Ricky Williams
Announcer
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Gus Frerotte
Hey, everyone, welcome to another episode of Huddle up With Gus. I'm your host, Gus Frerotte. And I'm joined today by a very special guest. But before we get to my guests, I want to introduce you to my new studio with some This is not it, but 6031 Digital News is bringing my new studio to you. And I'm very happy to be a part of their company and what they're trying to do to bring news through the internet. And so they're really starting up and they're out of DC, my very first home. So I'm really excited to be a part of 1631 Digital News. And I'd also like to thank our new platform, Sounder.fm. Sounder is just doing a great job and they're bringing great new technologies to podcasting. Today, my guest is someone I played with before you can see him on here, but man, what a career he's had the ups and down the emotions. You know, Ricky when I when we played together in 2005, I was kind of a jokester in the locker room, you were kind of the guy who would go on the other side of the workout room, you do your yoga, you were very quiet. So I'm so excited for this interview. My man Ricky was a Heisman winner. He was a first round draft pick, you name it. He's and talked about. He's won an sp before he's done it all. And he's just an incredible human. And Ricky, thank you so much for joining me on huddle up with Gus.
Ricky Williams
Yeah, I mean, you know, I think about that 2005 season, often, you know, I think it's kind of forgotten by a lot of people. But you know, for me, it was I was in a year off after walking away from football. And then that was my re-entry. And, you know, Nick Saban was our head coach. And so it was there was a lot going on. I think people don't realize, you know, how good of a team we had, you know, we ended the we ended the season when in six straight, beating a playoff bound Chargers in the playoff bound Patriots.
Gus Frerotte
Yeah, you know, that season for me. You know, I obviously was a journeyman, I played for seven different teams. But that season for me, I absolutely loved it. I worked my tail off to be the starter. I probably was the lightest I've ever been playing in the NFL. Just because, you know, there wasn't a day we went out and Miami didn't sweat your butt off. And you know, and we did have a good team, you know, we had Junior Seau on that defense we had was incredible. And, you know, I tell a lot of stories about Nick Saban because he and I didn't get along so well. We we butted heads. You know, that's not the only thing I've ever butted my head against. But Nick Saban, I butted heads. And so you know, I just feel like I wish I could have had another year with that team, because I just felt like we were just so close to being really good.
Ricky Williams
Yeah, I mean, especially on offense, you know, towards the later part of that season with me and Ronnie and you and Chris, we just, we just had Randy we just got we got into rhythm and it was fun.
Gus Frerotte
It was it was it was a really good team, you know, but let's get back to what our My show is about really, it's about how sports shaped your life. You know, because your life has been comprised of so many different areas you I mean from an astrologer to you know, massage therapy to now creating your company Real Wellness and doing all these things you do you have your own podcast, but you know, first and foremost, you know, you were a football player. So take me back to when you were kid, I don't need to go in all the crazy specifics, because I know your childhood is different than most. But tell me about that first time you remember where you fell in love with sports?
Ricky Williams
You know, it was it was kindergarten, I remember I was kindergarten and I had a teacher Miss Swartz. And she said that, you know, every morning we're going to take two laps around the field. And I remember the first day I was thinking, I don't really want to do this, you know, but after two days, you know, I started thinking, you know, I wonder what it would feel like to be the first one to finish the two laps? And so I decided that day I was gonna run as fast as I could and try to be the first one to finish and I, you know, I almost lapped most of the people. And so I you know, I just had this exhilaration of Wow, this is something that I'm good at and it feels wonderful to run. And every day, every morning we do those two laps and I, you know, be the first one around. And and that's when I really realized that I love to move my body and I love to compete. I love to move fast. And then from there, I started getting into baseball and growing up in San Diego was a big Padres fan, big Tony Gwynn fan. So imagine me at seven years old, sitting in my bedroom listening to the Padres on the radio. You know, I was I was in it. And I saw I started playing baseball. And I didn't start playing organized football until Middle School for a couple of reasons. One, my mom really couldn't afford it up to that point and two, I was claustrophobic and so I was always afraid of being trapped underneath underneath people's bodies. And so that really inhibited me from from playing football, organized football, but I played in the yard. And you know, I was one of the fastest kids and you know that my nickname was was Tim Brown at the time because you know that when you're playing in the playground, everybody's receiver and so right. Yeah. And so yeah. Quarterback or quarterback. Yeah. Yeah. But uh, so I was I was kind of known as that the jock, the athlete growing up. And it was interesting, interesting to kind of fact is, in California, there's something called, like magnet schools. And these are schools that specialize in certain areas, science or drama. The elementary school that I went to, was a magnet for athletics. And so from the time I was in first grade, until sixth grade, we had an at least an hour a day of physical education, like real physical education. And so it was literally I was, I was trained to be a professional athlete. And so from a very early age, so much of the way I look at the world is through is through sports and competing.
Gus Frerotte
Yeah, so I imagine you were a lot like me, because you know, when the recess bell rang, and we had that 45 minutes to, to go outside and play whatever it was right? Sometimes it was pickup football, it was wiffle ball. It was kickball, you name it. I came in so sweaty for the second half of school that I absolutely hated sitting there. It wasn't because I hated school. It's just because I was drenched. And that's how it always was for me. So I can imagine like when you went out for that hour long physical education, that nobody took a shower, right? You just came in and went to class. And that was the worst part for me. I hated that.
Ricky Williams
Yeah, it was true. It was true. I mean, I mean, to the point where the reason I went to school was to get sweaty at lunch at recess.
