Ricky Williams was a running back for 11 years in the NFL and one year in the Canadian Football League. His illustrious college career helped him in his quest to be a professional football player. Now, let's take a look at Ricky Williams’ net worth in 2021.

Net Worth$6 million
Age44
SalaryRetired
SponsorsReal Wellness by Ricky Williams
SportsAmerican Football

Ricky Williams’ Net Worth in 2021 (estimate): $6 Million

Ricky Williams’ current net worth is $6 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Williams was a multi-sport athlete during his high school days at Patrick Henry High School in San Diego, California. He primarily played baseball and football but was also a track and wrestling athlete.

He rushed for 4,129 yards with 55 touchdowns in his high school career. Williams earned the San Diego Union-Tribune’s 1994 Player of the Year award after his senior season, when he ran for 2,099 yards and 25 touchdowns.

Williams accepted an athletic scholarship offer from the University of Texas, playing with the Longhorns from 1995 to 1998. He holds 20 or more NCAA records.

In his four years with the Longhorns, Williams rushed for 6,592 yards and 75 touchdowns with 85 catches for 927 yards and four scores. He ended his collegiate career as one of the most decorated players in NCAA history.

  • 3x First-team All-Big 12
  • 2x Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year
  • 2x Unanimous All-America
  • 2x Doak Walker Award
  • 1998 The Sporting News Player of the Year
  • 1998 AP Player of the Year
  • 1998 Maxwell Award
  • 1998 Walter Camp Award
  • 1998 Heisman Trophy

Williams’ No. 34 jersey was retired by Texas on September 30th, 2000.  In 2015, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

In the 1999 NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints traded all of their picks in order to move up to the fifth overall selection to select Ricky Williams. He signed an eight-year $14.6 million contract that included an $8.84 million signing bonus.

Williams spent his first three seasons with the Saints as one of their main options at running back. However, he was traded to the Miami Dolphins on March 8th, 2002, in exchange for future draft picks.

He rushed for 1,853 yards during his first season in Miami, leading the NFL. He also scored 16 touchdowns. At the end of the year, he was named to his first Pro Bowl and was a First-team All-Pro selection.

On May 14th, 2004, it was revealed that Williams had previously tested positive for marijuana. He was given a $650,000 fine and a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.

After rumors of multiple failed drug tests, Williams decided to retire from the NFL on August 2nd, 2004. He decided to study the Indian system of holistic medicine called Ayurveda at the California College of Ayurveda.

The following year, Williams returned to the Dolphins, paying back a percentage of his signing bonus and serving a four-game suspension. On February 20th, 2006, the NFL announced that Williams had violated the league's drug policy for the fourth time and would be suspended for the entire 2006 season.

While he was suspended from the NFL, Williams decided to join the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts for the 2006 season. He became the highest-paid running back of the league after he signed a one-year C$340,000 contract.

His signing caught the ire of former Argonauts quarterback Joe Theismann, saying that he was disgraced to be associated with a team that would sign an “addict” such as Williams.

Williams played 11 games for Toronto, finishing the year with 526 rushing yards and two touchdowns, as well 19 catches for 127 yards. After his stint with the Argonauts, Williams expressed the possibility of returning to the CFL.

However, outgoing CFL commissioner Tom Wright introduced a new rule that would prevent a player who was suspended by the NFL to sign with a CFL team. The rule was informally known as “The Ricky Williams Rule.”

Williams played for four more years with the Dolphins in his return to the NFL, then signed a two-year, $2.6 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens on August 8th, 2011. He surpassed the 10,000 career rushing yards mark during his time with the Ravens. The following year, he retired from the NFL.

In his 11-year NFL career, Ricky Williams earned $24,349,000, according to Spotrac.

Aside from his football career, Williams was drafted in the eighth round of the MLB out of high school by the Philadelphia Phillies. He played four seasons with the teams’ farm system during his collegiate career. In 1998, Williams was selected in the Rule 5 draft by the Montreal Expos and was later traded to the Texas Rangers, but he opted for a full-time NFL career.

Williams was a longtime advocate of medicinal cannabis as he was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, borderline personality disorder and avoidance disorder.

In 2018, Williams launched a cannabis-based wellness brand called Real Wellness by Ricky Williams.

“It's a dream come true for me to merge my passion for healing and my fascination with plant medicines with my entrepreneurial spirit. Cannabis has played an important part in my healing journey, and I feel a responsibility to share what I have learned in the process,” said Williams.

Despite his up-and-down football career, Williams made the most of it, all while learning how to better himself.