Baltimore Ravens’ running back Ricky Williams calls it quits from professional football career – NFL News
Baltimore Ravens’ running back, Ricky Williams, has become first veterans from the team to call it quits from professional football career, which is spread over 11 years, and full of ups and downs as well as controversies.
Ravens are probably the only side in the National Football League (NFL) to have so many senior players into their, and a majority of them have played the professional league for well over a decade.
Terrell Suggs, Ray Rice and Ray Lewis are few to be named from the veteran groups, who saw the 2011 NFL season as the last run of their career due to the sword of their retirement, hanging over their heads, or being cut loose by their teams.
None of them have said anything around the possibility of their retirement, a number of them in fact, including Ray Rice, has given hope of resigning for another season by the team management.
It is Williams, from their offensive department, has become the first veteran to announce his retirement after having played the league for eleven years.
Looking back at his career while calling it a day, the player said that he felt great to have contributed towards the game of football so much during all these years.
"The NFL has been an amazing page in this chapter of my life," Williams said. "I pray that all successive adventures offer me the same potential for growth, success and most importantly fun. I want to thank all my fans, teammates, coaches and supporters
for the strength they've given me to overcome so much."
He added that it was time for him to call it quits from professional football and instead, he would like to do something that is more helpful to him and his cause, which apparently are unknown to his fans.
He tweeted to his fans:
"Thank you all, but this ain't it, I'm gonna do something really special. 'Be you and change the world.”
He, in his message, thanked Ravens’ coach, John Harbaugh, and other members of the team for their support during all those years, which he said came as a great help to boost his game and career.
This is the second announcement of retirement by Williams, who had called it quits from the game in 2004 after being found violating league’s anti-drug policy.
He staged a comeback in 2005 and then missed the entire 2006 season to play the Canadian Football League, before returning again next year.
Some of the players have spoken of their feelings about their teammate leaving football to pursue other prospects.
One notable among them is Ravens linebacker, Ray Rice, who said:
"I was a big fan of Ricky before we were teammates, but being around him this year is the best thing that happened to me in my NFL career."
It is not certain if any other member of Ravens veteran groups is considering to follow the example of Williams and draw a curtain on their professional career.
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