Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham
DAVIE, Fla. -- Ricky Williams, a lightning rod if ever there was one back when he was rolling up more than yards and suspensions, might actually be one of the NFL's most overlooked players.
He's a fantasy football afterthought. He hasn't scored a touchdown since 2005. He's coming off a freak injury and has kept a low profile throughout the offseason. He didn't discuss metaphysics with Mike Wallace.
Many seem to have forgotten the enigmatic Miami Dolphins RB still is out there.
So I asked him whether he feels like he's off the NFL radar.
"It's a different kind of radar, but it's definitely not the way it was before," Williams said after the Dolphins' late practice. "It's a little bit different now.
"It's fun."
Based on how he has looked through minicamp, open voluntary workouts and the first two practices of training camp, opponents and fans could be in for a striking reminder of what the former rushing king can do. He sure doesn't look like an uninterested hippie anymore.
Williams, 31, is explosive. Football operations boss Bill Parcells, head coach Tony Sparano and teammates have raved about his dedication.
He has revealed he and Ronnie Brown, who was having an All-Pro season before crumpling to the ground with a season-ending knee injury in Week 7, have a goal of rushing for 1,000 yards apiece, something that has been done only three times.
"It will be a challenge to get out there and compete," Williams said, flashing a smile. "When the dust settles, hopefully people will be pleasantly surprised."
Graham joined ESPN.com in 2008 after covering the Miami Dolphins for the Palm Beach Post. He previously spent eight years at the Buffalo News, where he was an award-winning NHL and boxing writer. The Baldwin-Wallace College grad also has worked for the Las Vegas Sun and Boston Herald.
