Ricky Williams

Position:
Running Back
Height:
6-0
Weight:
225
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
San Diego, Calif.
High School:
Patrick Henry

One of the most exceptional college football players ever ... 1998 Heisman Trophy winner ... 1998 Maxwell Award winner ... 1998 Walter Camp Foundation Player of the Year ... 1998 Associated Press Player of the Year ... 1998 The Sporting News Player of the Year ... 1998 Football News Offensive Player of the Year ... 1998 Sullivan Award finalist ... two-time unanimous consensus first-team All-American and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year ... three-time first-team All-Big 12 ... first-ever two-time Doak Walker Award winner ... finished fifth in the 1997 Heisman Trophy voting ... finished his career with 21 NCAA records and 46 University of Texas all-time marks ... among the marks were NCAA records for career rushing yards (6,279), all-purpose yards (7,206), rushing TDs (72), total TDs (75), scoring (452 points), games with a TD (33), games with two or more TDs (21), yards per rush (6.2/min. 781 carries) and 200-yard games (11) ... is one of two members of the NCAA all-time top 12 all-purpose yardage performers who never returned a kick ... tied an NCAA mark by posting back-to-back 2,000-yard all-purpose seasons ... broke Earl Campbell's UT all-time rushing record in 1998 ... posted UT records for 300-yard games (two), 200-yard games (11) and 100-yard games (27) ... recorded the top two and three of the top seven rushing seasons in Longhorns history ... one of three players in UT history to post three consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons (Chris Gilbert, 1966-68; Cedric Benson 2001-03) ... turned in 22 career plays of 40 or more yards (18 runs/four receptions) ... posted eight of the top 10 rushing games in Longhorns history, including a school-best 350 yards against Iowa State in 1998 ... 3,889 of his 6,279 (68.3%) career rushing yards came after initial contact ... won back-to-back NCAA rushing titles as a junior and senior ... finished first in the nation in scoring as a junior and second as a senior ... played in 49 (47 starts) games in a row, including three bowl games ... 1999 Cotton Bowl Offensive MVP ... 1999 Hula Bowl Offensive MVP ... selected in the first round (fifth overall) of the NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints ... played for the Saints for two seasons (1999-2001) before being traded to the Miami Dolphins (2002-2010) ...led the NFL in rushing with 1,853 yards in 2002 ... selected to the 2002 Pro Bowl and earned Pro Bowl MVP honors ...spent the 2006 season playing for the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL ...signed with the Baltimore Ravens for his final season in 2011before retiring ... inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2013

SENIOR (1998)
Claimed the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Football Foundations Player of the Year Award ... picked as the Associated Press' first-ever Player of the Year ... won second Dr. Pepper Doak Walker Award (first-ever two-time winner) ... named The Sporting News Player of the Year and the Football News Offensive Player of the Year ... tabbed a unanimous consensus first-team All-American for the second straight year (first UT player to do that since Johnnie Johnson in 1978-79) ... tabbed the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year by conference coaches for the second straight year ... led the nation in rushing (2,124 yards/193.1 ypg) and ranked second in scoring (28 TDs/15.3 ppg) ... became the eighth player in NCAA history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season ... his yards and yards per game average ranked fifth on the NCAA all-time single-season list, while his 27 rushing TDs were the third-most for a season in NCAA history ... his 168 points ranked fifth on the NCAA single-season scoring list, while his 15.3 ppg average ranked fifth on the NCAA all-time list ... ranked second nationally in all-purpose yards (2,386/216.9) ... caught 24 passes for 262 yards and a TD ... set an NCAA record with two 300-yard rushing games, 668 rushing yards in a two-game stretch and 11 TDs over a two-game span ... tied the NCAA record for fastest to record 1,000 yards when he accomplished that in the fifth game of the season ... capped the regular season with a 259-yard rushing day vs. a Texas A&M team ranked No. 2 nationally in total defense (250.8 ypg) ... posted a UT record with 350 rushing yards and 367 all-purpose yards vs. Iowa State ... also scored five TDs in that game ... set a UT record with six TDs vs. New Mexico State (215 yards) ... matched that mark with six TDs vs. Rice ... also rushed for 318 yards against Rice ... rushed for 259 yards vs. Baylor ... posted 160 yards and three TDs vs. UCLA ... recorded 150 yards in the Longhorns' 20-16 upset at No. 7 Nebraska, snapping a Husker 47-game home winning streak (ranked fifth on the NCAA all-time chart) ... caught three passes for a career-high 74 yards, including a 48-yard TD vs. Oklahoma State ... ran for 141 yards and a TD at Texas Tech ... gained 1,238 of his 2,124 yards after contact ... posted six runs of 40 or more yards and 59 rushes of 10 or more yards.

