Former Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams joined the UIW football coaching staff on August 15, 2013. He returns in 2014 for his second year with the program as the running backs coach. His name has brought instant credibility to the program while his expertise has helped in recruiting and game planning.
In his first year, he tutored a group of three freshmen running backs that each received quality playing time. Junior Sessions was named to the CFPA Freshman of the Year Watch List and Broderick Reeves was the CFPA National Running Back of the Week following a record setting performance at McMurry where he rushed for 244 yards and six touchdowns. The lone upper classman under Williams’ guidance, full back Matt Bass, scored seven total touchdowns.
Williams was a first round draft pick out of the University of Texas in 1999 for the New Orleans Saints. He played a total of 11 seasons in the NFL for the Saints, Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens before retiring after the 2011 season. He finished his career with 10,009 yards rushing and five 1,000-yard seasons.
During his time at Texas, Williams set the NCAA career rushing record and was the 1998 Heisman Trophy winner. He won the Doak Walker Award twice, the Jim Brown Trophy twice, the Walter Camp Award and the Maxwell Award. He finished his four-year career with 6,279 yards rushing, 927 yards receiving and 75 total touchdowns.
