Ex-NFL star Ricky Williams revealed that he legally took his wife’s last name in order to create more balance in his relationship.
The 1998 Heisman Trophy winner now goes by Errick Miron. Miron is his wife’s last name of five years, Linnea, and Errick is his birth name. Williams, 45, revealed the name change on The Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz.
“I’ve found that that’s been really powerful in creating ease, intimacy, and trust in my relationship,” Williams said of the change. His name was legally changed about a year and a half ago.
Miron said that his fame had overshadowed his wife within their circle of friends.
“People kind of forget that she exists, so there’s an imbalance in our relationship,” he explained. “One of the ideas that popped into my mind was I can take her last name.”
“I think it’s cool. It’s somewhere where we can both win.” Williams added.
The former Miami Dolphins linebacker revealed that Williams “isn’t even really” his last name. It turns out Williams was his grandmother’s husband’s last name, but the man was not his dad’s father.
“It’s one of those family secrets,” he said. “And if you go back far enough, its idea of it is a slave name, so I think of what is even the purpose of a last name. And I find more meaning in this last name than Williams.”
Although Ricky Williams is the name with which he rose to fame, the former footballer doesn’t think it will make that much of an impact.
“To me, this makes the story of Ricky Williams more interesting,” Williams said.
Linebacker?? Football much?