May 19, 2007 2 min read

DAVIE, Fla. (AP) – The Miami Dolphins all but slammed the door Friday on a return by troubled running back Ricky Williams. “I will not allow our fans to be let down by people that are not on our roster – not again,” new coach Cam Cameron said in his first public comments about Williams’ latest drug relapse. “It’s my responsibility not to let that happen. We have the greatest fans in the game, and we’ve got men on our team that we’re going to focus on.”

Cameron, who became Miami’s coach in January, made the comments to explain his previous reluctance to discuss Williams. An NFL rushing champion for the Dolphins in 2002, Williams tested positive for marijuana again last month, which will delay his return to the league until at least September.

Williams, who turns 30 on Monday, has played only 12 games since 2003. His current suspension began in April 2006 after he violated the league’s drug policy for the fourth time.

“The easiest predictor of future behavior is previous behavior,” Cameron said. “Could I have made that statement 15 years ago? Absolutely not. I was trying to save every guy in the game.

“Ultimately it comes down to the team. You want to be as fair as you can be, but no individual comes above the team.”

When asked what his batting average is trying to “save” troubled players, Cameron said, “Very low.”