NFL

Ricky Williams was one of the best running backs of his era ... but he says he had the potential to dominate in a completely different sport -- the former Miami Dolphins standout tells TMZ Sports he could have been an All-Star if he pursued a career on the baseball diamond!!

Before he made his way to the NFL gridiron, Ricky -- whose legal name is now Errick Miron -- played several seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies' farm system while juggling his time with the Texas Longhorns football team.

Ricky -- an 8th-round pick to the Phils in the '95 MLB Amateur Draft -- was an outfielder for the organization's rookie league and Single-A teams for four years ... and footage of one of his early games actually exists!!

So when we caught up with Ricky last week, we asked if he's ever wondered how things would've panned out had he switched his focus to baseball ... and he believes he had the skills to hang with the big leaguers.

"I wouldn't say I was great, I had a lot of potential," Ricky told us. "I love to get better at things. If I would have devoted my full time to baseball, I would have been an All-Star baseball player."

So, what led him to football instead of baseball?? A pretty understandable reason.

"It's a fantasy, but the reality is I'm kind of the person where 162 games -- that's too much for me.

"Football is intense, but you got a nice offseason. That's more my speed."

Safe to say it all worked out -- Ricky won the Heisman Trophy in 1998 ... and went on to rush for more than 10,000 yards in his career.

Ricky Williams fue uno de los mejores corredores de su época, pero dice que tenía el potencial para dominar en un deporte completamente diferente. El ex jugador de los Miami Dolphins le comentó a TMZ Sports que podría haber sido una estrella si hubiera comenzado una carrera en el béisbol.

Antes de forjar su camino en la NFL, Ricky —cuyo nombre legal es ahora Errick Miron— jugó varias temporadas con los Filis de Filadelfia, mientras hacía malabares con su tiempo con el equipo de fútbol de Texas Longhorns.

Ricky, elegido en la octava ronda del Draft de Aficionados de la MLB de 1995, fue jardinero de los equipos de la liga de novatos y de la liga Single-A durante cuatro años... ¡¡y existen imágenes de uno de sus primeros partidos!

Así que cuando nos pusimos al día con Ricky la semana pasada, le preguntamos si alguna vez se había preguntado cómo habrían ido las cosas si hubiera cambiado su enfoque al béisbol ... y él cree que tenía las habilidades para estar con los grandes jugadores de liga.

"No diría que era genial, pero tenía mucho potencial", nos dijo Ricky. "Me encanta mejorar. Si me hubiera dedicado a tiempo completo al béisbol, habría sido un jugador de béisbol All-Star".

Entonces, ¿qué le llevó al fútbol en lugar del béisbol? Una razón bastante comprensible.

"Es una fantasía, pero la realidad es que soy una persona en la que 162 partidos... eso es demasiado para mí.

"El fútbol es intenso, pero tienes una buena temporada baja. Ese es más mi ritmo".

Ricky ganó el Trofeo Heisman en 1998 y llegó a correr más de 10.000 yardas en su carrera.

Kim Zolciak seems to be in full-blown denial -- or else Kroy has had a radical change of heart -- because she's talking like her marriage is still a work in progress, despite the fact her husband has filed for divorce and wants to sell the family home.

Kim posted, "I'm living here not going anywhere! Been working on our marriage and have been living as husband and wife. The lies daily are too much."

Thing is ... Kroy Biermann has not only filed for divorce ... he wants the kids. He's accused her of sinking the family into a deep financial hole, in part because of her gambling.

Kroy has been trying to get Kim to sign off on selling the family home ... giving they have an IRS debt of more than a mil, and lawsuits totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid personal debts, including a $150,000 SAKS bill.

Kroy's lawyers have told TMZ the divorce is still on, but Kim seems to think it's all salvageable.

Vernon Davis' playing days might not be over after all ... the two-time Pro Bowler tells TMZ Sports he'd consider coming out of retirement if a team made him the right offer.

