Again.

This time, however, it appears to be for good.

Williams, 34, told the Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday that he won’t be back to fulfill the second year of a contract he signed in August. Playing as a backup to Ray Rice this year, Williams ran for 444 yards and scored two touchdowns.

He also became the 26th player in NFL history to reach 10,000 yards rushing, reaching the plateau in the season finale at Cincinnati.

Williams retired previously before the 2004 season when facing a four-game suspension for violating the league’s drug policy. He returned in 2005, then left to spend the 2006 season with Toronto of the Canadian Football League.

On his Twitter account, Williams said he intends to “do something really special” in the next phase of his life.

He told the University of Texas, where he won the Heisman Trophy, “I have to thank coach (John) Harbaugh and the Ravens organization for the opportunity they gave me this year. I had so much fun and really appreciated the chance to finish on such a great note.”

After his college career at Texas, Williams broke into the NFL in 1999 with the New Orleans Saints. Mike Ditka, then coach of the Saints, traded all the team’s draft and first- and third-round picks in 2000 to pick Williams fifth overall.

Williams spent only three years with New Orleans, but during over 11 years in the league he had five 1,000-yard rushing seasons and finished with 10,009 yards on the ground.

Williams led the NFL in 2002 with 1,853 yards rushing for the Miami Dolphins and received his lone Pro Bowl invitation that season. He backed that up with 1,372 yards in 2003, giving him what remains the two most productive rushing seasons in Dolphins history.

Although Williams’ last start was in 2009, he enjoyed coming off the bench for the Ravens.

“It’s been interesting,” he said in November. “It’s been an adjustment for me, but I love the organization and I love my teammates so I’m having a good time. I’m enjoying myself. Anytime you play a team sport, the success of the team really makes everything better. It’s nice.”

Baltimore went 12-4 this season and lost to New England in the AFC championship game.

During that November interview, Williams was asked whether playing as a backup could possibly extend his career.

“At this point, my focus is just to finish my career strong,” he said. “I’m not even thinking two or three years down the line. But one positive about not carrying the ball is my body does feel good.”

Williams scored 73 touchdowns over his career, all but eight of them on the ground.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

On the football field, Ravens defensive tackle Orlando Brown could take the hits and push back harder. But it was the hit he never saw coming that brought him down.

Brown died suddenly last September at his Inner Harbor home at just 40 years old. At first, no one knew why.

For 10 days, what killed this giant of a man remained a mystery. An investigation was launched and finally the surprising ruling from the medical examiner: Orlando Brown had died of diabetes.

“There’s a big sense of emptiness that’s just left by him not being around,” said Brown’s best friend and former teammate Wally Williams.

Williams is still reeling from the news.

“I’m still shocked,” he said. “It was just the last person that I expected to hear something like that from. I’m still nowhere near to being over him not being here with us right now.”

Williams is convinced the friend he knew since college never suspected he had diabetes.

“I know for a fact that was something he thought was never going to be a problem and if he knew, he was going to take care of it,” Williams said.

Diabetes is a treatable disease if caught in time. But the tricky part is knowing you even have it. It’s estimated some seven million Americans are walking around with diabetes and they have no clue.

“It just shows that you have to go the extra mile to take care of yourself. Externally, you’re one way but you have to take care of yourself internally,” Williams said.

A simple blood glucose test will tell if you have the disease but many people never get it. By the time you notice symptoms, you’ve had it for some time.

“It’s often called the silent killer because the symptoms can often be confused with something typical,” said Kathy Rogers, American Diabetes Association.

“This disease is so sneaky. It can come and hit you before you know it. It’s like, bam! It’s here,” said diabetic Debbie Holden.

Like Brown, 57-year-old Holden never suspected she had diabetes but found out with a routine medical test.

“I was one of the lucky ones to still be alive ’cause the same thing that happened to him could very well have happened to me,” Holden said.

“It’s a problem with African-American men: that we don’t go to the doctor because we feel that we can just be tough,” Williams said. “You’re coached that way. You’re brought up that way. As a matter of fact, every guy in the NFL has that same feeling.”

Williams is heartbroken, knowing Brown would have successfully dealt with diabetes like he did everything in his life—if he only knew.

“That was the last conversation I had with him, you know, to take care of yourself,” Williams said.

It’s a sad lesson from a life too short. Whether it’s diabetes or another illness with hidden symptoms, get checked out before it’s too late.

“You only get one shot at life and you want to make sure you go about it the right way,” Williams said.

You can find out whether you’re at risk for diabetes by clicking here.

Monique Griego sat down with a group of kids he’s inspired.

Football players are typically praised for athletics but the Baltimore Ravens’ Matt Birk is being recognized for inspiring future academics. Before the Super Bowl kickoff, Birk was honored as the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year for his work in children’s literacy.

“To see that he has a real relationship with reading, sports and education is so important for students to see,” said reading specialist Christine Vincent.

Birk came to Taneytown Elementary last September to kick off his “Ready, Set, Read” program.

