When Ricky Williams retired from the NFL for his own personal reasons, people all over the United States – especially in Florida – made it obvious how they felt about him and the choice he made to leave his team and the game behind. People heard the news that Williams had retired from the NFL because he had failed his previous drug tests that proved he smoked marijuana. Little did they know Williams’ reasons for leaving the NFL was not to smoke marijuana, but to find happiness. The city of New Orleans gave up so much just so they would get the pick that gave them the opportunity to draft Ricky Williams when he first entered the league in 1999. In 2002, the Miami Dolphins made a move for the young running back whose career had been bugged thus far by leg injuries. After two solid seasons with the Dolphins, it all crumbled before their eyes when the man who they believed would be the next elite running back in the NFL, decided it was time for him to quit and find his inner self and what it was that he really wanted to do.
Ricky Williams did not leave the NFL because he no longer loved the game or because he found a new love for marijuana, he simply left the game because something was making him unhappy and there was more going on in his mind and in his own life than anyone could even imagine. People forget that the celebrities and athletes that they admire are regular everyday people like the rest of us. They feel the same emotions as we do and need the support from others to keep them going. Williams was later diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, avoidant personality disorder and borderline personality disorder – all of which he struggled to get through during his football career and led to his choice of retirement.
Social anxiety disorder is a persistent fear of one or more situations in which the person is exposed to possible scrutiny by others and fears that he or she may do something that will be humiliating or embarrassing. Possible symptoms of this include a blank mind, fast heartbeat, blushing, stomach ache, nausea and gagging.
Avoidant personality disorder is when a person is characterized by a pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, extreme sensitivity to negative evaluation, and avoidance of social interaction. This is first noticed in early adulthood and is usually caused by childhood emotional neglect and peer group rejection.
Borderline personality disorder is described as a prolonged disturbance of personality function in a person and is characterized by depth and variability of moods. The disorder usually involves levels of instability in mood and black and white thinking. Doctors believe that people suffering from BPD usually experience frequent, strong and long-lasting states of aversive tension which is often triggered by perceived rejection, being alone or perceived failure.
Despite being diagnosed with the three disorders and still facing all the pressure and criticism from the fans, Ricky Williams made his return to football in 2005. When he violated his fourth NFL drug policy due to the marijuana, he was suspended for the entire 2006 NFL season and found a temporary home in Toronto playing with the Argonauts. His season lasted just 11 games after Williams broke his arm and later cut his leg open on a practice facility door. He then returned to Miami as backup for starter Ronnie Brown, but quickly showed that he still had what it took to be in the NFL when he filled in just nicely for the injured Brown.
Ricky Williams is truly a great inspiration to people everywhere. He didn’t care about the money, cars and a nice house, he only cared about his happiness and doing what he loved. He was a very shy person but showed the world that you can conquer that with a little confidence in yourself. If you find who you really are deep inside of you, no one will ever have the ability to steal that from you. He showed everyone that it is ok to be yourself and showed them the greater meaning to life. He never backed down or gave in to what the critics said about him, he went his own way and searched worldwide for true happiness. “Anything can be bad if you don’t use it properly,” Williams states in the ESPN: 30 for 30 Film Run Ricky Run. If something makes you happy then just do it, as long as you know what you’re getting yourself into and don’t let it take you over. Only you control your own destiny, don’t make the wrong choices.
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