CANTON, Ohio (AP) -- Ricky Williams wonders what all the fuss is about. 
Williams, who returned to the NFL on Monday night with a mediocre performance -- 8 yards on five carries -- in Miami's 27-24 loss to Chicago in the Hall of Fame game, made it sound as if he never left the sport.
Was that one-year retirement in which he, well, dropped out, a mirage?
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</NOSCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>``It doesn't seem like I was gone, not even a week,'' the former NFL rushing king said. ``Everywhere I go, I hear 'Welcome back.' But everywhere I have been, I have always been with myself. I'm with myself now more than ever.
``It's funny people say 'Welcome back' when I haven't gone anywhere.''
He didn't go much of anywhere against the Bears, but it was the first of five preseason games and the Dolphins got their starters and second-stringers off the field pretty quickly. By the second half, Williams was relaxing on the sideline.
But Williams will need a lot more work this summer because he must sit out the first four regular-season games under an NFL suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy. So to be a factor this season, he'll need a lot more out of the preseason than he got against the Bears.
Won't he?
``He looked fast, quick,'' coach Nick Saban said. ``I was impressed.''
He probably was in the minority. Williams never came close to breaking into the secondary. He was brought down easily when hit and slipped on one play where he had a little bit of running room.
Yet Williams thought it went well, right from the first hit.
``You always think it is going to be worse than it is,'' he said. ``And usually when it happens, it is just a guy grabbing you. That's what it was.
``I honestly didn't feel like I had anything to get over with. To me, it was just another day.''
With first-round draft pick Ronnie Brown, chosen second overall, still holding out, Williams figures to get a lot more work in the coming practices and the next exhibition game, at Jacksonville on Saturday. The Dolphins also are trying to figure out their quarterbacking situation and solidify their offensive line, so the tailback spot hardly is the only one in question.
Williams says he still has a hunger for the game.
``My passion for football will never go away,'' he said. ``My coming back is more about a passion for life. But to be controlled by your passions, you are not going to be a very happy person. You are going to be running around chasing it. I'll try to keep my passion in balance.''
Williams entered against Chicago on Miami's second series and had a 2-yard run. He had another 2-yard run and gained 2 yards on a swing pass on which he stumbled during the next possession.
In the second period, Williams had runs of 3, 2 and minus-1 yards. The blocking in front of him was shoddy.
The old Ricky might have made more out those carries, but it's early and the game didn't count in any standings. He felt the camaraderie was more important for now.
``The big thing was being on the sidelines with my teammates,'' he said. ``It felt like I had never been away. ``My life might look complicated to others, but it's not complicated to me. Maybe it looks that way from the outside, but it isn't.''
:bong: :bong:
Williams, who returned to the NFL on Monday night with a mediocre performance -- 8 yards on five carries -- in Miami's 27-24 loss to Chicago in the Hall of Fame game, made it sound as if he never left the sport.
Was that one-year retirement in which he, well, dropped out, a mirage?
<TABLE cellPadding=1 align=left border=0 hspace="10" vspace="5"><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><SCRIPT type=text/javascript>if (window.yzq_a == null) document.write("<scr" + "ipt type=text/javascript src=""http://us.js1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/lib/bc/bc_1.7.0.js></scr" + "ipt>");</SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript>if (window.yzq_a){yzq_a('p', 'P=MCgBIs6.I.aARmXvQsBBhA6xmKNlC0L5C0EADZlm&T=13riq4m11%2fX%3d1123617601%2fE%3d95858717%2fR%3dsports%2fK%3d5%2fV%3d1.1%2fW%3d8%2fY%3dYAHOO%2fF%3d3487732745%2fS%3d1%2fJ%3dCC23BECE');yzq_a('a', '&U=139nsb6d3%2fN%3dXJAhNc6.Ir0-%2fC%3d348128.6407224.7384026.1414694%2fD%3dLREC%2fB%3d2655816');}</SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT>
``It's funny people say 'Welcome back' when I haven't gone anywhere.''
He didn't go much of anywhere against the Bears, but it was the first of five preseason games and the Dolphins got their starters and second-stringers off the field pretty quickly. By the second half, Williams was relaxing on the sideline.
But Williams will need a lot more work this summer because he must sit out the first four regular-season games under an NFL suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy. So to be a factor this season, he'll need a lot more out of the preseason than he got against the Bears.
Won't he?
``He looked fast, quick,'' coach Nick Saban said. ``I was impressed.''
He probably was in the minority. Williams never came close to breaking into the secondary. He was brought down easily when hit and slipped on one play where he had a little bit of running room.
Yet Williams thought it went well, right from the first hit.
``You always think it is going to be worse than it is,'' he said. ``And usually when it happens, it is just a guy grabbing you. That's what it was.
``I honestly didn't feel like I had anything to get over with. To me, it was just another day.''
With first-round draft pick Ronnie Brown, chosen second overall, still holding out, Williams figures to get a lot more work in the coming practices and the next exhibition game, at Jacksonville on Saturday. The Dolphins also are trying to figure out their quarterbacking situation and solidify their offensive line, so the tailback spot hardly is the only one in question.
Williams says he still has a hunger for the game.
``My passion for football will never go away,'' he said. ``My coming back is more about a passion for life. But to be controlled by your passions, you are not going to be a very happy person. You are going to be running around chasing it. I'll try to keep my passion in balance.''
Williams entered against Chicago on Miami's second series and had a 2-yard run. He had another 2-yard run and gained 2 yards on a swing pass on which he stumbled during the next possession.
In the second period, Williams had runs of 3, 2 and minus-1 yards. The blocking in front of him was shoddy.
The old Ricky might have made more out those carries, but it's early and the game didn't count in any standings. He felt the camaraderie was more important for now.
``The big thing was being on the sidelines with my teammates,'' he said. ``It felt like I had never been away. ``My life might look complicated to others, but it's not complicated to me. Maybe it looks that way from the outside, but it isn't.''
:bong: :bong:
