Rangers Welcome Ricky Williams

The hat had no holes for the dreadlocks and the jersey was No. 37 instead of No. 34.

But the Texas Rangers on Thursday welcomed their newest outfielder-tailback, presenting Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams with his first Rangers cap and jersey.

Texas purchased Williams' contract from the Expos on Tuesday, a day after Montreal took him from the Philadelphia Phillies with the fourth pick of the major league draft for players left off 40-man rosters.

"We know Ricky's football talent is No. 1. We're just hoping we can somehow get Ricky in our organization and this is a first step," Rangers general manager Doug Melvin said.

Melvin, Rangers president Tom Schieffer and manager Johnny Oates all traveled to Austin to present Williams with the cap and jersey.

Williams had to push his dreadlocks back from his forehead to put on the hat and his muscles bulged in the button-down jersey.

Williams wore No. 34 for the Texas Longhorns, but that number is off limits at the Rangers, who retired it in honor of Nolan Ryan. No. 37 has its own significance; it's the number worn by Williams' late friend, former college football star Doak Walker.

Williams is the two-time winner of the Doak Walker award given to the best running back in college football.

"I didn't choose it. It was a surprise to me," Williams said.

With a career .211 batting average in the minor leagues, Williams probably is headed to the NFL rather than baseball.

But Williams, a cousin of Cecil Fielder, hit .283 with six stolen bases in 53 at-bats for Class-A Batavia of the New York-Penn league last season before leaving the team to begin preparing for his senior season at Texas.

"It's a matter of just playing more and gettin a little sharper in all aspects of my game, especially my hitting," he said. "Hopefully I can get down to camp as soon as possible and play as much as possible."

The Rangers said Williams will be invited to spring training in Port Charlotte, Fla.

"I'm looking forward to watching him play this spring," Oates said. "He will be in some big league games. He'll have the opportunity to show this organization what he can do."

Williams holds 16 NCAA records, including the Division I-A career rushing record with 6,279 yards.

"The best part of it is this baseball thing because I wasn't sure where I stood with the Phillies and what was going to happen with me," Williams said. "I think everyone knows that baseball is my first love and the more of a chance I get to play the better for me."

Williams must be on Texas' 25-man Opening Day roster or be offered back to Philadelphia for $25,000. The Phillies picked Williams in the eighth round of the 1995 amateur draft and paid for his tuition at Texas. Technically, he was a walk-on in football.

The Rangers will worry about that when the time comes, Melvin said.

"Ricky's not going to be on the major-league team next year and I think everybody knows that," Schieffer said. "This is hopefully an investment in the future and one that will pay off several years from now and not one that's going to pay off in the next few months."

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