Antonio Richardson (born December 17, 1971) is an American former

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

fullback in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL) for the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...

and

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

. He was signed by the

as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

in 1994. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

Auburn University Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a public land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama. With more than 24,600 undergraduate students and a total enrollment of more than 30,000 with 1,330 faculty members, Auburn is the second largest uni ...

. He is considered one of the best fullbacks in NFL history having blocked for 1,000 yards rushers in nine consecutive NFL seasons in addition to leading the

in rushing yards in 2000. During those seasons he blocked for multiple Pro Bowl running backs including

Priest Holmes Priest Anthony Holmes (born October 7, 1973)
''www.databasefootball.com.'' Retrieved February 13, 2016 ...

, Larry Johnson,

Adrian Peterson Adrian Lewis Peterson (born March 21, 1985) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest running backs in football history. He played college football at Oklahoma, where he set the ...

and Thomas Jones.

Early years

Richardson did not start playing football until attending Daleville High School in

Daleville, Alabama Daleville is a city in Dale County, Alabama, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 5,295, up from 4,653 in 2000. It is part of the Ozark Micropolitan Statistical Area. The city's nickname is "Gateway to Fort Rucker", as this U.S ...

. As a senior, he posted 1,003 rushing yards. He also competed in

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

and

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

. He accepted a football scholarship from

, where he was a three-year starter. As a true freshman, he became the second player to start his first game at Auburn for head coach

Pat Dye Patrick Fain Dye (November 6, 1939 – June 1, 2020) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at East Carolina University (1974–1979), the University of Wyoming (1980), ...

. As a junior, he began blocking for two-time All-SEC running back

James Bostic James Edward Bostic (born March 13, 1972) is a former American football running back, who played college football at Auburn University. He also played for the Philadelphia Eagles in the National Football League (NFL) and the defunct XFL. Bostic ...

. As a senior, he started all 11 games at fullback, contributing to the team having an undefeated season with an 11–0 record and finishing ranked #4 in the

AP Poll The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broadca ...

. He registered 58 carries for 249 yards (third on the team), 4 rushing touchdowns, 28 receptions for 273 yards and 2 receiving touchdowns. He finished his college career with 162 carries for 715 rushing yards, 9 rushing touchdowns, 44 receptions for 395 receiving yards and 2 receiving touchdowns. In 2015, he was inducted into the

Alabama Sports Hall of Fame The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (ASHOF) is a state museum located in Birmingham, Alabama, dedicated to communicating the state’s athletic history. The museum displays over 5,000 objects related to athletes who were born in Alabama or earned fame ...

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

Richardson was signed as an

by the

after the

1994 NFL Draft The 1994 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 1994, at the Marriott Mar ...

. He was waived on April 29. He was later brought back to the team and given the chance to finish training camp. On August 28, he was released for a second time. On August 30, he was signed to the

practice squad In sports, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. Frequently used in gridiron football, they serve as extra players during the team's practices, ...

, where he remained the rest of the season as part of a team that included

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

ers

Emmitt Smith Emmitt James Smith III (born May 15, 1969) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys. Among other accolades, he is the lea ...

and

Daryl Johnston Daryl Peter "Moose" Johnston (born February 10, 1966) is a former fullback in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Syracuse University. He was the General Manager of the San Antonio Commanders of t ...

. At the end of the year, he was declared a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

Kansas City Chiefs

On February 28,

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

, Richardson signed as a

with the

. He started one game in that season, and was noted for blocking for Hall of Famer

Marcus Allen Marcus LeMarr Allen (born March 26, 1960) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the Los Angeles Raiders. Considered one of the greatest goal line and short-y ...

on his way to his 100th career touchdown. In 1999, he became the starting fullback for the team, blocking for

Donnell Bennett Donnell Bennett, Jr. (born September 14, 1972) is a former American football fullback in the National Football League for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Washington Redskins. Bennett attended Cardinal Gibbons High School. He played college foo ...

and

Bam Morris Byron "Bam" Morris (born January 13, 1972) is a former American football running back who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, and the Kansas City Chiefs. Early life Morris attended Texas Tech University where he ...

. He later blocked for record setting running back

Priest Holmes Priest Anthony Holmes (born October 7, 1973)
''www.databasefootball.com.'' Retrieved February 13, 2016 ...

and the most productive seasons of Larry Johnson's career. In 2000, he was given a chance to be the team's featured back in the fifteenth game against the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...

