NFL's Ricky Williams casts doubt on drug tests

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Miami Dolphins Ricky Williams Declines Comment on Drugs

DAVIE, Fla. - Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams refused Tuesday to discuss whether he violated the NFL's substance-abuse policy a second time by using marijuana.

"No one in the NFL can talk about anything regarding the substance-abuse program," Williams said during a media availability before the team began a three-day quarterback school at its practice facility. "League-wide, it's a confidentiality thing. ... I'm here to answer questions about football."

Three South Florida newspapers quoted unidentified sources last week saying Williams tested positive for marijuana and faced a fine of at least $650,000 for violating the substance-abuse policy for the second time since joining the Dolphins in 2002.

"We're going to handle it," Dolphins quarterback Jay Fiedler said. "Ricky's going to handle it through the right channels, through the NFL, and we'll go from there. He's still a big part of this team. Nothing's changed in our view of Ricky."

Gary Ostrow, Williams' Fort Lauderdale-based attorney, has called media reports about the alleged positive test "slanted" and "one-dimensional," and told The Associated Press on Saturday that Williams was eager to "set the record straight."

"As far as I'm concerned, there is no violation," Ostrow said Tuesday.

Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt declined to address the issue, and team owner Wayne Huizenga said he had no knowledge of anything involving Williams.

"We don't know what's happening yet," Huizenga said. "I think it's too soon to make any statements. When it comes to Ricky, we'll have to wait and see what happens."

Williams told The Palm Beach Post last week that he visited NFL headquarters in New York a few weeks ago, but wouldn't give details when questioned during a media availability Tuesday.

Under league rules, a player who tests positive twice is fined the value equal to his pay for four games. According to salary data released by the NFL Players Association, that would cost Williams $878,823.53.

A player who tests positive a third time is given at least a four-game suspension. A player who tests positive a fourth time is suspended for at least a season. The NFL announces only suspensions, not drug-related fines.

In two seasons with Miami, Williams has run for 3,235 yards and 25 touchdowns, although his per-game yardage average fell 30 yards last season from the 115.8-a-game clip that carried him to the NFL rushing title in 2002.

When asked Tuesday about how the reports of a possible positive test may affect his image, Williams simply said people "can judge for themselves."

"I can't tell anyone about myself," Williams said. "They just have to look at the way I carry myself, look at the way I play the game, look at the way I practice and what I do in the community."


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A player who tests positive a fourth time is suspended for at least a season.
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That and the massive fines .. quite a price to pay just for smoking!

But these guys make enough $ that they should be able to get by for a while anyway :p
 
Yeah it would definelty suck to be a pot-lover and be a professional athlete.

Who gives a shit if the guys to toking on some herb...:p
 
Ricky scored 14 on his first drug test and the limit is 15. On his second test that day, he scored 15 and violated the NFL drug policy. Ricky will appeal his case through league offices. I think that the league should cut him some slack, but if not I dont think he'll have any problems paying the fine.
 
vicodelicious said:
Yeah it would definelty suck to be a pot-lover and be a professional athlete.

Who gives a shit if the guys to toking on some herb...:p
Click to expand...




When I played football the fullback on my team always smoked before games........Go figure he would allways score 3 or 4 touchdowns. It's like the weed gave him power!
 
I am glad he does not play for the Saints anymore. We got enough stoners on the team already. I am cool w/ what they do in their off time but they also get busted for like theft and beating women and shit like that. Who dat? Who dat? Who dat say they gonna beat dem Saints?!!
 
Williams casts doubt on drug tests
By DAVID CLIMER, The Tennessean
July 28, 2004

Ricky Williams' NFL legacy — besides the dreadlocks, wearing his helmet backwards in the locker room, going mum for three seasons and, oh yes, his running ability — is his admitted love of cannabis and his ability to avoid detection.

Among the most interesting elements of his NFL exit interview was Williams' contention that he and other players use a special liquid to avoid detection of marijuana use.

In a story about Williams' decision to retire at the age of 27, the Miami Herald reported that he said ''without apology he has gotten around NFL drug tests with a special liquid players all over the league consume by the gallon before tests to avoid detection.''

You've heard of a smoking gun? This sounds like a smoking joint. According to Williams, players throughout the NFL know they can smoke marijuana and still avoid testing positive by drinking a certain substance.

Why, then, had Williams appealed a second failed test?

''I was an idiot,'' he told the Herald.

These and other comments are a point of concern for those who deal with the NFL's substance abuse policy on a regular basis.

For one thing, it sends the message that some NFL players believe they can smoke a blue streak and get away with it by downing a magic potion before the next drug test.

For another, they may be right.

''They're always trying to stay one step ahead'' of current testing procedures, said Steve Watterson, strength and conditioning coach for the Titans.

''I'm not surprised to hear someone say there is a tonic they take prior to testing. For years, players have tried any number of things to avoid detection'' for drug use.

Williams has not identified the so-called ''special liquid'' he and others supposedly use, but there is no shortage of products claiming to get you an ''A'' on a drug test. Many are available at nutrition stores and on the Internet.

On the Website www.cleartest.com, you can purchase what are called ''detox drinks.'' For $29.95, you get the ''quick cleansing power'' of Ready Clean. For $44.95, those with ''higher toxin levels or larger body mass'' can take the plunge with XXtra Clean. And those requiring the ''strongest product'' can pony up $69.95 for a one-liter bottle of Mega Clean.