Gus Frerotte
Right? No, I agree. So, so tell me about, you know, because I know that like you had some things happen in your early childhood. So tell me about how sports really helped you get through some of the toughest times in your life.
Ricky Williams
You know, so, you know, I think as kids, you know, we talk about kids, adults, we talk about kids, and we talk about kids going through difficult times. But I think as kids, we don't know that these times are difficult, you know, we we don't we don't our minds aren't developed enough to compare our experiences to other people until we're much older. So as a kid, you know, it was it was more part of the mid dose, you know, is is I was an athletic kid and part of, of athletics is competing. And so part of competing, especially in football, is you get cut, you get nicked up, you get back up and you do it again. And there's almost like, pride. You know, it's, it's like if something bad would happen, I wanted to scar, you know, right. I wanted to scar to prove to prove that I survived this. And I'm still here. And so I think sports, I think that was my, I think I was born with that mentality. And so going through those difficulties, my attitude from jump was these are going to make me stronger. And these are going to help me to be successful in life. And I think that's what that attitude is what allowed me to be a successful football players, you know, the ups and downs or whatever my attitude regardless of what happened, my attitude was I'm taking this good thing, this success, or this failure, and I'm using it to get better.
Gus Frerotte
Yeah, so so then you get to that you said you didn't play later on in football, but you always played baseball. It's not like that was the same with me. Like youth football for me was tough because it was awkward. I was growing. I was always getting knocked on my tail. I wasn't a fast guy. They put me on the line. The first time I ever played I was like, I hate this. I'm not getting my tail knocked around but I loved baseball right? I go out and pitch and hit and do everything like that. And then so for me when I had to make that decision and go into college, you know baseball and football were is equal to me and read about you, you know, which I never really got to do before. To understand you more I wish I would have when we were playing together, but I had little kids in my mind was crazy. But was that the same for you? Because I love the both of them so much.
Ricky Williams
Yeah, so like I said, baseball was my first love. And and I decided as a kid, you know, when I was seven, you know, listening to the Padres, that I was going to be a professional baseball player, I my mind was set. And as I got older, yeah, I was good at football. And it was fun. And you know, I was rough. So it was a good outlet. And so I played football. And I was 12. I was watching Notre Dame football and on NBC. And I was like, there's something about the tradition of college football that I need to have that experience. And so at that time, I told myself, you know, I'm gonna play college football and be a professional baseball player. And so I was fortunate enough to get recruited by pretty much every college in the country. And I was recruited by most baseball teams into being drafted in the eighth round by the Phillies. And what I told all the baseball teams is I'll play baseball in the summers, but I'm playing college football, and I told all the football teams, I'll play college football, but I'm playing baseball in the summers. And so they both knew. And I was able to carry that, that dream or fantasy, probably better as a better word. Until, until pretty much the combine. And I was at the combine, and most of the NFL teams told me, you know, you have to you have to pick between baseball and football. And the truth is, I spent much more time and I was naturally more ahead in football and baseball. I was a little bit more behind. And so I made the decision to stick with football.
Gus Frerotte
And you were an outfielder and baseball correct?
Ricky Williams
Well, that's part that's part of the issues is my whole life. I played third base, a little bit of shortstop, but when I was drafted, they saw that I could run and they put me in the outfield, but unnaturally at their basement. That's what I played to the hot
Gus Frerotte
corner. You know, they wanted me to pitch right. It was a quarterback, obviously strong arm. I absolutely hated pitching. Like, I just didn't have the mentality to do it. Right. I could stand in there and swing the bat hit curves. I loved all that. And they always wanted me to pitch because of six four right then. And, you know, I just didn't like it. I don't know. It's because of my dad, maybe because he's always yelling at me through the fence, but throw strikes or
Ricky Williams
a lot of pressure at quarterback. I mean, well,
Gus Frerotte
in when I was a little kid, Ricky played Little League, my dad said, this is what he taught me throw the first one at their head. And then they'll move back from the plate and throw the next one over the plate. And I'm like, okay, so I remember we were playing a little league and we play the tour pack twins. They were on the other team. And he's these two little stocky dudes, they always hit homeruns. I hit both of them in the head because they were here, one right after the other. And my dad's coughing, you know, my Okay, yeah, this is no
Ricky Williams
way
Gus Frerotte
that doesn't fit my personality at all to do that. So, so pitching wasn't, and for some reason that I was wild all the time. So but baseball was absolutely loved. And, and then football, for me was something that I really didn't want to do. Because in ninth grade, I broke my neck. And then I had to come back and play. So I had all these crazy things going on as a kid and imagine you, you were so good at both of them. You're getting recruited, you told us that story. So why Texas? Why was that ultimate place for you, Texas?