JUNIOR (1997)
Received the Dr. Pepper Doak Walker Award, which recognizes the nation's premier running back ... became just the 13th player in UT history to earn consensus first-team All-American honors ... was listed as one of the five finalists for the national Offensive Player of the Year by Football News ... tabbed the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors ... named UT's MVP ... became just the third player in UT history to claim an NCAA statistical championship, leading the nation in rushing (172.1 ypg) and scoring (13.8 ppg) ... ranked second nationally in all-purpose yards (185.7 ypg) ... set a UT record with six 200-yard rushing games and four straight 200-yard rushing games ... also set a school record with 25 rushing touchdowns and 152 points on the season ... his 1,893 rushing yards eclipsed Earl Campbell's 20-year old record (1,744 yards in 1977) and ranked as the12th-highest rushing total in NCAA history ... his 172.1 yards per game was also a UT record and ranked as the 15th-best in the nation ... gained 1,113 of his 1,893 yards after contact ... became the first player in UT history to surpass 2,000 all-purpose yards, posting 2,043 on the year ... became just the third player in UT history to post back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons (joining Roosevelt Leaks in 1972-73 and Chris Gilbert in 1966-68) ... became the fastest back to reach the 1,000-yard plateau, breaking the 1,000-yard mark on his 168th carry ... turned in four of the top six rushing games in UT history ... also led all Big 12 backs in receiving for the second straight year, posting 20 receptions for 150 yards ... rushed for a season-high 249 yards (ranked No. 2 on the UT all-time list) and set a Big 12 and UT record with five TDs vs. Rice ... was tabbed the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts vs. the Owls ... had 241 yards (ranked No. 4 on the UT all-time list)and two TDs at Baylor ... rushed for 235 yards (ranked No. 5 on the UT all-time list) and two TDs at Missouri ... turned in 223 yards rushing (ranked sixth on the UT all-time list) and two TDs vs. Oklahoma ... posted 211 yards and three TDs vs. Kansas and 201 yards and four TDs vs. Colorado ... earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors following that game ... recorded 183 yards and two TDs despite missing most of the second half with an ankle injury vs. Texas A&M ... posted four runs of 70 or more yards (87t at Baylor; 80t at Missouri; 74t vs. Rutgers; 71t vs. Colorado).

SOPHOMORE (1996)
A first-team all-Big 12 performer who was also named the team's Offensive Player of the Year ... started all 13 games ... rushed for 1,272 yards (was ranked fourth in UT history) ... 869 of those yards came after contact (68.3 percent) ... his 1,563 all-purpose yards ranked fifth in the Big 12 and were the fifth-most in UT history ... his seven 100-yard rushing games were the second-most in a season by a UT back ... led all Big 12 backs in receptions (25) and receiving yards (291) ... rushed for 145 yards, including a 55-yard TD, on 22 carries versus a Texas A&M defense that ranked seventh nationally against the run (92.8 ypg) ... turned in a season-best 190 yards rushing on a season-high 25 carries at Kansas ... also added two receptions for 38 yards and a TD at Kansas ... ran for a season-best 75-yard touchdown on his way to 143 yards rushing against a Texas Tech defense that was allowing 114.0 ypg entering the contest ... went for 156 yards and a season-high three TDs vs. Oklahoma State ... posted 107 yards and a TD vs. Notre Dame ... recorded 112 yards and two TDs vs. Missouri ... tallied a career-high nine receptions against Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl.

FRESHMAN (1995)
Played in all 13 games and started 12 as a true freshman ... tabbed the SWC's co-Offensive Newcomer of the Year (with teammate Shon Mitchell) by The AP ... named second-team all-SWC by the Austin American-Statesman, The AP and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram ... was the consensus SWC Freshman of the Year ... posted a UT freshman record with 990 yards and eight TDs on 166 carries (6.0 ypc) for the year ... was the SWC's leading freshman rusher and ranked fourth nationally among freshman running backs (82.5 ypg) ... also had 16 receptions (then No. 2 on the UT freshman list) for 224 yards (then No. 3 on the UT freshman list) ... was the first true freshman running back to start the season opener (at Hawaii) since Earl Campbell vs. Boston College in 1974 ... set a freshman debut record with 95 yards vs. the Rainbows, breaking Campbell's record of 85 yards ... posted a 65-yard TD run and a 48-yard reception in that game ... turned in the second best rushing day by a Longhorn true freshman with 163 yards against Texas A&M's fifth-ranked rushing defense ... scored the only two Longhorn TDs of the game to help Texas post a 16-6 victory over A&M to claim the SWC Championship ... named SWC Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts against the Aggies ... also had the fifth-best rushing day by a Longhorn true freshman with 139 yards against Virginia's 10th-ranked rushing defense ... followed that game with 113 yards against Texas Tech ... recorded four receptions, including a 49-yarder vs. Pittsburgh.