"Yeah, absolutely," he said this week. "Whoever needs a tight end, I could come in."

Davis hasn't played a down in the league since the 2019 season ... and he's been super busy with a budding Hollywood career and other business endeavors in the last four years.

But, the 39-year-old former first-round pick says when he finds the time to catch some games on TV ... he does get the itch to compete again.

"I want to test my ability against these young guys," he said.

As for the chances of a return actually happening, Davis tells us the team would need to be a contender ... and the money would have to be right -- but if that all fell into place, he's in.

"If it's all connected from a winning standpoint, as well as financially, yeah," he said. "Come on, I'll come off the bench."

"Put me in, Coach. Put me in, Coach!"

For now, though, Davis seems to be content being a fan -- and he tells us from that standpoint, he sees the Ravens being an underrated Super Bowl contender.

Dak Prescott has paid tribute to his late mom once again ... this time, he and his brother got matching tattoos to honor her on what would have been her 62nd birthday.

The Dallas Cowboys superstar and his older bro, Tad, hit up Christina of Inked By Auburn on Monday afternoon to see if she could fit them in that day ... and despite being closed for the holiday, the artist jumped at the chance to help the Prescotts out.

Christina tells TMZ Sports ... Dak and Tad came to her shop late Monday evening, and they both settled on getting Virgo constellations to represent their mom's zodiac sign.

Tad went first, getting the piece done on his hand. Christina also tattooed the dates of Peggy's birthday and the day of her passing below it as well.

Dak then got his on his bicep ... and both were super pleased with the outcome -- happily posing for photos.

It all took about 90 minutes to complete ... and afterward, Christina says Dak sent her a message, thanking her and saying he'd be back for more ink soon.

Novak Djokovic was one happy camper Friday night ... not only did he advance to the finals of the US Open, but he got a surprise visit from Tom Brady.

The tennis great and NFL legend came face to face in a locker room at New York's Flushing Meadows Corona Park after Djokovic beat Ben Shelton 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 in their semifinal match.

Brady showed up to congratulate Djokovic on his victory, propelling him into the finals against Daniil Medvedev. The retired quarterback even brought along his 3 kiddos -- Jack, Benjamin and Vivian -- to meet the world's No. 2 ranked tennis player.

Check out this video posted to X ... Brady and Djokovic shake hands and embrace, both men smiling.

Brady then offers Djokovic some encouragement, "Keep kicking ass, as always." Djokovic replies, "Trying, trying."

One by one, Brady introduces his children to Djokovic before admitting he unfortunately missed Novak's semifinal match.

Shannon Sharpe tells TMZ Sports he's absolutely fired up for Deion Sanders and his Buffaloes, saying he hasn't seen something more popular in Colorado since weed was legalized there!!!

We got the NFL legend out at LAX just days after Coach Prime's squad shocked TCU ... and he told us he's pumped to see what's going down in the state he called home for more than a decade during his playing days.

"I haven't heard people talk about Colorado so much since weed was legalized," the 55-year-old said.

"I'm excited for him, I'm excited for the program," Sharpe continued. "Obviously, everybody knows I spent 12 years in Colorado so I'm excited for Time and what he's bringing to the table."

Sharpe and Deion have a long history together ... they battled on NFL fields for years -- and in retirement, they've become super close. In fact, this past offseason, the two sat down together for a podcast ... where they exchanged plenty of jokes and laughs.

All that being said, though, Sharpe still isn't sure the Buffs are quite ready to be considered a national championship contender just yet.

"I think they're a couple of years away from that," he said, "but I'm excited for what they're doing right now."

Gisele Bündchen is expanding her real estate portfolio, plunking down 7 figures for a sprawling Florida property with a soccer field and an equestrian ring ... and her jiu-jitsu pal Joaquim Valente's sister-in-law helped close the deal.

According to real estate records, the supermodel dropped $9.1 million on the 9-bedroom estate in Southwest Ranches, an affluent area about 30 miles northwest of Miami.