Ricky Williams
Yeah. So, um, you know, I had, again, this idea of playing college football, and it started at a young age. And so I had I had ideas about what I wanted my college football experience to be like, you know, I knew I wanted to start as a freshman. I wanted to go to a big program, but a program that had a rich tradition, but and you know, had a couple of down years and was ready to kind of make that next step. You know, I want to, I want to be part of the missing piece to help to help, you know, rebuild a program. And obviously, when you get an education, and I think most important is it needed to feel like family. And so I took my first recruiting trip to Berkeley. And I canceled my second trip. I was supposed to go to Stanford. And when I started the recruiting process, my my senior year, the last was the head coach at Stanford and during the recruiting process, after the football season, he retired and Bill Walsh would have stayed at Stanford, I would have I would have gone there to follow in the in the fullback tradition at Stanford, but he laughed and so it kind of opened my my choices back up. And so Notre Dame was on my list and University of Colorado and USC. So I took my recruiting trip to USC on Friday, Saturday, I flew home and then I took my recruiting trip to Texas on a Sunday, Monday. So I got to compare my my top one and two back to back and went to USC. And, you know, Coach Robinson, I had a great relationship with Him. And so that was a you know, that was a positive. I had a great relationship with the running back coach, Charlie white, Heisman Trophy winner, you know, another check. Big program, right? They had a couple of down years, they were on their way back up. You know, the big question mark was what I'd be able to start as a freshman, you know, Coach Robinson was saying, you know, you can start as a fullback, but at the time, USC didn't really use a fullback to run the bar, or even catch the ball much. So I was kind of like, yeah, and then there are there was like, five different halfbacks that were all vying for the position. So I wasn't quite sure. And hanging out with the guys on the team. One of the guys Rodney sermon said, you know, he said, Dude, don't come here. We got too many running backs. Don't come here. And so I was like, Alright, that's a minus. Okay, sorry, go home, unpack, repack, fire to Austin, Texas. And so coming from Southern California, I've never never been outside of California, really. And so I didn't know what to expect flying into Texas. I thought, you know, I find that the tarmac and there'll be tumbleweeds rolling across. But, you know, this was before Austin was Austin. Okay, right. And so I, I landed Austin, and I'm like, it was December 17. Okay. landed Austin. It was 72 degrees. Okay. And it was beautiful. Right. And so I was like, wow, just a really cool city really cool vibe. I really liked coach Markovic, we got along really well, when he said I could start as a fullback. I could see in his offense that the fullback carries the ball. And you know, we had conversations where I believed him, me and the running back coach, but godbole still one of my best friends to this to this day. And there was a there was a situation on the on the when I was hanging out with the with the guys that really kind of sealed the deal for me, right, hanging out in the in the dorm room with a lot of the players and was impressed that you know, they're letting each other borrow each other's cars, and it just felt like family. You know, I felt really good to me. And then later that night, we went out and one of our receivers, Lavelle Pinkney and and one of the running backs kind of got into an argument and they kind of got to throw in pants. No, no, I tagged him a couple of times. And I was like, Whoa, and you know, within 30 minutes, we're all back in the dorm room laughing, you know, and the fact that something can get that intense, and it can be squashed and beat them. We can be together laughing again, to me, that really epitomized what I was looking for as far as the family feel. And so Texas really, you know, checked off all my boxes. And so it was it was pretty easy, easy decision to make? Well,
Gus Frerotte
I would say it was the right decision that you made, obviously, for the career you had at Texas, and everything that that I mean, it feels like you felt very yourself at Texas. Is that true? Because I mean, the things that you did there while you played at Texas were incredible. I mean, they're up in the top of college football history. And I mean, the things that you've done there. And to me, it was like they let you be you. Yeah, if I'm not mistaken.
Ricky Williams
Oh, yeah. You know, there's something about that, I think the difference, one of the main differences, the way I think about it between college in the NFL is in college, you come in as an 18 year old, you know, and usually in the recruiting process, you develop, like a real like relationship with the coaches. And so you come in as a kid, you know, and it's like, you grow up in college. And so I think you're, you're seen as a kid, right? allowed to be a human being. And I think once you make that jump into the NFL now, you know, you've become something different. And there's a different set of expectations. And so I'm perfectly at home, you know, everyone understood who I was, and it was, yeah, it was much easier to be myself at, at Texas.
Gus Frerotte
Well, that's the thing that struck me after trying to kind of do some research on you and find out like, because the thing that was never clear to me was like, you go to the NFL, right? And then it felt like there was all this pressure that was put on you, because of like, all sudden, I'm drafted number one, right? And then there's, there's all these things that have happened to you and you get an injury and, and then all of a sudden, there's media and there's press and there's different pressures. And and I know with some of your anxieties, that probably was a little tougher for you, right? That, that wow, you had to feel because I just didn't see. Like, I wanted you to be the Ricky, I watched in college. You know what I'm saying?
Ricky Williams
Well, it's, it's not I mean, it's funny, and when I talked to most people that most people say pressure, but I don't think it was pressure because I put way more pressure on myself and anyone. It's not pressure, it's expectations. And it's not even expectations of how to perform on the football field. It's more of expectations, how I'm supposed to be as a person. And I think for me, you know, I just mentioned My story about why I chose Texas is it felt like family and the definition of family for me is you get to be yourself, you know, your family doesn't expect you to be something other than you are. If anything, your family smacks you in the head and remind you who you are, you know. And so you know, and I think I was naive in thinking that when I got to the NFL that it would feel like it would feel like family. And so it wasn't, you know, it was my naivete expecting this to feel a certain way. But it wasn't the pressure of playing football, it was the expectations of me to be something that really had nothing to do with who I was.
Gus Frerotte
Yeah, because you come into, like, you come into a locker room in the college, you're a teen, those guys are 22, there is a big difference, but they're never going to be usually older than 22. Right? But you go to the NFL, and you come in that locker room as a 22 year old, there could be 35 year olds with seven kids, right? That and there's such a wide range because I lived at all I came in as a young kid and I went out as that old guy with all the kids. Right? is right. And for me how I always tried to make it like a family, every locker room I went to was, I love to play pranks and do those things to get people to laugh. And I think when you laugh, like that's what families love to do. Right? the locker room was our family all the time. So I understand what you're saying that that you came in, and you were probably not embraced. Like you should have been like a family.
