Texas Tech Football: 50 Greatest Red Raiders of all time
No. 34 Ricky Williams (Running back 1997 – 2001)
One of the most versatile running backs in Texas Tech history is next on the countdown of the 50 greatest Texas Tech players of all-time.
The Duncanville, TX native finished his illustrious career as the third-leading rusher in school history with 3,661-yards. His 1,582-yards rushing in 1998 also stands as the third-best single season total for any Red Raider.
Williams proved to be one of the most multifaceted running backs to play for the Red Raiders. He started his career under head coach Spike Dykes who built his run-based offense around the 5’8”, 196-pound tailback. Entering the 1999 season, Williams received national recognition as a candidate for numerous post-season awards. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL in Tech’s first game of the season against Arizona State.
The next season, Williams not only faced the prospect of returning from a serious injury but he also had to assume a new role in the pass-happy offense of 1st year head coach Mike Leach. To his credit, Williams adjusted his style of play to become a feature of the new Air-Raid offense.
In two years under Leach, Williams caught 144 passes for 845-yards which is impressive considering that in his first two college seasons under Spyke Dykes, Williams caught only 28 passes for 306-yards.
The fact that Williams stands third on the school’s all-time rushing list is remarkable when considering that he played his final two years in the Mike Leach pass-first offense. Williams proved to be one of the best all-around backs to ever play for the Red Raiders.
After going undrafted in the 2002 NFL Draft, Williams signed with the Indianapolis Colts where he played for two seasons. In 2012, Ricky A. Williams was inducted into the Texas Tech Athletics Hall of Fame.
Next: Andre Tillman