“I Was Never Going Back to the United States”: Ricky Williams Revisits ‘Finding Himself’ While Traveling in Australia

In late 2004, former Miami Dolphins RB Ricky Williams retired from the league for the first time. For most professional athletes, retirement is bittersweet. But for Williams initially, it was a relief. It seemed a weight had lifted off his shoulder. He used the opportunity to travel the world to clear his head and ended up being charmed by Australia.

Appearing on Johnny Manziel’s show, Glory Daze, Williams recounted his experiences traveling ‘Down Under’ during his brief stint away from football. He talked about how visiting Byron Bay led him to “find” himself.

“There’s a town on the east coast of Australia called Byron Bay,” narrated Williams. “It’s just a beautiful place, kind of a hippie town; it’s right by the water…I went to Byron Bay on the Greyhound. I’d just wake up every morning and be like, ‘What do I feel like doing?’ and I’d do it. It was to the point where I was thinking, ‘I’m never going back to the USA’.”

A trip that was just supposed to be three days turned into two whole months. Williams enjoyed his new life there so much that he even contemplated never returning. However, a chance meeting with a “homeless guy”, and subsequent sequence of events derailed his plans to never return home.

Steve, the homeless guy, soon became a friend. He told Williams about the practice of rubbing hash in India. This idea intrigued him so much that Williams purchased tickets for both of them to travel to India. However, fate intervened.

After being denied a visa for China while en route to India, Williams found himself stranded in Thailand. Reflecting on things while staying in a small hostel in Chang Mai, Williams stumbled upon an NFL football game on television. He recalled thinking, “I got to go home now.”

He boarded the next flight back to California. And, upon returning, Williams engaged in conversations with his agent Lee Steinberg and others about the possibility of re-entering the NFL. And that’s exactly what he did.

Williams officially rejoined the Miami Dolphins on July 24, 2005, after repaying a portion of his signing bonus. He finally retired for good in 2012 after a stint with the CFL and then the Baltimore Ravens.