Tag: Ricky Williams

Clemson baseball is losing another player to South Carolina

Another Clemson player is transferring to South Carolina.

You know the saying when it rains, it pours? That seems to be the case for Clemson baseball right now, as yet another player has announced they are transferring to the Tigers’ in-state rival in the wake of the firing of Monte Lee.

Sophomore pitcher Ricky Williams announced on Twitter Wednesday that he would be transferring to South Carolina to continue his baseball career. Williams joins Dylan Brewer and Jonathan French as the third Tiger to transfer to South Carolina since Lee’s firing.

Williams made nine appearances for Clemson this season, finishing the season with a 2-0 record and a 2.95 earned run average, primarily coming in relief for the Tigers.

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Another Clemson player announces transfer to South Carolina

After recently deciding to leave the program in the wake of Monte Lee’s firing, another Clemson baseball player is switching sides of the in-state rivalry. Sophomore pitcher Ricky Williams announced via social media Wednesday his intention to …

After recently deciding to leave the program in the wake of Monte Lee’s firing, another Clemson baseball player is switching sides of the in-state rivalry.

Sophomore pitcher Ricky Williams announced via social media Wednesday his intention to transfer to South Carolina. Williams is the third former Clemson player to do so since Lee was relieved of his duties as the Tigers’ coach late last month, joining Dylan Brewer and Jonathan French.

Williams went 2-0 with a 2.95 earned run average in nine appearances this season, most of those coming in relief. He allowed 18 hits and struck out 12 in 21 1/3 innings. He made 15 appearances with four starts in his two seasons with the Tigers.

Former Dolphins RB Ricky Williams changes his name

He explains that he changed it over a year ago.

The Miami Dolphins have had a number of memorable running backs that have graced the fields in South Florida, but Ricky Williams might’ve been the most memorable of the bunch.

Williams played seven seasons with the Dolphins from 2002-10, ending his time in Miami having rushed for more yards than anyone to don the aqua and orange not named Larry Csonka. He also finished second in franchise history, right behind Csonka again, in rushing touchdowns.

In a recent episode of “The Dan LeBetard Show with Stugotz,” Williams revealed that he’s actually changed his name over a year ago to “Errick Miron,” taking his wife’s last name.

“I did it probably a year and a half ago, made it official,” Williams said (transcribed by Ravens Wire). “Something I’ve been thinking about and talking about, and I finally went through the steps and I went to the social security office with my marriage certificate, and I went through the process, and it was quick and easy, and it felt meaningful. It felt really meaningful.”

The former Texas Longhorn actually revealed that Williams wasn’t even his real last name.

“There’s like one of those family secrets…My grandma, obviously, back then you don’t say anything. And so Williams was her husband’s name who wasn’t my dad’s father. So Williams is not even really my last name…”

While fans will still likely call him by his former last name, his new one seems to be very special to him.

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Former Ravens RB Ricky Williams reveals name change

Former Ravens running back Ricky Williams revealed that he changed his name

The Baltimore Ravens have had many veterans walk through their doors over the course of their franchise history. They’ve been able to get the best out of some of the players who are entering the back end of their careers, and they value the experience and leadership that each of them brings.

One of the veterans that Baltimore brought in was running back Ricky Williams. He played with the Ravens for one season during the last year of his career in 2011, rushing 108 times for 444 yards and two touchdowns. In an interview on “The Dan LeBetard Show with Stugotz”, Williams revealed that he changed his name to “Errick Miron” around a year and a half ago, taking the last name of his wife of the last five years. Williams said the change felt very meaningful to him.

“I did it probably a year and a half ago, made it official…Something I’ve been thinking about and talking about, and I finally went through the steps and I went to the social security office with my marriage certificate, and I went through the process, and it was quick and easy, and it felt meaningful. It felt really meaningful.”

Williams was born as Errick Williams, and went by Ricky. He revealed that the change was a way to create a balance in his relationship with his wife. He also mentioned that Williams isn’t really his last name.

“There’s like one of those family secrets…My grandma, obviously, back then you don’t say anything. And so Williams was her husband’s name who wasn’t my dad’s father. So Williams is not even really my last name…”

Clemson’s rotation still in flux ahead of another key series

With time running out for Clemson to make a move for the postseason, the Tigers’ search for dependable weekend pitching behind Mack Anglin continues. Clemson coach Monte Lee has yet to decide who will get the ball in the Tigers’ final two games …

With time running out for Clemson to make a move for the postseason, the Tigers’ search for dependable weekend pitching behind Mack Anglin continues.

