ESPN documentary to tell Miami Dolphins RB Ricky Williams' tale
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Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams leaves the field following the team's 27-20 loss to the the Houston Texans on Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009 at Land Shark Stadium in Miami Gardens.
Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams leaves the field following the team's 27-20 loss to the the Houston Texans on Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009 at Land Shark Stadium in Miami Gardens.
JOE RIMKUS JR. / STAFF PHOTO
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By BARRY JACKSON
bjackson@MiamiHerald.com
Because Ricky Williams' life has had so many twists, chronicling his story in 51 minutes wasn't easy. But producer/director Sean Pamphilon and co-producer Royce Toni pulled it off deftly in an ESPN documentary airing April 27.
Pamphilon visited Williams during several stages of his journey the past six years. In Run, Ricky, Run, we see photos of Ricky in his tent in Australia; interviews with Ricky in California during his retirement; Ricky teaching a yoga class; and audio and video from Ricky's wedding to longtime girlfriend Kristin on a Broward County beach last September.
``He asked me to make this film [in 2004] so his kids would know who their father was in case he never comes home,'' Pamphilon tells viewers. ``He told me to tell his life story with one directive: absolute truth.''
The film's most surprising revelation comes from Williams' childhood.
According to his mother, Sandy, Ricky -- age 6 at the time -- said his father made him put his foot on the toilet and take pictures of his father's body.
``When he grew up he wanted to be a policeman so he could shoot his father and get away with it,'' Sandy Williams said.
Errick Williams Sr., Ricky's father, was convicted on misdemeanor charges that he mistreated his children.
In an interview with Pamphilon, Williams Sr. said he was charged ``with sexually annoying a child'' but maintained he did nothing wrong.
``I did nothing sexually toward those children at all,'' he said.
Ricky Williams does not criticize his father in the film.
Some notable sound bites from the documentary:
• Williams, speaking several years ago about his 2004 retirement: ``There was one day that I was in my car, and I was thinking maybe I don't want to play football anymore. And I thought, `What about my house?' And I was like, `I don't care.' I was like, `What about money?' I was like, `I don't care.' It just hit me -- you don't need money.''
• Williams, a few years ago: ``I have to keep realizing that's my issue in life -- that everyone thinks I'm crazy.''
• Williams, on drug use: ``The reason I smoked was to give myself some psychotherapy.
``I used marijuana to deal with my imperfections. I will never try coke. I will never try any hard drugs.''
• Williams: ``I look back and I say I wish I was more mature. At the time, I was lost.''
• Kristin: ``I've been though more with him than anybody else. And if I can still sit here and say he's a good person, then he's a good person.''
• Kristin, asked several years ago if she ever cried about her relationship with Williams: ``I thought I had a boyfriend. He had a kid with somebody else. That's enough, isn't it? . . . Sometimes I pray that I wake up and I don't love him.''
• Janey Barnes, Williams' former counselor, a few years ago: ``One of the things that caused me to diagnose him with social anxiety is his admission to me that he only felt safe when he was at home in the dark. He needs a full psychological evaluation.''
• Kristin: ``Sometimes, things he says are totally off the wall. And the next sentence makes perfect sense.''
• Sandy Williams, several years ago: ``When it comes to women, my son has always been a D-O-G.''
• Williams' former agent, Leigh Steinberg: ``There's nobody in Ricky's life he doesn't frustrate at one point or another.'' (Drew Rosenhaus now represents Williams.)
Get Adobe Flash player
Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams leaves the field following the team's 27-20 loss to the the Houston Texans on Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009 at Land Shark Stadium in Miami Gardens.
Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams leaves the field following the team's 27-20 loss to the the Houston Texans on Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009 at Land Shark Stadium in Miami Gardens.
JOE RIMKUS JR. / STAFF PHOTO
* Photo
Related Content
* Miami Dolphins' Ronnie Brown was nearly twice the legal limit in DUI
* Blog | Needed help at LG? Don't sleep on Michael Iupati
By BARRY JACKSON
bjackson@MiamiHerald.com
Because Ricky Williams' life has had so many twists, chronicling his story in 51 minutes wasn't easy. But producer/director Sean Pamphilon and co-producer Royce Toni pulled it off deftly in an ESPN documentary airing April 27.
Pamphilon visited Williams during several stages of his journey the past six years. In Run, Ricky, Run, we see photos of Ricky in his tent in Australia; interviews with Ricky in California during his retirement; Ricky teaching a yoga class; and audio and video from Ricky's wedding to longtime girlfriend Kristin on a Broward County beach last September.
``He asked me to make this film [in 2004] so his kids would know who their father was in case he never comes home,'' Pamphilon tells viewers. ``He told me to tell his life story with one directive: absolute truth.''
The film's most surprising revelation comes from Williams' childhood.
According to his mother, Sandy, Ricky -- age 6 at the time -- said his father made him put his foot on the toilet and take pictures of his father's body.
``When he grew up he wanted to be a policeman so he could shoot his father and get away with it,'' Sandy Williams said.
Errick Williams Sr., Ricky's father, was convicted on misdemeanor charges that he mistreated his children.
In an interview with Pamphilon, Williams Sr. said he was charged ``with sexually annoying a child'' but maintained he did nothing wrong.
``I did nothing sexually toward those children at all,'' he said.
Ricky Williams does not criticize his father in the film.
Some notable sound bites from the documentary:
• Williams, speaking several years ago about his 2004 retirement: ``There was one day that I was in my car, and I was thinking maybe I don't want to play football anymore. And I thought, `What about my house?' And I was like, `I don't care.' I was like, `What about money?' I was like, `I don't care.' It just hit me -- you don't need money.''
• Williams, a few years ago: ``I have to keep realizing that's my issue in life -- that everyone thinks I'm crazy.''
• Williams, on drug use: ``The reason I smoked was to give myself some psychotherapy.
``I used marijuana to deal with my imperfections. I will never try coke. I will never try any hard drugs.''
• Williams: ``I look back and I say I wish I was more mature. At the time, I was lost.''
• Kristin: ``I've been though more with him than anybody else. And if I can still sit here and say he's a good person, then he's a good person.''
• Kristin, asked several years ago if she ever cried about her relationship with Williams: ``I thought I had a boyfriend. He had a kid with somebody else. That's enough, isn't it? . . . Sometimes I pray that I wake up and I don't love him.''
• Janey Barnes, Williams' former counselor, a few years ago: ``One of the things that caused me to diagnose him with social anxiety is his admission to me that he only felt safe when he was at home in the dark. He needs a full psychological evaluation.''
• Kristin: ``Sometimes, things he says are totally off the wall. And the next sentence makes perfect sense.''
• Sandy Williams, several years ago: ``When it comes to women, my son has always been a D-O-G.''
• Williams' former agent, Leigh Steinberg: ``There's nobody in Ricky's life he doesn't frustrate at one point or another.'' (Drew Rosenhaus now represents Williams.)