Ricky Williams
Yeah, yeah. And I, you know, I think that's what, when there's all these expectations, like the pressure is there, but I think you don't make it to this level if pressure affects you in a negative way. You know, so it's, it's not, it's not the pressure, I think, and you can speak to this, I think you've been around, it's really about finding a good fit. You know, and I think that the advantage we have when we go from high school to college, is we have more say, in what's a good fit, no. But then when you go on the NFL, you don't have that much of a say, of finding a good fit
Gus Frerotte
while you find a good fit. And then there's people that are coaches, or general managers or somebody else that takes it away from you. That's kind of what always happened to me. It was like I felt a good fit. And then somebody would come up, you know, General Manager, Mike, like in Detroit, I was an offensive player of the year, we had a great year, we made the playoffs that years a year the barry sanders didn't come back and play. So I'm like, okay, we did a great job, like, Okay, I'm gonna get rewarded here. I ended up playing 10 games. And they said, No, we don't we we think you have too much fun. And I'm like, what does that mean? And then they said, Well, you need to be more serious. And I said, Well, when I cross a white line, so I'm serious, but when I'm in the locker room with the guys, we're, we're having a good time. And that's what makes us a family. And, you know, the coaches I had there didn't see it that way. So I had a fit that fit me and the guys, but there were other people that didn't see it that way. So that's what I think you're talking about when you talk about the NFL, is that sometimes it's not always up to you.
Ricky Williams
Yeah, exactly. Exactly. And you said it, you know, because when I say a good fit, it's all of these things, you know, does the does the offensive coordinator system fit your style of play? You know, does the head coach believe in you? You know, there's the there's the running back coach and the offensive line coach, do they get along? You know, there's, there's all these, there's all of these little things, you know, I think that create winning football, and it really, you know, to sum it up, I feel like the word fit really, really works.
Gus Frerotte
Yeah, no, that is so true. And then I've been in those situations where you don't fit at all, and I'm sure you felt like that too, you know,
Ricky Williams
and Baltimore.
Gus Frerotte
Yeah, right. That's the, you know, and I'm sure that people look at you, you've been through your whole life. And they diagnose you off of what they read in the papers, or they've heard from somebody else instead of really getting to know you. And that's happened to me, right? So for me, I've had to live with the whole headbutt thing my whole career, right. I had to go through my whole career, and people saying, well, we can't trust them because of that, right. And I've had that talk coaches out of that. Right. And I know you've had other situations that may not have been ahead, but it may have been, you know, other issues that you've had, but they don't see through that stuff. And then sometimes they're so superficial. They're not really looking at the athlete or just the player and and who I am as a person. They just see all this ancillary stuff that doesn't really affect home playing on the field.
Ricky Williams
Yeah, it's, it's true. I mean, when I when I had similar it's happens a lot with coaches, you know, so I was drafted by, famously drafted by coach Ditka, and he was fired at the end of 1999. At the end of that first season, and coach, Jim aza was hired. And I remember the first meeting I had with with Coach Hazlitt, the first meeting, you know, with the first round pick, and I'm sure he was pissed, because he didn't have a first round pick because I take it away from me. But anyways, so he said to me, and he's like, I've, I've heard I've heard about you, you know, her that you're a troublemaker and you're this and you're listening to this, and I was like, She's, you know, like, he didn't even give me a shot, you know. And so there's definitely uphill battle and finally ended with me being traded to Miami. Which, you know, turned out all right for me, but, you know, it's nice when you don't have a fit, we to be able to move on. You know, I think the worst thing is when there's not a fit, and it's forced.
Gus Frerotte
So how did you fit? You know, we talked about the NFL being a lot like a family. And you've played for a lot of years in the NFL, you played in Canadian Football League as well. So how did you fit? Because I know you had some, you know, like, I really tried not, I tried to leave you alone, because I understood that we're all different. But how did you want to? Did you ever have that kind of, I want to go make friends with some of these guys in a locker room or not just you know what I mean? Because if we're together every day, right, we're just, you know what I mean? Sometimes it's hard. I want to get to know people. I want to play pranks. Like, I never wanted to play a prank on you, because I didn't know you. Right. But I know ultimately, deep down inside you were the one I always wanted to play a prank on. Because I wanted to make you laugh and smile. Right? Yeah, I didn't know you calling people I know that can take it. So I didn't know you as well. So tell me a little bit about that going through your career?
Ricky Williams
Yeah, I guess I'm the silent, scary type, you know, that type that type. Scary. I get it, I get it. Um, you know, you shouldn't you should have played a prank on me, I would have laughed, I want to let you know, I was just really focused, you know, I was just really focused. You know, for me, football, football was something and I guess I was burned early, trying to look for family and football. And realizing maybe that's not the place to find it. And so I looked for family, other places. And for me, I love the feeling of of going into battle with with my, with my teammates, and I love a group of people coming together to try to accomplish a specific goal. And I love people coming together working to improve and get better. I loved all of those things about about being together as football players. But I just found a lot of the things that I was interested in a lot of the things that I was into, there weren't a lot of other guys in the locker room that were into the same thing. And so it felt like to hang out off of the field. You know, it just felt so awkward for me, because if I wasn't doing that I'd rather be doing I'd rather be doing something else. I'd rather be at home, you know, reading an astrology book, or I'd rather be at home meditating. So it just, you know, football had a place and, and but I learned especially when when I met you, after retiring from football and in you know, traveling around the world, and really understanding myself on a deeper level, I just have more interest. And so football was great. But as soon as I was off the football field, I wanted to be doing that, you know, building the other the other parts of my life.
