FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (KRT) – Former Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams, who has proven just as elusive to television cameras as would-be tacklers since abandoning the Dolphins a week before training camp opened this summer, told “60 Minutes” correspondent Mike Wallace he quit out of fear that his third failed drug test would become public knowledge.

“That’s the one thing that I couldn’t deal with at the time. People knowing that I smoke marijuana,” said a bearded Williams during a 15-minute taped interview aired on CBS Sunday night.

Williams admitted he was still smoking marijuana and when Wallace asked if he would pass a drug test today, his response was an instant no.

When pressed as to whether he abused any “worse” drugs, Williams denied he ever took steroids while pulling an end-around.

Williams, wearing a red shirt under a red jacket, said the more money he made, the more imprisoned he felt.

“I thought that money would give me that freedom. I was wrong, of course,” said Williams, who forfeited his $5 million contract this season. “It bound me more than it freed me.”

Williams seemed unconcerned that he owed the Dolphins more than $8 million for breach of contract.

“If I looked at it, and every day I woke up and I said, “God, I’ve got all this money to pay back. I’ve got all these problems.’ . . . I wouldn’t be sitting here with you with a smile on my face right now, you know?” Williams said.

Williams assumes no responsibility for the Dolphins’ 2-11 season and doesn’t believe he owes anyone an apology for retiring “from that lifestyle.”

“If I can find a reason to apologize then I would love to apologize,” Williams said. “What if I disagree? Do I still have to apologize that I cost them their season?

“I played my butt off. I played as hard as I could whenever I put that uniform on.

“I moved on. So when is it OK for me to stop playing football? When my knees went out … my shoulders?”

However, Wallace got Williams to admit that he did betray the Dolphins and their fans, but showed no remorse in doing so.

Williams said he had no idea if he would ever play football again. When asked where he’d like to be when he was 50, he simply replied, “Alive.”