DAVIE, Fla. - Ricky Williams owes the Miami Dolphins $8.6 million, which is one reason he decided to return to work.

Williams was back in the Miami backfield Monday, two days past the one-year anniversary of his abrupt retirement. A judge last fall found him in breach of contract and ordered him to repay millions in bonus money he had received.

Williams said he decided in February to play this season, and the court ruling was a factor.

"I was looking at my future," he said. "Whether I wanted to go back to school or start a new job, I'd have that settlement chasing me."

Said Williams' agent, Leigh Steinberg: "It's like the sword of Damocles hanging over someone's head."

Because Williams sat out last season, he's due only the NFL minimum $540,000 this year, compared with the $3.7 million he passed up in 2004. The team has yet to seek repayment of the $8.6 million, and Steinberg said financial issues regarding Williams' return can be addressed later.

"The first step, miraculously, is that Ricky's here," Steinberg said. "Let the healing process begin."

Greeted with hugs from teammates and cheers from fans, Williams took the field for the Dolphins' first training camp practice under new coach Nick Saban.

"I think everybody is accepting of his ability and respectful of him as a competitor," Saban said. "I think everybody is anxious to see that he is committed and to evaluate his level of commitment."

At a team meeting after players reported for camp, Williams spoke briefly and apologized for the impact caused by his retirement a year ago. The Dolphins went into a nosedive and finished 4-12, their worst season since the 1960s.

"There were things about life that I wanted to explore outside of football, and I had never had the chance," Williams said at a news conference after the first practice. "I realize by making that decision, I affected the team in a negative way and upset a lot of fans.

"I'm very regretful that people were hurt in the process of me doing that. I do realize that to a lot of people it comes off as being very selfish. So I do offer an apology to all the people who were negatively impacted."

His words of contrition seemed to satisfy teammates, including center Seth McKinney, who a year ago called Williams a quitter.

"In the team meeting, he did what he had to do," McKinney said. "He's a man about it. We're all being men about it. Nobody is holding any grudges. We all want him back. He's a great player."

When Williams returned to the field, nearly a thousand fans were on hand in humid, 85-degree sunshine. His name and number (34) - were still missing from a roster handout - an oversight, a team official said. But a dozen fans wore No. 34 jerseys, the same ones sold for half-price in South Florida last fall.

A pass pattern sent him sprinting toward the stands and the crowd cheered, prompting him to grin. He smiled again later when he stepped to a lectern to answer questions from a cluster of reporters, never his favorite activity and something he hadn't done in 19 months.

When the topic turned to his admitted use of marijuana, Williams said he no longer smokes it. He faces a four-game suspension at the start of the season for violating the NFL substance abuse policy.

"Being an NFL player, I had a problem with some of the rules. I wasn't very comfortable with it, and I decided to walk away from it, " Williams said. "Being away and having a chance to learn a lot about myself, I realized that freedom is having the strength to be in any situation and be content with that situation."

Defensive end Jason Taylor, critical of Williams when the drug issue surfaced last year, said he considers the matter closed.

"I don't think he needs to talk to us about it," Taylor said. "It's none of our business. He can deal with things however he wants. Just don't leave again."