quote:Quick Ricky Williams tennis story to appease @ravicnn. So in the summer of 2004, I was working on a piece for Sports Illustrated and spent some time with Ricky Williams, the NFL player (and excellent 30 for 30 subject) who retired Tuesday after 11 seasons. This was before his sabbatical from football, his "tent phase" and most of his marijuana-related suspensions. In what was less an interview than a conversation, we spoke about all sorts of topics. He went on about his passion for photography. When he found out I wrote about tennis, he asked what I thought of Venus and Serena. At one point he told me he had recently gotten interested in Australia and wanted to travel there, perhaps after the NFL season.
I recall telling him to marry the two and time his vacation to the Australian Open. Fast-forward six or so months. In January, I get a call from someone in the Australian Open media credential center. They had been contacted by an American photographer requesting a credential. They were unfamiliar with his work, but apparently he had used my name as a reference. Could I vouch for a photographer, Ricky Williams? I didn't attend the Australian Open that year, but from what I gather, Ricky Williams worked the photo pit -- the other snappers unaware that the large black man alongside them was a starting NFL running back and former Heisman Trophy winner.
Apparently, Ricky Williams retired this week (there goes solving the Packers' RB problem 
), a nugget I read from SI's tennis writer Jon Wertheim Now why am I mentioning him? Well, Wertheim has an interesting story about Williams to relate:
Original Post