Clemson coach Monte Lee has yet to decide who will get the ball in the Tigers’ final two games against No. 21 Georgia Tech (27-18, 12-12 ACC) this weekend. Anglin, the one constant in Clemson’s weekend rotation throughout the season with a 3.62 earned run average, will get his usual Friday start in the series opener at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, but Clemson has given the TBA (to be announced) designation for its Saturday and Sunday starters.

Getting depth out of its other weekend starters has been an issue all season for the Tigers, who began the week with a team ERA of 4.45 after giving up 35 runs against Louisville last weekend, including 18 in the Cardinals’ sweep-clinching victory Sunday. Those three losses dropped Clemson (28-17 overall) to 6-14 in ACC play, the second-worst record in the conference.

There are just three weekends left in the regular season, which could be the extent of Clemson’s season if the Tigers aren’t able to put a run together late. Clemson needs to finish with one of the top 12 winning percentages in league play in order to qualify for the ACC Tournament. Duke and North Carolina, which each own a .381 conference winning percentage, would be the final two teams in the tournament if it started today.

Any charge Clemson hopes to make, though, has to start with improvement on the mound.

Freshman right-hander Billy Barlow lasted just 1 ⅔ innings in the series finale against Louisville, allowing five runs (three earned) on three hits with three walks. Barlow, who’s spent much of the season as a midweek starter, moved into the rotation the week before in place of sophomore Nick Clayton, who’s got a 5.97 ERA on the season and hasn’t lasted longer than the fourth inning in any of his last four starts.

Barlow has pitched just 5 ⅓ innings in his first two weekend starts combined. Meanwhile, reliever-turned-starter Geoffrey Gilbert didn’t last long in his second straight weekend starter, yielding six earned runs on four hits and issuing three walks in just 1 ⅓ innings Saturday in the Tigers’ 10-8 loss.

Gilbert was better in his first start against Florida State the previous week, working into the fifth inning and giving up just three earned runs on four hits. His first 13 appearances this season came out of the bullpen before Lee started the sophomore right-hander instead of freshman Jay Dill, who had replaced Nick Hoffman (5.59 ERA) as the Saturday starter against Wake Forest on April 16. But Dill recorded just one out and allowed seven earned runs before getting pulled from that game, prompting Lee to switch it up again a couple of weeks ago.

While Lee could ultimately choose to stick with Gilbert and Barlow or move Hoffman and Clayton back into the rotation, they aren’t the only options.

Lee has mentioned another freshman, Casey Tallent, as someone who could get a crack at a weekend start. Tallent (2.74 ERA) has yielded just seven earned runs in 23 innings this season and didn’t allow an earned run in 2 ⅓ innings in his lone start so far against East Tennessee State on April 20. There’s also sophomore Ricky Williams (1.59), who’s made just seven appearances all season but held Presbyterian to two runs on five hits in 6 ⅔ innings his last time out on April 26.

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Lee addresses Clemson’s pitching situation after latest shakeup

Who will fill in as the midweek starters for Clemson’s baseball team this week? And will the Tigers stick with the same rotation in yet another pivotal ACC series at Louisville this weekend? Those are questions Clemson coach Monte Lee and his staff …

Who will fill in as the midweek starters for Clemson’s baseball team this week? And will the Tigers stick with the same rotation in yet another pivotal ACC series at Louisville this weekend?

Those are questions Clemson coach Monte Lee and his staff find themselves needing to answer after their latest alteration on the mound. A day after changing his Saturday starter for the second straight week, Lee started freshman Billy Barlow in place of Nick Clayton for the Tigers’ series finale Sunday.

With the help of six relievers, Clemson rallied to beat the Seminoles to win its second straight ACC series after dropping the first four. But the decision to start Barlow, the Tigers’ usual midweek starter, means Clemson will have to turn elsewhere for their next game Tuesday against Presbyterian at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

Clemson has another game at home Wednesday against No. 25 Wofford, so the Tigers will need a couple of fresh arms to help them get through the midweek. Clayton, who last pitched an inning of relief Wednesday in Clemson’s win over East Tennessee State, is a candidate to start. So is Nick Hoffman, who began the season in the weekend rotation but has made his last four appearances in relief.