Gus Frerotte
Ya know that that is so important to find out who you are, and then build your life around that because otherwise you can really go down a rabbit hole. Because for me after I retired, I know a thing, you know, you transition out of football, and you're like, Man, I've done this for 25 years straight. Now, what the heck am I gonna do? I went into coaching, but it wasn't there wasn't any satisfaction. Now I'm trying to be in business and entrepreneurship, like, trying to do different things to find out who I really am. So a lot of that has been tough on me. And thank God, I have my wife and to support me because I don't know if I'd make it through. Because she is a lot like you. And I say that in a great way. Because she has been finding herself over these years. She went back and got her master's. She's a social worker. She's a nurse. She does tarot cards, we do readings, we do all this stuff. Like when I read about you. I was like, Oh my god, honey, this is you. Reiki or? Yeah. Like, like her favorite thing is we go outside and we watch the moon. Like when it's a full moon when it's a new moon, whatever it is like, that's her. That's her thing. And we do we do crazy rituals. So I'm like, that is Ricky, and I'm so happy that you found just who you were in all
Ricky Williams
Yeah, yeah, you know, I was lucky, I was lucky that first time I retired, I got a chance to find myself. You know, I think a lot of people have to wait until they're a little bit older. But one of the reasons I retired is because I started doing the math. And I was like, you know, if I keep doing this at this rate, first of all, I'm not sure if my body is going to be healthy enough to be able to do the things I want to do. And to you know, I'm going to be old. And so I realized I need to like live a little bit. And so I have that year away. And again, like when I came back, I had a better sense of who I was. And so I started kind of, you know, building my, my second my second career, you know, halfway through my first career and so when I retired a second time from the Ravens, you know, it was it was me choosing to walk away because there was more interesting things that I wanted to do. And that was really my goal is to have an indefinite football career. Not one that ends because nobody wants me anymore.
Gus Frerotte
Right, you will well mine ended because of bad knees. But your first time you retired you went to Toronto to that's a pretty good place to retire the first time, right?
Ricky Williams
Yeah, it was kind of half retirement, you know, first of all, because it's just more chill playing up there and second I broke my arm. So I spent I spent half the season just really just chillin enjoying Toronto. And also, I feel like my time in Toronto helped me rediscover my love for the game. And because it's just fun, you know, really was just guys out there playing football. And, you know, I was able to come back and have another 1000 yard season in the NFL and, and finish with over 10,000 yards. And so, you know, it's getting over that 10,000 yard mark for me was, you know, was a big milestone kind of, for me to justify that, that my career was a success, you know, the reach 10,000 yards, considering all the ups and downs and the suspensions in the year off and injuries and all that stuff.
Gus Frerotte
You don't have to justify anything to anyone you've had an incredible career.
Ricky Williams
Well, of course I do. Of course I do. I've justified to myself all this beating the beating my body is dangerous. You know what, buddy? When, when I'm having one of those days where my neck is hurt, my back is hurt. And I just go watch the highlights. And I'm like, Okay, all right, yeah,
Gus Frerotte
you have those days to work an hour to get rolling out of bed instead of like getting jumping right up. And he goes to work early every morning. So I always get up and try to help her. And, you know, get ready, cuz she leaves at like, seven. And, you know, we're, we she just turned 50 I turned 50 in July. It's like, man, we're up there now. I can't you know, 2005 seems so long ago. But it's crazy. How it is now. You know, you had incredible college career, you you had a incredible rush for over 10,000 you had an amazing NFL career. You know, you've done things that nobody else will ever be able to do now. After the NFL, tell me about your journey. You retired from the Ravens? What was that next step? What was that transition for you that journey of what you what you kind of started to do?
Ricky Williams
Yeah, so um, you know, I've always been a person that's been motivated to improve whether it's improve as a football player or improve as a person. And so that year off, I really focused my life on how to make myself a better person. And so when I retired from the Ravens, I just kept going in that direction, and I'm traveling around the world taking any kind of workshops or classes I could, that would help me understand myself better. And in doing that, I started to actually facilitate and teach and help other people do the same thing. And then I kind of hit a crossroads, or my mom kept bugging me and saying, you know, you promised me you'd get your degree, you promised me you get your degree. And so I, you know, I said, No, I'm gonna coach, you know, to try to stave her off. And so I coached coach for a year at a small college in San Antonio. And I loved it, I loved it, I loved it so much. And they got me started starting to think that if I want to do this full time, I need to go back and get my degree. And so I enrolled back in Texas to finish my degree, I think I had like 72 hours to go. So that took me a couple of years. And while I was doing that I was doing some analysts work for ESPN, and Longhorn network, so I was keeping me kind of engaged in football. And then on the side, I was still studying astrology and still, you know, working with people. And then after I got my degree, kind of was at another crossroads, and then thinking, Okay, am I going to go into coaching? Or am I going to pursue this alternative route, and I decided to pursue the alternative route. So I enrolled in a master's program in Chinese medicine, enrolled in a master's program in depth psychology, and I started to take my astrological studies more seriously. And so that was 2017. And so for the past three, almost four years, I've read, that's really what I, where I've been focusing, and it's become even more laser focused in the past couple of years as the CEO of have a relationship app that uses astrology to help people understand themselves and understand other people. And and like, Yeah, I do readings or sessions with people. And also my podcast, which incorporates astrology, and also launching a cannabis brand. So it kind of like you said, I'm getting into, you know, my tapping into my entrepreneurial spirit, but but in a unique way, you know, bringing the different parts of myself and, and that was one of the things I learned. In 2005 years, I came back to the NFL and I had these other parts of myself that I that I had learned about and that year off and trying to figure out, Okay, how do I integrate these different pieces into me as a football player? And that was a long drawn out process. And I feel like just now, I just now that they're all starting to come together. Yeah. Hey
Gus Frerotte
everyone, I want to say thank you for joining us on huddle up with Gus. We are talking with the great Ricky Williams and we are going to take a quick commercial break. We'll be right back.