Gisele's new property is 5,183 square feet of pure luxury ... and some of the highlights include a full-size soccer field, infinity pool, hot tub, tennis courts and plenty of space to ride horses.

The grounds feature a state-of-the-art equestrian rink, with 10 large horse stalls. Remember, Gisele is big into horse riding, and so are her kids with ex-husband Tom Brady. She's also gone horseback riding with Joaquim in Costa Rica.

The property sits on 7.5 acres and there's an outdoor kitchen with a hibachi grill, pizza oven, BBQ pit and a wine fridge.

Inside, the first-floor master suite includes a private sitting area, bathroom and a walk-in closet ... and there's a floating glass staircase leading to the rest of the home. The gourmet kitchen has quartz countertops imported from Italy, plus an oversized island with a breakfast bar.

Gisele also owns another home in South Florida, an $11.5 million mansion in Miami Beach ... right across the water from where Tom's building his new place.

Chad Bishop and Saddy Abaunza Delgado with ONE Sotheby's International Realty repped the seller ... and Gisele was repped by Laura Valente with Global Luxury Realty LLC.

Gisele and Joaquim haven't confirmed their rumored relationship ... but they're often seen together, and he picked her up from the airport at the crack of dawn.

Gisele Bündchen está ampliando su cartera de bienes raíces, desembolsando 7 cifras para una propiedad en expansión en Florida, con un campo de fútbol y un anillo ecuestre, y la hermana de su amigo Joaquim Valente, el instructor de jiu-jitsu ayudó a cerrar el trato.

Según los registros inmobiliarios, la supermodelo desembolsó 9,1 millones de dólares por la propiedad de nueve dormitorios en Southwest Ranches, una zona acomodada a unos 50 kilómetros al noroeste de Miami.

La nueva propiedad de Gisele tiene 5.183 pies cuadrados de puro lujo, y algunos de los aspectos más destacados incluyen un campo de fútbol de tamaño completo, una piscina infinita, jacuzzi, pistas de tenis y un montón de espacio para montar a caballo.

Los terrenos cuentan con una pista ecuestre de última generación, con 10 grandes establos para caballos. Hay que recordar que Gisele es una gran aficionada a la equitación, al igual que sus hijos con su ex marido Tom Brady. También ha montado a caballo con Joaquim en Costa Rica.

La propiedad ocupa 2,5 hectáreas y tiene una cocina exterior con parrilla hibachi, horno de pizza, barbacoa y nevera para vinos.

En el interior, la suite principal del primer piso incluye una sala de estar privada, cuarto de baño y un vestidor y hay una escalera de cristal flotante que conduce al resto de la casa. La cocina gourmet tiene encimeras de cuarzo importadas de Italia, además de una gran isla con barra de desayuno.

Gisele también posee una casa al sur de Florida: una mansión de 11,5 millones de dólares en Miami Beach, justo enfrente de donde Tom está construyendo su nueva casa.

Chad Bishop y Saddy Abaunza Delgado junto con ONE Sotheby's International Realty representaron al vendedor, y Gisele fue representada por Laura Valente con Global Luxury Realty LLC.

Gisele y Joaquim no han confirmado su rumoreada relación, pero a menudo se les ve juntos. Además que fue él quien la recogió en el aeropuerto al amanecer.

Kadarius Toney is going ghost after his abysmal Thursday Night Football outing ... 'cause the Kansas City Chiefs receiver just deactivated his X account.

There's no sugar-coating it -- Toney had a bad game in the Chiefs' loss to the Detroit Lions in the opening game of the 2023 season ... missing three targets and deflecting a pass that was intercepted for a pick-six, which ended up being the game-changing play of the matchup.

Toney finished the game with one catch for one yard and one rush for a loss.

Fans were quick to share critical posts throughout the game ... mentioning Toney's account as they expressed their frustrations with his performance.

They can complain all they want, but Toney's tuning out the haters ... 'cause a visit to his "0fficialC2N" profile now reads "This account doesn't exist."

