Football never took too kindly to Ricky Williams’ affection for marijuana, but in his new business, it’s essential.
The former running back, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1998 while at the University of Texas, is launching his own brand of marijuana.
Williams, who played for three teams during an 11-year NFL career, now lives in Venice Beach, California, where the drug has been decriminalized.
He is going into business with a product line called Real Wellness by Ricky Williams, a play off his initials.
Williams, 40, is promoting his goods for health reasons.
“I am known as a professional football player,” Williams told The South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “In the last 14 years, I have been educating myself and training as a health care practitioner.”
Williams is in business with OutCo, a dispensary and consulting firm in California. They plan to sell marijuana in dispensaries in Southern California and online.
Williams’ marijuana use led to suspensions from the NFL in his playing days, but Williams was a workhorse for the Miami Dolphins in the early 2000s, including a team-record 1,853 rushing yards in 2002. He also gained 1,372 yards in 2003.
“When people think about Ricky Williams, they think about a pothead,” he told The San Diego Union-Tribune. “That’s not fair to how I played the game. I was a physical player who was respected by my opponents and teammates. That gets lost with the off-the-field stuff.”
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