I don't recommend any of them with grilled lamb shank.

Watterson, who has extensive experience with such matters, acknowledges there is no fool-proof system for drug testing. But he believes that those who bank on a special cocktail as a cure-all for positive tests are bucking the odds.

''If you use something on the banned list and think you can avoid detection by taking some kind of masking agent, you're rolling the dice,'' he said.

Detection of drug use — and the ability to avoid detection of drug use — depends on the substance that was used, how much of it entered the player's system and a variety of other factors like body weight, metabolism and hydration level, Watterson said.

Frankly, the NFL spends a little too much time patting itself on the back about its supposedly stringent drug-testing policy. Yes, the league takes a tougher approach than the NBA and certainly runs laps around major league baseball. But there are lingering questions about what is and isn't being detected.

And Ricky Williams just blew the lid off the specimen cup.

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Marijuana had big role in Williams' decision

Williams failed a third drug test for marijuana


Fri, Jul. 30, 2004
By Dan Le Batard
Knight Ridder News Service


MIAMI - Even if retired Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams changes his mind and decides to return to football this season, he will be forced to serve a four-game suspension after failing a third drug test for marijuana use.

Williams admitted Thursday that marijuana played a larger role in his retirement than he originally indicated, and that he learned of a third failed test and upcoming suspension just days before informing Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt of his decision to quit football.

Williams said, however, that there were "a hundred reasons" for his retirement and that his desire to continue smoking marijuana without inhibition was merely one of them. He said he was not addicted to the drug, but merely that he didn't believe in government and NFL laws banning it. He said he had already decided to quit football even before testing positive a second time for marijuana use last season and incurring a $650,000 fine.

He appealed that fine, but he received word last week that his appeal had been denied. While the appeal was pending, Williams said he continued smoking marijuana while on tour with rocker Lenny Kravitz and failed a third test upon his return. He said he had been using a masking agent to cleanse his system while being randomly tested for two seasons, but said he didn't even bother before the last such test after returning from Europe.

"I didn't quit football because I failed a drug test," he said. "I failed a drug test because I was ready to quit football."

Williams said the Dolphins didn't know of his third failed test or even the results of his appealed second one.

"We knew nothing about it," Wannstedt said. "I'm totally surprised and shocked again."

Williams failed his first drug test soon after arriving in Miami in 2002. He spent much of his two seasons with the Dolphins in the league's drug program, seeing a therapist weekly and was subjected to eight to 10 random urine tests a month.

Williams said he continued smoking throughout his time as a Dolphin, stopping only for a month here and there, but passed random tests by drinking 32 ounces of a masking agent and chasing it quickly with 32 ounces of water. Upon retirement, Williams originally said that he hadn't yet learned of the results of his appeal and that the NFL's drug rules didn't run him off but merely reinforced that his lifestyle didn't belong in the regimented football world.

Williams, who suffers from social-anxiety disorder and was a spokesman for the anti-depressant Paxil, said marijuana helped him once he had to stop using Paxil because it didn't agree with his diet.

The former Heisman Trophy winner at the University of Texas played three seasons for New Orleans and considered retirement while with the Saints, coach Jim Haslett said.

"In 2001, Ricky came in my office and told me he was going to retire and play baseball," Haslett said. "I don't know if we talked him out of it. We told him he wasn't a very good baseball player -- maybe that did it."



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Have you seen this guys dreads? of course he smoked weed. only potheads get hair like that. it's an art.

too bad though, he was pretty much the best thing the Dolphins had going for them.
 
Dolphins win grievance against Ricky Williams
Jay Glazer / FOXSports.com
September 25, 2004

The Miami Dolphins won their grievance against retired running back Ricky Williams on Friday, a decision that calls for Williams to return $8.6 million to his former team.

According to sources within the situation, $3.3 million of the sum is bonus money and $5.3 million is the result of other monies. Williams suddenly retired from the NFL shortly before the season started, leaving the Dolphins in a difficult situation.

Miami officials were mum from the start, while Williams admitted to having smoked marijuana and covering it up as well. His contract also contained a unique clause which clearly stated that, if he failed to report to the team, he was required to return both bonus money and salary.

Arbitrator Richard Bloch made Friday's ruling.

"We are pleased that Mr. Bloch has confirmed that Ricky Williams breached his contract with the Dolphins and is required to repay compensation," NFL senior vice president/general counsel Dennis Curran said.

"This decision is consistent with many other cases that have affirmed the right of NFL clubs and players to negotiate compensation based on the player's fulfillment of the contract," Curran said.

The Dolphins declined comment Friday, saying they only talk about players on their roster.

Williams' agent, Leigh Steinberg, was out of the country, his office said. He didn't immediately return a phone message left Friday.

The Dolphins had filed a grievance against Williams, asking an arbitrator to uphold their contractual right to recover the money paid to him between the signing bonus and incentives. Before the grievance, the Dolphins mailed a letter to Williams asking him to report or pay the money back.

Williams also called the team, telling them he would come back if he received a new contract. The Dolphins declined that request.

Williams has given many reasons why he called Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt days before workouts were to begin in July to tell him he was quitting. At different times, Williams has expressed displeasure with his contract, an excessive workload and new offensive coordinator Chris Foerster.

It was not immediately known what would happen if Williams declared bankruptcy or decided to return to the team.

But even if the 27-year-old Williams wanted to return, he faces a suspension for the entire 2004 season for violating the NFL drug policy.

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