From Heisman To Highsman: Former NFL Star Ricky Williams Launches Cannabis Brand

NFL running back Ricky Williams recently joined the growing legion of former athletes who are either coming out about their cannabis use for pain and other ailments and who are now getting into the industry with their own brands. Ricky Williams is joining the team. 

But first...Williams' brilliant football career: At the University of Texas, Williams became one of the best running backs in college football history. In 1998, he set 21 NCAA records, rushed for 2,124 yards and 27 touchdowns and won the Heisman Trophy with the greatest percentage of first-place votes in history.

He went on to play 12 seasons in the NFL and one season in the Canadian Football League (CFL). 

From Heisman To Highsman:

Williams cannabis brand, Highsman will focus on selling “premium quality cannabis” along with cannabis-related apparel and accessories. The initial focus will be in California, Oregon and Nevada.

“Highsman is about an appreciation for greatness. There is a passionate and dedicated team behind the brand, and together we want to help all people inspire greatness in themselves,” Williams said in a statement.

Cannabis As A Central Piece of Wellness

Williams, 44, was suspended five times in his NFL career for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. He missed two full seasons.

Nevertheless, he still contends that he would not have won the Heisman Trophy were it not for the relief he received from cannabis during those years.

Highsman CEO Eric Hammond said the company is launching “at a tipping point where sports and cannabis collide, and we are excited to continue to break boundaries between the two.”

In a conversation on The Bakari Sellers Podcast,  Williams said it's time for people to stop being ashamed of their marijuana use and start "changing the conversation on cannabis.”