| Ricky Williams is an accomplished NFL football | | | | media attention was joining their otherwise often |
| player that played one season in the Canadian | | | | forgotten local franchise. |
| Football League (CFL) for the Toronto Argonauts | | | | For some people the signing of Williams tainted |
| in 2006. The events surrounding Ricky playing in | | | | the respectability of the Toronto franchise and |
| the much lower profile CFL rather than the | | | | the entire league. Joe Theismann, a popular on air |
| illustrious NFL are very unique to his particular | | | | football personality and former player in both the |
| situation which involved being suspended for the | | | | NFL and CFL, made his disdain for the move by |
| 2006 NFL season by the league for repeatedly | | | | the Argonauts clear in a radio interview in which |
| violating the substance abuse policy. The drug that | | | | he belittled the franchise for stooping so low as to |
| Williams abused on multiple occasions despite | | | | sign a banished player who had gained a |
| repeated warning was marijuana, a recreational | | | | reputation of a slacker and drug abuser. |
| drug that was not even used for performance | | | | Theismann went as far as to describe Williams as |
| enhancing purposes the way steroids or Human | | | | "an addict," a comment that got a lot of attention |
| Growth Hormone (HGH) would be. | | | | in the world of football analysis. Amusingly, the |
| In late May of 2006 Ricky Williams signed a | | | | Argonauts organization actually responded to the |
| contract to play running back for the Toronto | | | | specific criticism by calling attention to a guilty |
| Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. The | | | | verdict handed down to the son of Joe |
| one year contract provided Ricky a source of | | | | Theismann on drug related charged. |
| income while he served his one year National | | | | Williams was hampered by injuries during his one |
| Football League (NFL) suspension for violating the | | | | season in CFL and subsequently only played in |
| substance abuse policy in the NFL. The contract | | | | eleven games. His rushing statistics of 526 yards |
| that Ricky signed was for 240,000 Canadian | | | | and two touchdowns were barely newsworthy. |
| dollars. As a stipulation to the contract the Miami | | | | Perhaps the most noteworthy thing about the |
| Dolphins, the NFL team that Ricky was | | | | time Ricky spent in the CFL was his professed |
| contractually obligated to, required that Ricky be | | | | love for the city of Toronto and the general style |
| returned to the Miami team following his one | | | | of the CFL as opposed to the more intense and |
| season stint in the CFL. | | | | structured NFL. On numerous occasions Williams |
| Many fans in Toronto were elated by the | | | | spoke about enjoying the culture and pace of life |
| prospect of bringing on a player with the talent of | | | | in the international city of Toronto were football |
| Ricky Williams to rev up their offense. More casual | | | | could be his job without having to be his life. |
| fans in the area were more excited that such a | | | | Among the numerous things Ricky did during his |
| high profile player who was receiving a lot of | | | | time in Toronto was to teach yoga classes. |