Ricky Williams praises top NFL running backs from 2024 season: ‘It was was fun to watch last year’

Ricky Williams loved seeing NFL running backs put on a show during the 2024 season. In an interview with On3, Williams was asked if the running game is making a comeback in the NFL after players like Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry had MVP-caliber seasons.

“I do, but it’s hard to trust, Ricky Williams told On3. “I think that’s what happened in the first place is they have these big years, and then the next year, an injury. So it’s just such a difficult position to stay healthy. But as far as teams that committed to the run and gave running backs a chance to do something. It was fun to watch last year.”

In 2024, the NFL nearly had two players with 2,000 rushing yards. Barkley led the way with 2,005 yards, and Henry had 1,921. The NFL then had three players with over 1,400 rushing yards – Bijan Robinson (1,456), Jonathan Taylor (1,431) and Jahmyr Gibbs (1,412). As Bucky Brooks of Fox Sports mentioned, 16 players had over 1,000 rushing yards last fall. And of those 16 players, six had 300 carries.

Ricky Williams made a big impact during the 2002 and 2003 NFL seasons

Williams knows all about being a workhorse running back. After spending his first three seasons with the New Orleans Saints (1999 to 2001), the former Texas Longhorns running back joined the Miami Dolphins and led the NFL in carries with 383 (2002) and 392 (2003). In those seasons, Williams rushed for 1,853 yards (2002) and 1,372 yards (2003). Due to multiple suspensions by the NFL, Williams could not match the production he had in his first two seasons in Miami. He finished his career with 10,009 yards and 66 touchdowns in 147 games with 83 starts.

Williams retired from the NFL in 2012 and launched a Cannabis lifestyle company called Highsman in 2021. He is happy to see his comapny grow as it has had to make its share of adjustments.

“We’re still going, and we’re expanding into new markets, and we’ve been able to ride the wave when a lot of companies haven’t,” Williams said. It’s been great to be starting to be taken seriously as a business.”