Ricky Williams Net Worth

What is Ricky Williams' Net Worth and Salary?

Ricky Williams is a retired American professional football player who has a net worth of $2 million.

Ricky Williams played 11 seasons in the NFL, primarily with the New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins, and earned approximately $24 million in salary. Despite those earnings, his finances were severely damaged by Peggy Ann Fulford, a woman who posed as a wealthy financial adviser and gained control of his bank accounts. Williams' former wife later testified that Fulford had taken virtually all of the money he earned during his NFL career.

Williams was one of the most celebrated college running backs of his generation. At the University of Texas, he won the 1998 Heisman Trophy and finished his college career as the NCAA's all-time leading rusher. The New Orleans Saints selected him with the fifth overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft after trading their entire collection of draft picks that year, along with additional selections, to acquire him.

After three seasons in New Orleans, Ricky was traded to the Miami Dolphins, where he produced the best season of his professional career. He later stepped away from the NFL and was suspended for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. During that period, he spent one season with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. Williams eventually returned to Miami and finished his NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens.

In addition to football, Ricky played four seasons of minor-league baseball. Following his retirement, he worked as a college football coach and ESPN analyst. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2015.

Financial Issues

Ricky Williams suffered devastating financial losses after entrusting his money to Peggy Ann Fulford, who falsely presented herself as a Harvard-educated financial adviser, lawyer, and successful Wall Street investor. Fulford claimed she was independently wealthy and offered to manage Williams' finances without charging a fee. She promised to pay his bills, file his tax returns, and invest his money for retirement.

Williams later explained that he began to realize something was wrong after receiving a letter from the IRS in 2013 stating that he had failed to pay taxes for three years. Fulford initially assured him that the matter was under control. After Williams contacted an attorney, he discovered that millions of dollars had disappeared from accounts Fulford managed.

Federal prosecutors said Fulford gained access to the bank accounts of Williams and several other professional athletes between 2001 and 2014. Rather than paying their bills and making investments, she spent their money on cars, jewelry, airline tickets, real estate, and other personal expenses. Her other victims included NBA player Dennis Rodman, former NBA player Travis Best, and NFL player Lex Hilliard.

Fulford was arrested in 2016 and pleaded guilty in 2018 to interstate transportation of stolen property. She received the maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and was ordered to pay more than $5.7 million in restitution to her victims. She also received a concurrent three-year state sentence for stealing $174,000 from a Louisiana physician in a separate real estate scheme.

At Fulford's sentencing hearing, Williams' former wife, Kristin, testified that Fulford had taken "all" of the money Ricky earned during his 11 seasons in the NFL. Williams has estimated that Fulford stole more than $6 million from him. The losses reportedly forced him to sell personal possessions and memorabilia, including his Heisman Trophy.

(Photo by Rick Kern/WireImage)

Early Life

Errick Lynne Williams Jr. was born on May 21, 1977, in San Diego, California. He and his twin sister were born to teenage parents, and his mother and father divorced when he was five years old. Ricky took on significant responsibilities at a young age, helping care for his younger sisters and cooking meals for the family.

Williams experienced emotional and academic difficulties during his childhood despite testing that indicated strong intellectual ability. He eventually emerged as an honor-roll student and standout athlete at Patrick Henry High School, competing in football, baseball, wrestling, and track and field.

Football became his primary sport. As a senior, Williams rushed for 2,099 yards and scored 25 touchdowns, earning recognition as one of the top high-school running backs in San Diego. His performance helped him secure an athletic scholarship to the University of Texas.

College Football Career

Williams played four seasons for the Texas Longhorns from 1995 through 1998. After sharing carries early in his college career, he developed into one of the most productive running backs in NCAA history.

During his junior season, Williams rushed for 1,893 yards and 25 touchdowns and won the first of his two consecutive Doak Walker Awards. He returned to Texas for his senior year rather than entering the NFL Draft and delivered an extraordinary final season, rushing for 2,124 yards and 27 touchdowns.

In November 1998, Williams broke Tony Dorsett's longstanding NCAA Division I-A career rushing record during a game against Texas A&M. He finished his college career with 6,279 rushing yards and won the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, and Walter Camp Award. He was also named a unanimous All-American for the second consecutive season.

Williams left Texas holding or sharing dozens of NCAA, conference, and school records. His No. 34 jersey was retired by the university, and he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2015.

Minor-League Baseball

Williams was also a promising baseball player. The Philadelphia Phillies selected him in the eighth round of the 1995 MLB Draft directly out of high school, and he spent four summers playing in the organization's minor-league system while attending the University of Texas.

An outfielder, Williams appeared in 170 minor-league games between 1995 and 1998. He never advanced beyond Single-A and finished his baseball career with a .211 batting average, four home runs, and 46 stolen bases. Although he continued to attract interest from baseball organizations, football ultimately offered him the clearer path to a professional career.

