my drift?
His method to becoming a Heisman winner and having such a successful football career were different than most.
Since his playing career ended, Williams has publicly been an advocate for athletes using marijuana as a form of recovery. Recently, the former Texas star expressed to Sports Illustrated’s Greg Bishop that marijuana was actually the key to his success when he won the Heisman Trophy.
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Williams was blunt about his usage, as he explained to Bishop that sports and society were not as understanding of marijuana at the time. It meant they were not privy to the fact that it could be used for anxiety and as a form of recovery.
Anxiety and recovery were the two primary reasons Williams turned to marijuana. He emphasized that without marijuana, his body would not have been able to withstand the grueling pain after games and practices. Williams mentioned that he also suffered from social anxiety.
Williams is now in the process of producing his own brand of cannabis called “Highsmith.” He has also been vocal about the suspension of track star Sha’carri Richardson, who was suspended due to a positive marijuana test that she took during the U.S. Olympic Trials when grieving the loss of her mother.
The Texas legend knows firsthand about having a career interfered with because of marijuana policies, as he faced numerous suspensions in the NFL. He was suspended five times in his NFL career for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy, causing him to miss two seasons worth of games.
Even with all the suspensions and backlash, Williams amassed 10,000 yards rushing and 74 touchdowns during his 11-year professional career. He believes that these numbers are Hall of Fame worthy, but he cites the NFL’s no cannabis policy as the reason for why he was unable to be elected.
Throughout his last two collegiate seasons with Texas, Williams rushed for 4,017 yards and 52 touchdowns.