Star NFL running back Ricky Williams shocked his Miami Dolphins teammates and sent several fantasy football owners into convulsions when he abruptly announced his retirement before the NFL season this summer, at the tender age of 27. Ricky is known to suffer from a sort of anxiety disorder and describes himself as very shy. He used to do interviews with his helmet on sometimes. He is also known for his love of marijuana which is what first got him in trouble with the NFL and was going to get him suspended. He has hinted in recent months that he regrets his decision and would like to return to the NFL. He thinks he might like to play in the Bay Area (Oakland specifically), because to paraphrase, weirdness is accepted out there. But what has Ricky been up to lately? From SFGate.com:

He’s no longer Ricky Williams the football player. He plans to become Ricky Williams the holistic healer.

It’s been more than 10 months since Williams, one of the premier running backs in the National Football League, last ran off tackle for the Miami Dolphins and four months since he suddenly announced his retirement at age 27.

Then he dropped from sight. But now Williams has turned up about as far away from professional football as you can get, as a student of the ancient Indian medical system known as Ayurveda. In the Sierra foothills, no less.

“I realized a while back that I have an innate ability to be compassionate,” he said, “and I saw that the strength of compassion is something that healers have and healers use.”

Sweet. He’s traded in one set of herbs for another. Or more likely he now uses both kinds. I am actually afraid that Ricky will fall into the hands of one of my fantasy football opponents now should he make his way back to football. A spiritually centered Ricky could be devastating on the gridiron.

“Ayurveda deals with using your environment to put yourself in balance,” he said. “I’ve realized, both on a psychological and physical level, that the things we do in football don’t bring more harmony to your life. They just bring more disharmony.”

Update: Here is where Ricky is studying- The California College of Ayurveda in Grass Valley