Former NFLer Ricky Williams today announced the creation of the Freedom Football League during an appearance on ESPN’s “OTL.” Williams is among 50 former players out of 100 stakeholders involved in starting the league, which is “for the fans" and "by the players.” Other former players involved include Terrell Owens and Simeon Rice, and Williams said it started with a "bunch of guys sitting around the table talking about the good old days and realizing, ‘You know, we have a lot of experience. We’ve been there before, we know how to do it.'" Williams: “We talked about the disparity in income and that in the NFL, for example and most professional leagues, the owners are making all the money. Yes, the players have an ability to make money but when their career is over, then what?"
The league initially will consist of 10 teams, with games taking place during the spring and summer. Teams will be “partly owned by the players, partly owned by the fans and partly owned by the operators,” Williams said. As for a player draft, Williams said the league will "want to draft players that come from the region" in an effort to build a "community around football" (“OTL,” ESPN, 12/6).