“It just goes to show if you really work hard, study hard in school, you can do anything,” said Vincent.

The program gives kids at home reading goals and journals to practice writing.

“It’s once in a lifetime for a football player to come to your school, so I was excited about reading,” said student Tyler Cherneski.

The kids admit they weren’t always excited to go home and start reading but say this program changed that.

“I like the program because it makes me read a lot more than usual,” said student Liam Gambino.

Many of the students felt a special connection to Birk as they watched him receive his award.

“I feel so excited because he did all this work to inspire us,” said student Drew Giles.

So far, they seem to be taking in his message that while careers come and go, an education is forever.

“It made me feel that a Ravens player does like reading more than football a little,” said student Paige Brussels.

The kids win prizes for reaching their reading goals. So far, teachers say the program is working.

Birk graduated from Harvard and is a father of five.

In a time where bad behavior is not just forgiven but sometimes admired it’s a welcome relief to remember that men like Matt Birk still play football. Matt was just awarded the Walter Payton Man of the Year for outstanding community contributions; specifically his efforts to improve literacy in our community. Lack of literacy is at the core of most of the serious problems we suffer in Baltimore. Consider that far fewer than half of our high school kids graduate and a good portion of those that do are not able to read at an acceptable level. That means no jobs, no future, and for many a criminal career for a lack of other options. He couldn’t have picked a more important cause in this town. Couple this award with the fact he is a Pro Bowl center who came to the NFL via …Harvard of all places and you have a very bright, philanthropic professional athlete. WOW, what a concept!

I have met Matt many times and for those of you that haven’t he’s even a nicer guy when you meet him in person. I’m not going to go on and on about his good qualities I’m just glad he was recognized with this award and remind everyone how proud they should be that he’s a Raven.

Congratulations Matt, well deserved.

The Walter Payton award recognized Birk for his playing excellence as well as his community service. He will be honored Sunday before the Super Bowl kick-off.

“This award is not about the recipient, but rather a celebration of the decades-long tradition of NFL players using their unique platform to touch lives and make a positive and lasting impact in the communities in which they work and live,” Birk said. “I have always considered it a privilege to play in the NFL and serve the communities that support our game.”

Birk has played 14 seasons in the NFL. He helped Ravens’ running back Ray Rice to score a record 15 touchdowns and rush for a career-high 1,364 yards.

Birk promotes youth literacy with the “Ready, Set, Read!” program through his H.I.K.E. Foundation, motivating almost 100,000 children in the Baltimore area to read at home through an incentive-based system. He also plans to donate his brain and spinal cord tissue after his death to the Boston University School of Medicine to facilitate research on the effects of repeated head traumas.

Birk has won this award eight times and was a finalist in 2008.

Suggs’ award recognizes his AFC-best and career-high 14 sacks of the year and NFL-high seven fumbles that set a franchise single-season record. He was also instrumental in the Ravens’ advance to the AFC championship game.

“Our fans are the NFL’s best. I’ve always said that I play for our fans, and this honor is a tribute to them,” Suggs said.

Suggs contributed to his team’s stingy defense that ranked third in the NFL in fewest points permitted for the fourth consecutive year.

“He showed the rare ability that we all know he has,” said the Ravens’ linebackers coach Ted Monachino. “He was technical, physical, tough and explosive in nearly every phase of his game. People see the sack totals and know he is a special player, but it’s all the other parts of the game that prove, week-in and week-out, what a valuable player he is for our defense and for our team.”

The Patriots will take on the New York Giants Sunday in the Super Bowl, and its a great match up.  The Giants are one of the few teams in football that can get pressure on the QB without blitzing.  This could make for a long evening for Tom Brady.  Don’t get me wrong, New England will get their points, but I don’t think their defense can slow down Eli Manning and the Giants offense.

I expect a lot of action in this one, but in the end, I think Tom Coughlin will be beating Bill Belichick in the Super Bowl for the second time in four years.

Giants win 27-24

Super Bowl 46 on his field. At his Stadium. In his city will hand another Super Bowl win and ring to a nemeses of sorts for the 4 time MVP. It will be the 4th for Pats QB (and husband of a super model) Tom Brady or the 2nd for little brother Eli Manning. Either way a tough pill to swallow for a guy as competitive as big brother Peyton Manning regardless of his accomplishments in the NFL.

I hold Peyton is the highest esteem, but many use super bowl rings as a large indicator to how good a QB was historically. No matter what happens Super Bowl Sunday there will be one more notch in a belt not belonging to Peyton and to do it in Indy is a pound of salt in a wound that’s a missed 2011 season via 3 neck surgeries and the possibility of retirement.

So come Sunday I’m rooting for Peyton Manning despite knowing he’s in a no win situation.

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Bisciotti talked about getting over the loss in the AFC Championship game and what the team needs to do to improve

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Steve Bisciotti also said that age will not close the window on the Ravens championship aspirations:

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Bisciotti also said he doesn’t blame any players for the AFC Championship loss:

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Ozzie Newsome talks about Joe Flacco: