Ricky Williams Refuses to Hide from The Woman Trapped Inside Him

In the December issue of Playboy magazine, our buddy Pat Jordan penned an enormous profile on the ganja-toking, yoga-loving problem child, as he attempts to rejuvenate his NFL career with the Miami Dolphins. In the piece, we learn about his many quirks, his relationship with the mother of his two children, the hefty child support payments he makes to the mothers of his other two children, his "social anxiety", and being alienated from everyone on the Saints due to his erratic behavior. One of the more interesting anecdotes is when Williams talks about the classic ESPN the Mag cover, the one when he posed in a wedding dress with Mike Ditka. It turns out this idea didn't come from anyone at the magazine — it came from Ricky Williams:

"In 9th grade, I dressed as a cheerleader on Halloween. It was my idea to wear the wedding dress. I didn't think it would offend anyone. I just wanted to show my relationship with Ditka. I was looking at myself, not as a football player, but as an open, interesting person. The reaction from reporters and fans was shocking. I didn't see why it was such a big deal for a football player not to be afraid to be in touch with that side of himself. It doesn't make sense that a football player is supposed to be fearless but should be afraid to be in touch with his feminine side."

And we all know how that metaphorical marriage ended.

The issue should be on stands this week.

Send an email to A.J. Daulerio, the author of this post, at ajd@deadspin.com.

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