But they’re not the only ones. While most of their appearances have come out of the bullpen, freshman Casey Tallent and sophomore Ricky Williams have each started a game this season. Williams (0.87 earned run average) has allowed just one earned run in 10 ⅓ innings while Tallent (2.37), who got his first career start against ETSU last week, has held opposing batters to a .224 average in 19 innings.

Lee said following Sunday’s game he and his staff will talk it over before making a decision at some point today.

“We have options between Ricky Williams, Clayton, Tallent,” Lee said. “So we’ll talk it over as a staff and try to figure out how to piece 18 innings there together in the middle of the week.”

As for the weekend, Lee said he will take the same approach when deciding whether or not he’ll keep the back end of the rotation the same against Louisville, which begins the week tied with Notre Dame atop the ACC’s Atlantic Division standings.

Sophomore right-hander Mack Anglin (3.24) has been the constant for Clemson all season in the Friday night spot, but the rest of the weekend has been a bugaboo for most of the season. Clemson had not had a Saturday or Sunday starter work past the fourth inning since its ACC-opening series against Miami until Gilbert did so this past Saturday. In his first start of the season, Gilbert limited FSU to three runs on four hits in 4 1/3 innings.

On Sunday, Barlow yielded three runs in the first inning before settling in to get through the first 3 ⅔ frames on 82 pitches. Asked if Barlow has earned another weekend start against the Cardinals, Lee was non-committal.

“He’s not going to be available in the middle of the week, so it certainly makes sense to potentially start him again next weekend,” Lee said. “But obviously we’ll discuss that as a staff before we make any sort of decision on what we’re going to do there.”

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Five Longhorns featured in ESPN’s All-Time Top 100 RBs

Texas has a rich history of excellent running back play.

Before Bijan Robinson became a superstar in the Texas backfield, the Longhorns had a rich history of excellent running back play over the past six decades.

ESPN’s Bill Connelly ranked the top 100 running backs in college football from the past 60 seasons. Texas has produced plenty of candidates to be considered for the list.

We see very few running backs getting 25 carries per game, and only three RBs have won the Heisman in the 21st century. The position is evolving, but it’s still a key piece of almost every college football offense. So let’s take a moment to commemorate the best backs we’ve seen.

Of two Heisman winners, four Doak Walker Award winners and multiple All-Americans who have worn the burnt orange over the years, five former standout Longhorn running backs ended up on Connelly’s list.

Texas and USC are the only schools with five former players making the cut.

Here is where each Texas running back ranks in the top 100:

Clemson responds with bounce-back win over Winthrop

Behind a five-run second inning and a stellar start from Ricky Williams, No. 20 Clemson cruised to a 10-2 victory over Winthrop at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Wednesday night. After Tuesday’s 16-7 loss to Coastal Carolina, Clemson manager Monte Lee …

Behind a five-run second inning and a stellar start from Ricky Williams, No. 20 Clemson cruised to a 10-2 victory over Winthrop at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Wednesday night. 

After Tuesday’s 16-7 loss to Coastal Carolina, Clemson manager Monte Lee told The Clemson Insider that he wanted to see how his team would respond. The Tigers responded by pounding out 12 hits en route to a bounce-back win, which was delayed by 54 minutes due to lightning in the area.

While Clemson’s bats woke up Wednesday, it was able to do so behind the pitching of Williams.

The sophomore right-hander, who hails from Lexington (S.C.) made his second-career start on Wednesday and pitched an absolute gem. After navigating through a shaky first inning, which culminated in Clemson shortstop Benjamin Blackwell gunning down a runner at the plate, Williams (1-0) settled in. 

In five innings, Williams tallied three strikeouts and allowed just two hits. He was pulled in favor of Rocco Reid after throwing 67 pitches on the evening.

Reid and Ty Olenchuk both pitched clean innings out of the pen, while Geoffrey Gilbert surrendered a two-run home run. In a non-save chance, Ryan Ammons entered in the top of the ninth and shut the door on Winthrop.

Prior to the lightning delay, all nine of Clemson’s batters reached base safely. All of Clemson’s starters also recorded a hit.

After leaving the bases loaded in the first inning, the Tigers couldn’t afford to do the same in the home half of the second. With the bases juiced, Tyler Corbitt (3-for-4) laced a ball right into the hole between third base and shortstop, scoring two runs.

Cooper Ingle, who is now hitting .405 on the season, followed up Corbitt’s two-run single with a two-run double of his own. Ingle’s 21st and 22nd RBIs of the season were aided by the ball hitting off the first base bag. He finished Wednesday’s contest with a hit, four walks and two RBIs in five plate appearances.