Hey, everyone, welcome to another episode of huddle up with Gus. I'm your host, former NFL quarterback Gus Frerotte, and welcome to the new 1631 Digital news studio. You know, some people say no news is good news. Well, I say to those people, you've never read 1631 Digital news.com. Go to 1631. Digital news.com to get your latest news, sports, music and entertainment, and maybe even listen to your favorite podcast auto up with Gus. Check it out today at www 1631. Digital news.com
Announcer
Hey, everyone, we're
Ricky Williams
back.
Gus Frerotte
Welcome back to huddle up with Gus, I'm your host Gus, for out, we're joined by one of my old teammates, I say old lightly. Ricky Williams. So Ricky, you know, you just explained to us everything you're doing now. So let's break some of that down in your post NFL career. Because, you know, I just, I just, I'm so excited to talk to you. Because I just feel like I always wanted to have this conversation with you in 2005. And we just never did you know, then not like it was a bad thing or anything. It was just, it was just I felt like, man, I didn't want to overstep my bounds, you know, so I'm so happy for being able to have this conversation and your journey now and hearing this because so many people struggle with this, when they leave something they've done for a long time, it could be football, baseball, hockey, could be you was with a company forever, and you're trying to make a transition into something new.
Ricky Williams
So
Gus Frerotte
tell us how important it was for you to find,
Ricky Williams
you know,
Gus Frerotte
what you really wanted to do. Now you had a couple of choices between coaching and doing the alternative stuff. And why was it the alternative stuff that really spoke to you?
Ricky Williams
Um, you know, it's a really good question. You know, my I'm an, I'm an astrologer. So when I, when I, when I feel questions like that My mind goes into an astrological answer. And so I have to do a little translating. So, um, so, you know, this idea of, you know, and I think this is, this is common thing for football players is when you're really good at something, you know, you're on a conversation with my daughter. And she's, you know, she's in high school, she's a freshman in high school, and she's picking up lacrosse, and she's finding that she's really good at it, you know. And she's kind of torn, because she doesn't necessarily love it, but she's really good at it. And she's realizing she's getting a lot of positive reinforcement, and you know, because of it. And so, I realized that, you know, as a football coach, as an analyst, I was getting really good because I know football. And as a coach, I coached myself, you know, and so I was a really, really good coach. And I, it was rewarding for me. But it was kind of this feeling of, I can keep doing this, and it'll be great. And I'll be successful. Right. But there's something there's something missing. You know, it's kind of that thing, when you've done something over and over and over again, yes, you're going to be good at it. But it doesn't, doesn't lead to much growth. No. And so I found that, for me, growth and self development is the number one priority to me. So I took a path that would lead to more growth and development. And it has, you know, it's really helped me diversify my experiences in life. You know, I think I spent, I spent so much time being like the big tough football player that I developed out of balance a little bit. So I've spent a lot of time trying to swing back to become more balanced and, you know, studying healing, or that, you know, like you said, massage therapy and Chinese medicine and astrology, but these are things that typically, you know, skew or feminine. And I've found it's made me a more well balanced and happy person and my, my, the quality of my life is so much better.
Gus Frerotte
Yeah, no, I agree. I mean, I do these things with my wife. It's not that like, that wasn't my passion was hers, but we're in this thing together. So I enjoy doing it with her, like, you know, where you do the 12 card pools and it takes an hour so I've done those a lot. And but it's it's a lot of fun. We've done all kinds of crazy stuff. I call crazy. She's you know, just because it's not my thing. You know, it's not really crazy, but I get it.
Ricky Williams
I get what you're saying.
Gus Frerotte
Yeah. The other thing I wanted to ask you, the little kid who his name is he is a little but he, he works kind of with me. He interned with me. He wanted me to ask you about something. And so he wanted me asked you about was it big brother? Big Brother?
Ricky Williams
Yeah, yeah. Then the competition you were on?
Gus Frerotte
Yeah. And what was that, like? Cuz you've done it all, like you've been in, you've been on TV, you've been on a reality shows you've played in front of millions of people on football. You know, you just got it all. And so tell me about that experience? Because I know,
Ricky Williams
you know,
Gus Frerotte
you have this thing of, I'm sure. You know, in the NFL in the locker room, you had to be you wanted to go who kind of do your thing, right? Yeah. But that's like, they're on you all the time. Like the cameras on you all the time. What was that? Like?
