Former NFL All-Pro Running Back Ricky Williams Officially Changes Name

05/27/2022 11:31 am EDT

Ricky Williams is going by a new name. The former NFL All-Pro running back recently appeared on The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz and revealed that his name is now Errick Miron, as he took the name of his wife of five years, Linnea. Williams was asked about his new name after it appeared on his Zoom screen. 

"Something I've been thinking about and talking about, and I finally went through the steps," Williams said, per CBS Sports. "It was quick and easy, and it felt really meaningful." Williams went on to say that he legally changed his name a year and a half ago. But the thing about it is Errick is his birth name but he always went by Ricky. The name change, according to Williams, is all about finding balance in his marriage. 

"I think it's cool," Williams said of his name change. "It's somewhere where we can both win." Williams, 45, played in the NFL from 1999 to 2003. He retired in 2004 only to return in 2005. Williams missed the 2006 season as he was suspended for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. He returned to the NFL in 2007 and was in the league until he retired in 2012. Williams was selected No. 5 overall by the New Orleans Saints in the 1999 NFL Draft, and the Saints acquired him by trading up to the No. 5 spot which was originally held by Washington. But in order to acquire Williams, the Saints had to give up all their draft picks in the 1999 draft plus their first two picks in the 2000 draft. 

Williams played three seasons with the Saints before being traded to the Dolphins in 2002. During the 2002 season, Williams was selected to the All-Pro First Team and his only Pro Bowl after rushing for 1,853 yards and 16 touchdowns. He would be with the Dolphins until the end of the 2010 season. In 2011, Williams signed a two-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens and rushed for 444 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games. 

Before joining the NFL, Williams played college football for the Texas Longhorns and became a legend. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1998 after rushing for 2,124 yards and 29 touchdowns. Williams finished his career with 6,279 rushing yards, which is third on the all-time NCAA list. 

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