While Chiefs Kingdom and trolls are spewing hate, the guy's still getting support from his team ... as Patrick Mahomes said despite the drops, he has faith in Toney.

"Obviously he would've wanted to catch a few of those in the game, but I've trusted he's going to be that guy that I go to in those crucial moments, and he's going to make the catch and win us some games like he did last year," Mahomes told reporters after the 20-21 loss.

Jared Goff was gettin' all types of Ws on Thursday night ... 'cause after upsetting the Chiefs in the NFL's kickoff game, he got a celebratory kiss from his swimsuit model fiancée!

The PDA happened after the quarterback and his Detroit Lions shocked the defending Super Bowl champions, 21-20, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

Goff's partner, Christen Harper -- who just got engaged to the signal-caller back in June -- shared footage of the postgame smooch on her Instagram page ... showing her getting some lip-on-lip action with the QB after the game from the stands.

"Biiiiig fan of 16," Harper captioned the clip.

Of course, Goff deserved every bit of the love from Harper ... he threw for 253 yards and a touchdown in the victory, taking care of the ball throughout all four quarters of the close game.

Seems the quarterback should be getting used to the PDA from Harper going forward ... because the Lions appear to be the real deal, playing well in all three phases of the game.

New York stars Sterling Shepard and Julius Randle strutted down the runway during fashion week on Wednesday ... but they weren't the only highlight of the show -- their kids put their modeling skills on display, too!!

The Giants receiver and his two baby girls -- who he shares with ex-wife and model Chanel Iman -- took the stage at IRON23 in the Flatiron District for the 13th Annual Rookie USA Fashion Show ... and it's safe to say they had a blast.

You can see Shepard, his 5-year-old and 3-year-old do their thing in black and red Jordan gear ... and the receiver said his kiddos knew exactly what to do because they've been watching mommy's previous work.

"The girls love it," Shepard said. "Their mom was modeling since she was a young woman."

"They love doin' it. They watch videos of her all the time so they just love coming and I just love bringing them. It's been good!"

Shepard also talked Giants -- he's ready to get back on the field after going down with an ACL injury last season ... and said he can't wait for their first game against the Cowboys Sunday night.

"I got a lot of team goals," Shepard said. "I'm just looking forward to taking it week by week and trying to make a good run with the guys."

He wasn't the only NY star athlete to walk the stage ... Knicks hooper Julius Randle showed out with his wife, Kendra, and their two kids. They modeled down the runway in Nike sweatsuit outfits.

FYI, the event -- which was hosted by Kidfluencer Haileigh Vasquez -- will benefit Moms for Moms NYC on behalf of Randle ... and it provides postpartum and newborn essentials for single mothers living in poverty.

The NFL is officially back ... and Kansas City Chiefs heiress Gracie Hunt threw on a sexy team outfit to celebrate the momentous occasion!!!

The daughter of Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt put on some K.C. bikini bottoms and a crop-top jersey to show her support for her team as Patrick Mahomes and the guys get set to take on the Detroit Lions at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday night.

Along with two photos of the 'fit, the 24-year-old model wrote in a caption ... "Today’s the day!🙌🏼"

"It’s felt like a drought without football.🌵," she added. "Who’s ready for the regular season?!🙋🏼‍♀️🏈"

Of course, showing some skin along with support for her squad is nothing new for Gracie ... just a few months ago, she posted a couple of steamy photos of herself rockin' a K.C. bikini in the snow to gear up for the Chiefs' playoff game against the Jaguars.

NFL tight end Jimmy Graham can enter the 2023 season breathing a sigh of relief -- TMZ Sports has learned the New Orleans Saints star will NOT face criminal charges following his training camp arrest.

We're told the Orange County District Attorney's Office decided not to move forward with the case due to insufficient evidence ... meaning Graham will not have any potential legal trouble hanging over his head stemming from the Aug. 18 incident leading up to Week 1.