Ricky Williams
Yeah, so like I said, You know, I know how I am. And, and I also know that people change. And so I'm always pushing myself, you know, into doing things that are that are uncomfortable. And I was funny, I was I was that was in New Orleans. I was at the, at the Sugar Bowl, covering it for Longhorn network. And I got an email from an old friend of mine, who was a TV producer. And you know, she said that, you know, that Celebrity Big Brother's doing another season, and they want to talk to me. And at first I was like, what, cuz I'd seen one episode of Big Brother. And, and I watched it for 15 minutes. And literally what I remember is thinking to myself, I would never do that. I could never do that and scheme. And I could never do that. It was my thought. And so of course, I get this email. And I'm like, This is crazy. And so I kind of, you know, shut it out. And then my daughter has no idea this is going on. And she she, you know, text me and asked if I've ever seen Big Brother. And so whenever I noticed weird coincidences like that, I pay attention. And so, you know, I reopened the email, and I reached back out and I said, Okay, I'll at least have a conversation. And so I met with one of the producers, and we talked a little bit and I just kind of explained to him about my personality and how I was and I was quiet, and kind of chill, but everyone likes me. And, you know, I said, I don't know if that's gonna work well with the show. And a couple weeks later, he called me up and said, you know, we want we want you to do the show. And so I said, Sure. And again, you know, completely completely out of my comfort zone. And it's intense, you know, it's intense, like they lock they literally lock you away from friends, family devices, books, writing utensils, like you don't get anything you get a Bible. That's it, you know, how
Gus Frerotte
long did it take?
Ricky Williams
So the first they put you into Questor, you know, they put you up in a hotel and somewhere in the valley. And and you like literally locked in your room for like four days, like nothing, you know, they like they leave the food out. So you're really like, shut off and
Gus Frerotte
you were your quarantine before there was quarantine.
Ricky Williams
It was real. It was real. I mean, I was I thought in my mind a couple of times, I was on the second story, I'm hopping out the window and run into a payphone and calling my wife. I was going crazy in there. But um, and so again out of my comfort zone, and then they put me in the house. And I'm sitting there and you know, I'm uh, you know, I don't mean anything against celebrities, but but I don't really like celebrities that much, you know, until I was in a house with celebrities, you know, some of them were really cool. And there's a couple athletes know those cool. So so you know, I get in a room with all women, Tamar, Tamar, Lolo and Natalie and myself, and I felt comfortable, you know, for me, feeling my family. And so we we had like a little group and I was fine. And, but then what I realized about all these guys, okay, and it's, it's I just grew up around a lot of women. These guys were like, petrified of women. So anytime the women got emotional, all the guys would like they need, they would go crazy. Like they couldn't handle it until my advantage was like, I just didn't get triggered by women getting emotional. I was used to it. And so the guys didn't know. And so I will go over to the guys and tell them, you know, talk to them about the girls and act like I was giving them information and they thought I was on their team. And then everything they told me, I'll just go back and tell the girls and the girls and the guys weren't talking because the guys were afraid of the girl. So it worked. And and the crazy part. I know it probably is crazy. And people didn't watch the show but Tom Green, Tom Green and I actually really really butted heads. And I call it the Jedi mind trick. You know, my highlight moment was Tom had finally gotten rid of me, you know, he you know, even finally got rid of me. He had the votes. I was gone. All right. And he even won the veto. So no one could save me Okay, no one can save me. Right. All he had to do. All I had to do was give the veto to someone else or just drop it and he gave me the veto. He saved me. And that was my like, I don't know how I did that. But I just just mind trick, and that allow me to get to the allow me to get to the semifinals. But it was just it was an amazing experience. Because when you lock people in a group setting like that, and the whole game is one person gets kicked out, it's primal, you know, like primal, instinctive emotions come up in people. And it's a real and I think, for me being, you know, playing football and being in that kind of primal environment a lot. I was I was right at home. Yeah, so
Gus Frerotte
I mean that that sounds vague, but you've done other shows as well, right?
Ricky Williams
I did Celebrity Apprentice, it was less than it was less than tense. But it was still I learned so much, you know. And the reason I did that show is because I knew I was going to get into business later. And I knew from coming from football, I really had very little experience. And so you know, so much of what I learned from doing Celebrity Apprentice with Arnold Schwarzenegger about Donald Trump was I'm using it now. And my businesses, I'm using it in what I'm doing now. So it's been, it's been, there's been a great experience doing doing reality TV.
Gus Frerotte
Yeah, the business side is very scary for me. I'm trying to do a few things now business. And it's just like, connecting the dots is easy, right with people. But doing the contracts, the agreements and doing all those things. It's very scary for me. So that's when I slow down, like, I feel like, and you got to have good people around you. And I try to really find those smart people around me to help me through those tough times. Because business is tough. If you know, that's not something I ever for 25 years, I didn't ever worry about any of that I was a, I was a football player. And I was a husband and a dad. That was it. That was all I did. And sometimes I regret not going to school to further my education while I was still in football for all those years. But then again, we were moving the family from state to state because I played for seven teams. So. So tell me about everything you're doing now, how do you coordinate it? All? Right, because like you said, you mentioned so many different things. How are you coordinating it on how you How are you putting it in? I mean, obviously, you probably got like six calendars going on. But how are you finding the time.
Ricky Williams
So I'm a Gemini. And so that means I need to have a lot of things going on, you know, to keep to keep me occupied. I'm here to live, you know, multiple lifetimes in one. And so I need to do it. And I and that's the great question is, how do I organize it? And you know, I have great people around me, you talked about, you know, it's scary going into business. It is scary. I'm married, I married a corporate attorney. And so
Gus Frerotte
well, that's one way to get around it.
Ricky Williams
She Yeah, she she has my back and, and you know, my CFO at Lila our app, you know, he's he's like my main guy and helps just have really good people around me where we, we understand each other's strengths, what we do well, and we support each other. And you know, my my motto is put it on the calendar, you know, put it on the calendar. And if it's in the calendar, and get up in the morning, look at my calendar. This is what I'm doing today, what I'm doing today, and I go for it. Yeah.
