Ricky Williams - Early Life

Early Life

Williams was born (with his twin sister Cassandra) in San Diego, California, to 19-year old Sandy Williams and her husband, 18-year old Errick Williams. Growing up middle-class, his parents divorced in 1983 and Williams, at the age of 5, was taking care of his sisters by putting them to bed and even cooking for them. Perhaps due to his broken home and the fact that his father was gone at such an early age, Williams suffered from anger issues that eventually led his mother to send him to counseling. He also struggled academically, despite a test he took as a six-year old which revealed that he had the intelligence of someone twice his age. Williams himself once said, "I was always very bright, but not necessarily a hard worker. I think I was in eighth grade when I became really focused as a student and started getting good grades." By high school Williams was an honor roll student and was named to the San Diego Union-Tribune All-Academic team.

At San Diego's Patrick Henry High School, Williams primarily played baseball and football in addition to running track. Williams also wrestled, notably losing a match to future NCAA champion and three-time Super Bowl champion Stephen Neal.

Entering high school at 5'9" and 155 pounds, Williams added an additional 25 pounds of weight before his junior season. Due to his love of physical contact, Williams played outside linebacker and strong safety in addition to his primary position of running back. During his high school career he rushed for a total of 4,129 yards and 55 touchdowns, and in his senior season he ran for 2,099 yards and 25 touchdowns, totals which earned him the San Diego Union-Tribune's 1994 Player of the Year award. Among his senior year performances were a 200-yard effort in a loss to Helix High School, a 248-yard (on 24 carries) and three-touchdown game in a 26-3 win at Chula Vista, a 215-yard (21 carries) and two-touchdown showing in a 13-3 win against Mira Mesa, a 143-yard (18 carries) and two-touchdown game in a 28-10 victory over Point Loma, and a 129-yard (24 carries) and one-touchdown game against top-ranked Morse which included Williams totaling 47 of the 69 yards Patrick Henry accumulated during the game-winning drive in a 20-17 upset. Two weeks after the win over Morse, Patrick Henry clinched its first Eastern League title in 11 years with a 21-12 win against San Diego High School; Williams appeared to be on his way to a record-setting performance with 115 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter of the game but suffered a leg injury on the third play of the second quarter. After being helped off the field he re-entered the game and attempted one more carry but had to be carried off the field again, finished for the day. Following two weeks of rest, Williams was able to suit up in the first round of the CIF-San Diego Section Division 1 playoffs against San Dieguito and, playing through pain from the leg injury, post 94 yards on 25 carries in a 15-14 win. In the second round Williams ran for 110 yards in a 21-17 victory over Rancho Buena Vista, propelling Patrick Henry into the championship game at Jack Murphy Stadium for a rematch with Morse. However, in the title game Patrick Henry lost 13-0 and Williams would be held to a season-low 46 yards, with his team amassing just 62 yards of total offense.