AS A MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER
Following high school, was selected in the eighth round of the 1995 draft as an outfielder by the Philadelphia Phillies ... taken in the 1998 Rule V Draft by the Montreal Expos, who then sold his rights to the Texas Rangers ... played four years (1995-98) at the Class A level in the Phillies' minor league system.

HIGH SCHOOL
Was a USA Today All-America honorable mention selection and "Best of the West" pick by the Long Beach Press-Telegram as a senior at Patrick Henry High School in San Diego, Calif ... was named the Offensive Player of the Year by the San Diego Union-Tribune as a senior, as he rushed for 2,099 yards and 25 TDs, en route to adding All-State accolades ... also played linebacker ... concluded his prep career with 4,129 yards and 55 TDs ... was an All-State and All-League pick as an outfielder in baseball ... batted .340 with 26 stolen bases as a senior and .333 with 31 stolen bases as a junior ... wrestled in the heavyweight division and also ran track, where he qualified for the state finals in the 400-meter relays.

PERSONAL
Full name is Errick Lynne Williams ... born 5/21/77 in San Diego, Calif. ... first name is Errick but goes by Ricky ... majored in elementary education... earned academic accolades from the Big 12 Commissioner's Office and Texas Athletic Director's Honor Roll ... was a member of the American Football Coaches Association "Good Works" Team ... has a twin sister, Cassie, who graduated from Texas in May 2000 ... also has a younger sister, Nisey, who graduated from UT ... raised over $19,000 for the UT general scholarship fund through his various awards ... enjoys photography in spare time.

CAREER STATISTICS

Rushing-Receiving Year G/GS Rush-Yds YPC YPG TD Long Rec-Yds YPC TD Long 1998 11/11 361*-2,124* 5.9 193.1* 27* 68/ISU 24-262 10.9 1 48t*/OSU 1997 11/10 279-1,893 6.8 172.1 25 87t/Bay 20-150 7.5 0 27t/Bay 1996 12/12 205-1,272 6.2 106.0 12 75t/TT 25-291 11.6 2 46t/Bay 1995 12/11 166-990 6.0 82.5 8 66t/Haw 16-224 14.0 0 49/Pitt Career 46/44 1,011-6,279* 6.2 136.5* 72 87t/Bay 85-927 10.9 3 49/Pitt

All-Purpose Year Rush-Yds Rec-Yds K Ret P Ret Att-Tot Per/Play Per/G High 1998 361*-2,124* 24-262 -- -- 385-2,386* 6.2 216.9* 367/ISU* 1997 279-1,893 20-150 -- -- 299-2,043 6.8 185.7 274/Rice 1996 205-1,272 25-291 -- -- 230-1,563 6.8 130.3 228/KU 1995 166-990 16-224 -- -- 182-1,214 6.7 101.2 186/A&M Career 1,011-6,279* 85-927 -- -- 1,096-7,206# 6.5 156.7* 367/ISU*

High Games
Rushes: 44 vs. Texas A&M (Sr.)
Rushing Yards: 350* (on 37 carries) vs. ISU (Sr.)
Rushing TDs: 6* vs. Rice (Sr.); vs. NMSU (Sr.)

100-yard rushing games: 27 (25-190 at Kansas, So.; 33-183 at Texas A&M, Jr.; 24-163 at Texas A&M, Fr.; 29-160 at UCLA, Sr.; 13-156 vs. OSU, So.; 19-155 vs. Rutgers, Jr.; 37-150 at Nebraska, Sr.; 22-145 vs. Texas A&M, So.; 21-143 at Texas Tech, So.; 30-141 at Texas Tech, Sr.; 14-139 vs. Virginia, Fr.; 31-139 vs. Oklahoma, Sr.; 12-132 vs. NMSU, So.; 15-113 vs. Tech, Fr.; 14-112 vs. Missouri, So.; 17-107 vs. Notre Dame, So.)
200-yard rushing games: 9* (44-259 vs. Texas A&M, Sr.; 39-259 vs. Baylor, Sr.; 28-249 at Rice, Jr.; 31-241 at Baylor, Jr.; 23-235 at Missouri, Jr.; 40-223 vs. OU, Jr.; 36-215 vs. NMSU, Sr.; 26-211 vs. KU, Jr.; 29-201 vs. Colorado, Jr.)
300-yard rushing games: 2 (37-350* vs. ISU, Sr.; 30-318 vs. Rice, Sr.)

Receptions: 9 (for 24 yards) vs. Penn State (So.)
Receiving Yards: 59 (on four receptions) vs. Oklahoma (So.)
Long Reception: 48 at Pittsburgh (Fr.)
Total Offense: 367* vs. Iowa State (Sr.)
Long Pass: 27t at Baylor (Jr.)
* UT record
# NCAA Record