NFL: 30 running backs who got better after leaving their first team

After winning the prestigious Heisman Trophy at the University of Texas, Ricky Williams was a high-profile draft pick for the New Orleans Saints, who traded away all of their 199 NFL Draft picks to move up and land him at No. 5 overall.

Williams played with the Saints for three seasons, with two of them going over 1,000 yards. His best year with New Orleans was in 2001 when he went for 1,245 yards and six touchdowns.

Williams was involved in another massive trade involving draft picks, this time heading to the Miami Dolphins in 2002. There, he showed his maximum potential in his first season, going for a league-leading 1,853 yards on 383 attempts, good for 115.8 yards per game.

He had over 2,200 total yards if you include his receiving yardage, too. Williams also had 16 total touchdowns and was awarded All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. While the next season wasn’t as strong (nearly an impossible standard), the former Longhorn legend still went for an impressive 1,372 yards and nine scores.

He was on his way to being considered one of the very best NFL running backs at the start of the decade until…he retired!!!

It was a shocking turn of events, surrounded by the background noise of failed marijuana tests and a young man who was dealing with issues regarding mental health. The fact that he carried the ball nearly 800 times in the two previous seasons also started the conversation about the proper workload for a running back.

Williams came back in 2005 for a solid season overall, going for 743 yards and six scores. But another failed drug test caused him to miss next season via suspension, opting instead to play in the CFL for the Toronto Argonauts. He came back to the Dolphins but missed all of 2007 with an injury at the start of the season.

Williams (now over age-30 at this point) never got back to his prime level in the years prior but was overall an effective contributor for the Dolphins in his final four seasons. He averaged at least 4.0 yards per rush attempt each year and went for 1,121 yards and 11 touchdowns in a resurgent 2009 campaign back with the Dolphins.

Despite everything that happened, Williams still rushed for over 10,000 yards in 10 full seasons. From a raw talent standpoint, Williams was one of the best in modern history. Who knows how things would’ve been different if he had a “normal” pro career? He might have even been a lock for Canton.