Ricky Williams speaks on how many times he was drug tested in the NFL

While Ricky Williams was one of the top rushers in the league during his playing days, he often found himself in trouble due to his marijuana habits.

When Ricky Williams was on the field, he was widely regarded as one of the top running backs in the game. The former Heisman Trophy winner was the fifth overall pick of the 1999 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints, but he spent majority of his career with the Miami Dolphins, while playing one season for the Baltimore Ravens.

For as talented as Williams was, though, he couldn’t put down the marijuana.

How often do we hear about guys failing drug tests? Fairly often.

Well, what if I told you Williams failed not one, not two, not three but four drug tests throughout his 12-year career? Sure, that looks rough on the surface, however, what’s even more staggering is how many times the NFL tested him.

How many times you ask?

“At least 500”, Williams claims, in an interview from his upcoming SI Films documentary. You can see the whole excerpt from SI below:

Maybe Williams is exaggerating here a bit, but considering how he feels about marijuana, it’s clear the NFL wanted to keep close tabs on his off-the-field activities.

Before the 2004 season, Williams retired after failing his third drug test, but he returned to the Dolphins in 2005, only to sit out the 2006 campaign after another failed test.

This Wednesday, Sports Illustrated will be releasing the “Ricky Williams Takes the High Road” film, where Williams goes into depth about the relevance of marijuana in today’s NFL.

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