On this day 26 years ago, the New Orleans Saints made one of the most infamous moves in NFL Draft history. Head coach Mike Ditka, determined to secure Texas running back Ricky Williams, orchestrated a blockbuster trade that sent shockwaves through the league. The Saints traded every pick they had in the 1999 draft, along with two additional picks from the 2000 draft, to the Washington Redskins in exchange for the fifth overall selection. With that pick, they selected Williams, a Heisman Trophy winner and one of the most dominant college running backs of his era.
The trade was unprecedented. Ditka, confident that Williams would transform the Saints’ fortunes, famously posed for a magazine cover with Williams dressed as a bride and himself as the groom—symbolizing his commitment to the young star. However, the gamble did not pay off as expected and Ditka was fired after the 1999 season. Williams played three seasons in New Orleans. His early years in the NFL were marked by challenges that complicated his tenure in New Orleans. He often avoided media interactions and preferred solitude, which led to misunderstandings about his personality and commitment to the game. His reluctance to engage in traditional press conferences and interviews made him an enigma to fans and reporters alike.  His contract was also incentive based, negotiated by rapper Master P’s agency, was considered unfavorable to Williams, as it lacked guaranteed money and required him to hit lofty performance benchmarks to earn significant payout. After battling injuries during his rookie year he matched one incentive making $125,000 for the season. He would play three seasons with the Saints. before before being traded to the Miami Dolphins in 2002.
With the 2025 NFL Draft one week away the trade the Saints made remains a cautionary tale about the risks of sacrificing draft capital for a single player. While Ricky Williams did have moments of brilliance, the Saints’ decision to mortgage their future for him ultimately did not yield the success they had envisioned.
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