New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints selected Williams with the fifth overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft. To acquire him, head coach Mike Ditka engineered one of the most controversial trades in league history, sending Washington all six of the Saints' remaining selections in the 1999 draft, as well as first- and third-round picks in 2000.

Williams signed an unusual, heavily incentive-based rookie contract negotiated by rapper and sports agent Master P's agency, No Limit Sports. The deal included an $8 million signing bonus but offered a relatively low base salary, with much of its potential value tied to difficult statistical and team-performance incentives.

Injuries limited Ricky during his rookie season, and the structure of his contract became the subject of widespread criticism. His production improved significantly in 2000, when he rushed for 1,000 yards despite appearing in only 10 games. He followed that performance with 1,245 rushing yards in 2001.

After three seasons in New Orleans, Williams was traded to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a package of draft picks.

Miami Dolphins

Williams immediately flourished in Miami. During the 2002 season, he led the NFL with 1,853 rushing yards and scored 16 touchdowns. He was selected to the Pro Bowl, named a first-team All-Pro, and finished among the league's top candidates for Offensive Player of the Year.

He followed that season with another 1,372 rushing yards in 2003. Despite his success, Williams struggled with the physical demands of football, media attention, and the league's drug-testing program. He abruptly announced his retirement shortly before the start of the 2004 season.

Williams returned to the Dolphins in 2005 after serving a four-game suspension. Sharing the backfield with rookie Ronnie Brown, he rushed for 743 yards and averaged more than four yards per carry.

Suspension and the CFL

Williams was suspended for the entire 2006 NFL season after violating the league's substance-abuse policy for a fourth time. While suspended, he signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.

Williams played 11 games for Toronto, rushing for 526 yards and two touchdowns. His signing was controversial because the CFL permitted teams to employ players who were under NFL suspension. The league subsequently adopted a policy preventing teams from signing players who had been suspended by the NFL. The measure became informally known as the "Ricky Williams Rule."

NFL Comeback and Retirement

Williams was reinstated by the NFL in 2007 and returned to the Dolphins late in the season. His comeback was cut short when he suffered a chest injury during his first game back.

He returned healthy in 2008 and became an important part of Miami's offense alongside Ronnie Brown. In 2009, Williams enjoyed one of the most impressive seasons of his comeback, rushing for 1,121 yards and 11 touchdowns at the age of 32. He added 673 rushing yards during his final season with Miami in 2010.

In 2011, Williams signed a two-year, $2.5 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens. He served as Ray Rice's backup and rushed for 444 yards during his only season with the team. In Baltimore's final regular-season game, Williams surpassed 10,000 career rushing yards.

Williams announced his retirement in February 2012. He finished his NFL career with 10,009 rushing yards, 2,606 receiving yards, and 74 total touchdowns.

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Mental Health

Williams has spoken openly about his experiences with social anxiety and other mental-health challenges. During his playing career, he was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder and reportedly received additional diagnoses that included borderline and avoidant personality disorders.

His anxiety contributed to his discomfort with interviews, crowds, and the intense scrutiny that accompanied his football career. Williams sometimes conducted interviews while wearing his helmet and tinted visor, behavior that was initially treated as an eccentricity but was later understood in the context of his social anxiety.

Williams sought treatment through therapy and prescription medication and became a spokesperson for the antidepressant Paxil and its manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline. He later moved away from pharmaceutical treatment and embraced cannabis, yoga, meditation, and other holistic practices.

Cannabis Advocacy

Williams became a prominent advocate for cannabis use after leaving professional football. He has said that cannabis helped him manage physical pain, anxiety, and the emotional demands of his NFL career, although his use of the substance also resulted in suspensions and substantial financial penalties under the league's policies at the time.

In 2018, Williams launched Real Wellness, a line of cannabis-based and herbal products. The company initially raised approximately $500,000 from investors. He later expanded his involvement in the industry through additional cannabis ventures and public advocacy, arguing that athletes should have greater access to cannabis as an alternative tool for managing pain and recovery.

Continued Education and Post-Football Career

Williams continued his education and explored a variety of professional interests after leaving the NFL. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Texas and studied holistic health, massage, acupuncture, herbal medicine, astrology, and other alternative healing practices.

He became a certified yoga instructor and studied pranic healing. Williams also attended the Acupuncture and Massage College in Miami and pursued graduate studies in traditional Eastern medicine at Emperor's College in Santa Monica.

In addition to his health and wellness work, Williams served as an assistant football coach at the University of the Incarnate Word and later worked as a college football analyst for ESPN. His post-playing career has combined football commentary, entrepreneurship, education, and advocacy surrounding cannabis and holistic wellness.

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