, posting 23 carries for 156 rushing yards and one touchdown. In 2001, the Chiefs signed

Priest Holmes Priest Anthony Holmes (born October 7, 1973)
''www.databasefootball.com.'' Retrieved February 13, 2016 ...

and Richardson helped him lead the NFL in rushing yards (1,555). In 2002, with Richardson's blocking contribution, Holmes had the best season by a running back in Chiefs history, registering 1,615 rushing yards, 672 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns. Richardson was named to USA Today's All-Joe Team in 2000 and 2001. He was selected to represent the AFC in the

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

and

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...

s. In 2016, he was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame during the 2016 season.

Minnesota Vikings

On March 21,

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

, Richardson signed with the Minnesota Vikings. He suffered a broken forearm in the ninth game against the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

. On November 22, he was placed on the

injured reserve list The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...

. He was replaced with second year player Jeff Dugan. Richardson contributed to running back

Chester Taylor Chester Lamar Taylor (born September 22, 1979) also known as Che Tay is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. In 2006, he signed ...

's only career 1,000 rushing yard season. In

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

, he appeared in 14 games with 3 starts and blocked for rookie

. He was selected to represent the

NFC NFC may refer to: Psychology * Need for cognition, in psychology * Need for closure, social psychological term Sports * NFC Championship Game, the National Football Conference Championship Game * NCAA Football Championship (Philippines) * Nati ...

in the

2008 Pro Bowl The 2008 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2007 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 10, 2008. The game was televised in the United States by Fox and began shortly after 11:40am l ...

. At the end of the season, the Vikings did not re-sign Richardson, opting to pay for the cheaper

Thomas Tapeh Thomas Teah Tapeh (pronounced ''TUH-PEH'') (born March 28, 1980 in Monrovia, Liberia) is a former American football fullback. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round in the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Minn ...

New York Jets

On March 6,

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

, Richardson signed a one-year contract with the

, reuniting with his former Chiefs running back coach

Jimmy Raye II James Arthur Raye Jr. (born March 26, 1946) is an American football coach and former player who is currently a senior adviser to NFL vice-president Troy Vincent. A book about his college career by award-winning sportswriter Tom Shanahan was publi ...

. He was re-signed by the team on February 27,

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

. Following the expiration of his previous contract, Richardson, once again, signed with the team on March 16,

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

. He was released on September 5, but a day later he was re-signed after the Jets reached a deal with

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...

Darrelle Revis Darrelle Shavar Revis (born July 14, 1985) is an American former football cornerback who played in National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. He played college football at Pittsburgh and was selected in the ...

. He wasn't re-signed after the season. He was the recipient of the

"Whizzer" White NFL Man of the Year Award The NFLPA Alan Page Community Award (APC) has been awarded by the National Football League Players Association continuously since 1967. Previously named the Byron "Whizzer" White NFL Man of the Year Award, after Byron "Whizzer" White, the award w ...

at the end of the 2010 season. During his time with the Jets, Richardson helped Thomas Jones to two 1,000+ yard seasons.

Personal life

His father,

sergeant major Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. History In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's infantry, and ranked about third in the ...

Ben Richardson, was stationed in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

when Tony was born, and he lived there for the first eight years of his life. When they returned to the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, the family lived in

. He received his

Bachelor of Education A Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) is an undergraduate professional degree which prepares students for work as a teacher in schools. In some countries such as Tanzania and Kenya, additional tasks like field work and research are required in order for ...

degree in 2000, and later got his

MBA A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounti ...

from

Webster University Webster University is a private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, Missouri. It has multiple branch locations across the United States and countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs ...

in 2004. Off the field, Richardson is very involved with local charities. He hosts the Kansas City chapter of the annual

Special Olympics Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in 1 ...

Punt, Pass & Kick competition, and has served as chairman of many charitable organizations and fundraisers. In 2002, he was nominated by his team for the NFL Man of the Year award. Richardson was elected to the

NFLPA The National Football League Players Association, or NFLPA, is a labor union representing National Football League (NFL) players. The NFLPA, which has headquarters in Washington, D.C., is led by president J. C. Tretter and executive director DeMa ...

executive committee in 2008 for a two-year term.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Richardson, Tony 1971 births Living people People from Daleville, Alabama Players of American football from Alabama German players of American football American football fullbacks Auburn Tigers football players Dallas Cowboys players Kansas City Chiefs players Minnesota Vikings players New York Jets players American Conference Pro Bowl players National Conference Pro Bowl players Webster University alumni Ed Block Courage Award recipients Sportspeople from Frankfurt