We broke the story -- 36-year-old Graham was arrested near a Newport Beach resort after cops say they observed him walking in traffic. When they tried to take him into custody, he resisted.

We obtained video of Graham prior to the arrest ... showing staffers chasing him as he ran through the resort grounds.

According to the arrest report, officers believed he was under the influence of a stimulant ... but the team said Graham may have experienced a medical episode, as he was taken to a nearby hospital later that night.

Graham was booked on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance and resisting, delaying and obstructing a police officer -- both misdemeanors -- but as of now, he's in the clear.

Graham -- who is making his return to the field after sitting out the 2022 season -- has since rejoined the team and made the 53-man roster.

Former NFL receiver Mike Williams -- the Offensive Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2010 -- has died following a recent accident at a construction site.

According to a GoFundMe page set up by Williams' family, the ex-Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout suffered a "massive head injury" a few days ago when a steel beam fell on him ... causing "complete paralysis in his right arm as well as his lower body from the waist down."

Sadly, Williams' family says his condition worsened in the ensuing days ... and Spectrum News 1's Jon Scott reported Monday he passed away.

He was just 36 years old.

News of his death Monday evening rocked the football world ... with his former teammate, Gerald McCoy, tweeting he was devastated to learn of the passing.

"Dang man hurts my heart seeing the news of my former teammate and Buccaneers 2010 draft class brother Mike Williams," McCoy said. "Always great energy, brought joy and laughter to the locker room and a heck of a player!! Prayers and blessings to his family!! 🙏🏾😔"

The Bucs picked Williams with a selection in the fourth round of the '10 NFL Draft ... and he went on to have an outstanding rookie season, finishing only behind Sam Bradford for OROY honors.

He would go on to play for three more seasons in Tampa, before he was traded to the Bills in 2014. He was never able to replicate the production he had as a rookie, however, and he bounced from the league after just one year in Buffalo.

The former Syracuse standout finished his career with 3,089 receiving yards and 26 receiving touchdowns in 63 total games.

RIP.

Tom Brady has a new venture post-NFL life -- but it's one that has absolutely nothing to do with football, or even sports ... as he's partnering up with a massive American airline. 🤔

Indeed, Delta announced a multi-year agreement Wednesday that they've struck with TB12 -- making him a new long-term strategic adviser for their company ... which will see him give their employees, their customers and their stakeholders a piece of his mind on a number of topics -- including general greatness, something that's right up his alley.

Here's how the CEO pitches this ... "Delta’s people are driven by their commitment to world-class performance, excellence and a desire to achieve best-in-class results. Bringing a leader like Tom onto the Delta team furthers our mission to connect the world while accelerating our drive to continuously improve for our colleagues, customers and communities."

Specifically, Delta says Brady will assist them in developing/advising on strategic training and "teamwork tools" for their more than 90,000 workers. He's also going to be the new face of Delta, it seems, when it comes to marketing for current and prospective ticket buyers.

And finally ... Delta says TB's going to get involved in their shared "communities," but are kinda vague on what exactly that means. In any case, they've landed a major whale here.

As for Tom himself, he's quoted as saying ... "I am grateful to be joining the Delta family, a company I have loved and respected for years," Brady said. "Growing up with a mother as a flight attendant, I have always admired the people that make seamless air transportation possible. Throughout my career, my teammates and I flew Delta countless times, spending hours traveling for some of the most important games of our lives, even celebrating Super Bowl wins on the plane."

He adds, "Those championship teams were built off of great leadership and a commitment to excellence, and Delta certainly shares those qualities. Now, alongside Ed and the Delta team, I look forward to playing my part to continue the company’s success."

No word on what the money looks like here, but ya gotta imagine Brady's making a fortune off of this ... as he seems committed for the long haul, and his services don't come cheap these days. Remember -- he signed a 10-year, $375 million contract with FOX Sports already. Plus, he's got tons of other sponsorships under his belt -- Hertz and so many more.