Clemson again loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth inning, but just one run came to pass on a Dylan Brewer (1-for-5) RBI groundout. The Tigers would load the bases again in the bottom of the seventh after the 54-minute delay.

Prior to the delay, first baseman Bryar Hawkins (1-for-3) was the lone Clemson starter without a hit. That changed when he roped a single past a diving Winthrop second baseman Joey Tepper, scoring two runs.

Blackwell (1-for-4) added an RBI single, while Max Wagner (1-for-4) recorded an RBI on a fielder’s choice.

Clemson fared 1-1 during its mid-week homestand and will travel for its second conference series of the season against Pitt this weekend.

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How badly do Rivera and Washington ‘need’ a quarterback?

Head coach Ron Rivera and general manager Martin Mayhew haven’t been shy about Washington’s intentions to upgrade the quarterback position.

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This evening I read some guy tweeting that the Washington Commanders had offered the Seattle Seahawks five first-round choices for Russell Wilson, but the offer was turned down by Seattle.

Of course, that offer was both absurd and false. Yes, head coach Ron Rivera has publicly declared (more than a few times) that Washington is looking for a QB. He and GM Martin Mayhew last week both spoke to the media at the NFL Combine and neither was shy to admit they are indeed looking to improve the position for the Commanders.

Are Coach Rivera and Mayhew crossing the line, appearing too needy? In business, one can certainly proclaim what they need. Yet, shouldn’t that person also remain shrewd, to never cross the line of appearing too willing to trade too much for what one desires?

Mike Ditka had won coaching in Chicago. Ditka won 11+ games in six NFL seasons, including a 15-1 Super Bowl Championship for the ’85 Bears.

When Ditka took over New Orleans in 1997 and experienced back-to-back 6-10 seasons, he made it known he wanted Ricky Williams. Charley Casserly and Washington took advantage of Ditka and traded the No. 5 overall pick in the draft to the Saints for all six of the Saints 1999 selections and the Saints’ 2000 selections in the first and third rounds. I was doing cartwheels and backflips when that trade was announced.

Might Rivera have been too quick last week to say no one was concerned with what the Rams gave up for Matthew Stafford? Remember how Washington received only one exciting (10-6) season from Robert Griffin but had already (being too eager) given up first-round choices in 2012, 2013 and 2014 for a guy yet to play a down in an NFL pocket? At least Russell Wilson has already proven himself to be a capable NFL passer and leader.

Sometimes in negotiations, we really must be careful, because if our posture is one of being too needy, the negotiation will actually be nothing more than the other guy taking advantage of us. A fair mediation will involve you being willing to walk away from the table. I am hoping, if need be, Coach Ron and Mayhew are both willing to walk away from the table.

Watch: Former Dolphins RB Ricky Williams gets candid with SI

Watch: Former Dolphins RB Ricky Williams gets candid with SI

When former Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams walked away from the game of football in the prime of his career, you’d be hard pressed to find a single Miami Dolphins fan that didn’t resent the decision from Williams to leave the team. But in the years that have passed, including after Williams’ strong return with Miami and well into his retirement, there’s become a much deeper understanding of Williams as a person — the struggles with mental health he wrestled with during his playing career and the ways in which Williams attempted to cope with his social anxiety disorder.

And the end result for Williams is a happy one — he’s fully embraced who he is as a person and the world has seemingly embraced him back. Williams is involved in a slew of opportunities, including cannabis distribution; which the former Dolphins running back took the time to show off during a recent video interview with Sports Illustrated.

You can watch the full feature below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4NuO9Ydw5s

The most enjoyable piece of the interview? Hearing and seeing Williams comfortable in his own skin while in front of a camera. This is the same person who once resorted to conducting interviews with his helmet on in the locker room to help him handle the social anxiety disorder he wrestled with.

Now?

Williams grins when asked if he feels people owe him an apology.

“No, no, no. I don’t ever think anyone ever owes me an apology. If we are living a truly authentic life, you should have that effect on other people,” said Williams.

“Once people start — you see those things and it starts to get people to think outside the box and open their minds. And that process is first, you hit resistance. But then you break free.”

Williams is living free these days. And it’s hard to image a Dolphins fan still harboring any resistance to Williams’ then-controversial decision to take care of himself. His playing days are well behind Williams at this point, who has been out of the league for a decade now. But based on Williams’ new-found comfort in who he is, it certainly seems like all of his best days are still ahead of him.