Gus Frerotte
I love it. So, talk to me a little bit about your podcast. What are the curious questions? Curious questions? Yeah. So I was born born July 31. I'm a Leo. So your show
Ricky Williams
Right here? Oh, yeah, it's you know, so there's a there's a there's an app called or it's a website actually called Astro Data Bank. And they have kind of random celebrities charts, and for some reason someone got a hold of your birth time. And in your chart, you...
Gus Frerotte
You know my birth time?
Ricky Williams
Yeah, I know your were born. You were born at 2:17am.
Gus Frerotte
Nice. You know what, my wife just did a reading with Larry with an eye out of Colorado. And he wanted to know her birth time. And we cannot find it anywhere. We don't even know how to get it because we ordered her long form birth certificate, and it didn't have it on and she was so upset.
Ricky Williams
Do you have any..? What state what state, Pennsylvania? I think it's called a book copy.
Gus Frerotte
We got to get a book copy.
Ricky Williams
I think that's what it's called a book copy. Yeah.
Gus Frerotte
Oh, my gosh, you'd be so happy if I get that for.
Ricky Williams
Yeah. So just one thing that was interesting, like interesting there. And if you were on the show, I would ask you about this in because you've already shared about yourself. Like, you're a Leo right. And one of the one of the Leo archetypes is the is the is the class clown. You know, the person that likes to have a good time, you know, and so this idea of coaches saying you're having too much fun. You're in your chart, you know, you have a configuration I would say this is someone that has too much fun. Yeah. This is interesting, Leo, you know, Leo in the third house, but what's most interesting about what you said is, is in astrology, the 10th house, it's literally what it represents is the top of the chart, so represents where the sun is at noon on the right, and symbolically, it represents our reputation, you know, our reputation and for better or for worse. The planet Mars. Okay, planet Mars is in your 10th house. Okay. Right on the right on the cusp of the 10th house. And you mentioned earlier, everywhere you went, you know, budding your head right followed you around Mars is the planet of budding our head. You can't You can't make this stuff up, right. But another another interpretation is you know, that you are a competitor because the 10th house rules our career so that you are a competitor for for a living, you know, and that what you do in the world is you embody though this warrior energy, right. And and so and yet another synchronicity, another thing that you mentioned, is you talked about, you know, getting into business scaring you a little bit, right. Mars is where we have to face our fears, right. And so in order to develop courage, we have to be humble enough to acknowledge where we are afraid. So it's, it's cool stuff. So I want to ask you questions about facing fears. In your career, I'd asked you about being an outcast. I'd asked you about curiosity, you know, Gemini rising. Um, I've asked you about mentors, you know, the moon in the six, six houses about where we have things to learn, I'd ask you about important mentors and coaches in your life?
Gus Frerotte
Yeah, no, that would be great. I would love to do that. I'd also love my wife to do it. Because I always feel like I learned so much from her. And then we do it together. And it helps me because actually, deep down, I think I really do enjoy it. You know, we saved everything. Absolutely love all that, you know, and then should we do Oh, she's done all the chakra stuff. Yeah, you know, she's gone to classes for all that. And I just think that it helps her so much in her therapy and everything else she's doing. And, you know, for me, it's, it's like, I want to, I want to learn it. But I'm not like, as passionate as she is. And so thank you for giving me that. Really, I can't wait to show her because she is going to be so jealous
Ricky Williams
I'll challenge that right. So part part of astrology is is interesting. So this just philosophically, I mean, I have to go, but I just want to get see if I can get this out. Philosophically, you know, when I look at a chart, the chart represents the person, right, so I'm looking at your chart right now. And this represents you, okay? And so it represents everything that shows up in your life. And so from an astrological perspective, if you are married to a woman who's very passionate about something, it's, you know, psychologically, we would say, that's probably a lot of your passion. Right? But since you're the football player, and she's the woman, and she's more, it's more socially acceptable for her to be passionate about those things. Then you get that in your life through her. Right, right. I get it. Yeah. And so you're in your chart actually says that, you know, it says, deep down that you love this stuff. I mean, I'm not making it up. You know, that would be a valid interpretation of deep down. I love this. I love doing rituals in the house. It's what it's what the Church says. Yeah, no, I love it.
Gus Frerotte
I love so Ricky, before you go, I appreciate all your time. I mean, it thank you for giving me your time today and and joining me on the show. But please let our audience know of everything that you're doing and how they can find you. And even about your company, real wellness.
Ricky Williams
Yeah, yeah. So yeah, I'm an herbalist to something in my alternative healing, not only cannabis, but really all herbs are really quite amazing, in my opinion. So, rW, rW, life will own this herbal calm. Hey, Lila, calm. It's the relationship app. It's coming out when they grant a launch in the next month, so it's getting really close. And then at Williams on Instagram, and Rick DeLorean on Twitter. Yeah, in the Heisman h i g h s. Ma n.com. Is my new cannabis line that coming out with soon. So yeah, check me out.
Gus Frerotte
Well, we'll have to find out maybe we'll see the Heisman when my nephew goes back to the get his medical cannabis. Maybe we'll see a strain instead of Pineapple Express next time. Maybe he'll find some Heisman in their
Ricky Williams
Heisman. Oh, gee, yeah.
I love it.
I love it.
Gus Frerotte
Alright, buddy. Hey, thank you for joining me I really appreciate it and and maybe we can connect again some time I'd love my wife to talk to you because I think you guys are just like would hit it off.
Ricky Williams
Yeah, that'd be great. Good.
Gus Frerotte
All right, Ricky. Take care. And thank you for joining me on huddle up with Gus.
Announcer
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