Tuna Loves Ricky

[lorentrook]

Found this on PFT,
Posted by Mike Florio on June 8, 2008, 5:05 p.m. EDT

Although Dolphins V.P. of football operations Bill Parcells might have badly mishandled his relationship with defensive end Jason Taylor, Parcells is playing the game perfectly with running back Ricky Williams.

Williams, who came to the Fins from the Saints in 2002 for a first-round draft pick that became another first-rounder after Williams’ first season with the team, has been a long-term enigma with the Fins. He unexpectedly retired in 2004, and then was suspended for all of 2006. His suspension extended into 2007, and when he finally got a chance to play he was injured and sidelined for the rest of the season.

But Ricky is reborn under Parcells. The 1998 Heisman winner seems to be more motivated than ever, and the lack of wear and tear over the past four seasons means that he’s got a lot left in the tank.

Parcells apparently is using positive reinforcement to get the most out of the tailback. After a breaking a series of long runs during non-contact (eye roll) drills at this weekend’s minicamp, Parcells yelled “Thatta boy! There ya go!” and gave Ricky a fist bump.

For Parcells, it’s as much praise as any player will ever receive in the presence of his teammates. And it might just be the ingredient in giving Williams a shot at becoming the Comeback Player of the Year, and at helping a team that was 1-15 a year ago win a lot more games in 2008.

ProFootballTalk.com - TUNA LOVES RICKY