Trenton Jamond Richardson (born July 10, 1990) is an
American football running back for the Caudillos de Chihuahua of
Fútbol Americano de México. He played
college football for the
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and largest of the publ ...
, was recognized as an
All-American, and was a member of two
BCS National Championship teams. Considered the top running back prospect for the
2012 NFL Draft, Richardson was considered by some as the best running back prospect since
Adrian Peterson, and was selected third overall by the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ...
. After being traded away from the Browns to the
Indianapolis Colts during his second season, his production saw a massive decline. Having been out of the NFL after five seasons, he is sometimes considered one of the biggest draft busts in league history. He played for the
Birmingham Iron of the
Alliance of American Football in 2019 and led the league with 12 rushing touchdowns.
Early years
Richardson was born in
Pensacola, Florida. He played
football at
Escambia High School Richardson finished his senior season with 2,100 yards on 228 carries scoring 25 touchdowns. In a game against
Milton High School in September 2008, Richardson rushed for 419 yards on 29 carries and scored six touchdowns, a performance that earned him a selection as the first ''
ESPN RISE
''ESPN HS'' was a high school sports magazine published monthly during the school year in 25 markets around the United States. Founded as ''SchoolSports'' magazine in 1997, the publication changed its name to ''RISE'' in 2006 and was purchased ...
'' National Football Player of the Week. As a junior, Richardson also reached the 400-yard plateau, as he ran for 407 yards in his opening game against
Tate High School. He finished his junior season (8 games) with 1,390 yards and 13 touchdowns, and received FSWA All-State 5A second team honors. He sat out his second year due to an injury. He made the FSWA 5A All-State First Team as a senior, and was named 5A Florida Player of the Year and a finalist for the 2008 Mr. Football. Richardson also received consensus All-American honors and was named to the ''
Orlando Sentinels All Southern Team (Florida).
Richardson also lettered in
track & field at Escambia. In 2008, he captured a regional title in the 100-meter dash (10.81 s) and placed 5th at the state meet with a time of 10.9 seconds (World-class sprinter
Jeff Demps won the event). He owned a personal-best time of 10.5 seconds in the
100 meters
The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contes ...
. In addition, he also participated in the
long jump event and had a best-mark of 6.55 meters.
Richardson was frequently compared to
Emmitt Smith, who also starred at Escambia (1987 graduate), but his physique and running style are more similar to
Earl Campbell. Richardson also drew comparisons to
Michael Turner and
O. J. Simpson. Considered a five-star recruit by ''
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel.
History
Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heck ...
'', Richardson was listed as the No. 2 running back prospect in the nation (behind only
Bryce Brown). He chose Alabama over
Florida,
Florida State, and
LSU, among others.
College career
Richardson accepted an
athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university or a private high school awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport. Athletic scholarships are common in the United ...
to attend the
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and largest of the publ ...
, where he played for coach
Nick Saban's
Alabama Crimson Tide football team from
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; Prote ...
to
2011.
2009 season
In his first year at Alabama, Richardson stepped in quickly for the departed
Glen Coffee, and shared time at the tailback position with Roy Upchurch and
Mark Ingram, Jr. When recruited, Crimson Tide coach
Nick Saban called Richardson, "the real key to the class," and "an outstanding player at a position that a young player can contribute next year."
In the second game of the season against
Florida International, Richardson had 118 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 40–14 victory. Richardson was named
SEC Freshman of the Week for Week 2 and Week 4. Richardson was also named to the 2009
SEC All-Freshman team alongside
Barrett Jones and
Nico Johnson. He also contributed significantly in the
2010 BCS National Championship against the
Texas Longhorns
The Texas Longhorns are the athletic teams representing the University of Texas at Austin. The teams are sometimes referred to as the Horns and take their name from Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and a ...
with 109 yards rushing and 2
touchdowns. For the season, he had 145 carries for 751 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.
He had 16 receptions for 126 receiving yards on the season.
2010 season
Richardson started the first two games of the season with
Mark Ingram II sitting out due to an injury. In the season opener against
San Jose State, he 112 scrimmage yards and two rushing touchdowns. The following week against
Penn State, he ran for a career-high 144 yards on 22 carries and a touchdown. On October 16, Richardson had five receptions for 101 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown against
Ole Miss. In the
annual rivalry game against
Tennessee, he had 12 carries for 118 rushing yards and a touchdown in the 41–10 victory.
For the season, he had 112 carries for 700 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns and 266 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns.
Richardson also had 634 kick return yards with a touchdown on the year.
2011 season
With the departure of
Mark Ingram II to the
NFL, Richardson took over the starting role at
running back. During the season, Richardson ran for over 100 yards in nine games. He tied
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander (born August 30, 1977) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for t ...
with six consecutive 100-yard rushing games. He scored two or more touchdowns in seven games. He set a career-high against Ole Miss running for 183 yards and four touchdowns. In the
Iron Bowl
The Alabama–Auburn football rivalry, better known as the Iron Bowl, is an American college football rivalry game between the Auburn University Tigers and University of Alabama Crimson Tide, both charter members of the Southeastern Confer ...
, Richardson ran for a new career high of 203 yards in the 42–14 victory. He won the
Doak Walker Award becoming the first player from Alabama to win.
He finished third in the
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and har ...
voting behind eventual winner
Robert Griffin III and
Andrew Luck
Andrew Austen Luck (born September 12, 1989) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. One of the most highly touted amateur prospects during his ...
.
He was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year and earned All-American honors. In the
2012 BCS National Championship Game, Richardson rushed for 96 yards and a touchdown to secure his second national championship with the Crimson Tide.
For the season, Richardson had 1,679 rushing yards, breaking
Mark Ingram II's record for most rushing yards in a season, and 21 rushing touchdowns. His 21 rushing touchdowns were an SEC running back record.
He also had 338 receiving yards with three touchdowns, making his season total touchdowns 24 which tied
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander (born August 30, 1977) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for t ...
's
SEC record.
On January 12, 2012, Richardson declared for the
2012 NFL Draft, thus forgoing his final year of collegiate eligibility.
At the time of his announcement, he was projected as a first round pick and the top running back prospect in the draft.
College statistics
Professional career
Pre-draft
Entering his junior season, Richardson was widely regarded as the best
running back available in the
2012 NFL Draft, and he cemented his reputation with strong play over the course of the year. After undergoing a minor knee surgery in February 2012, Richardson did not participate in drills at the 2012
NFL Combine
The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Fo ...
. He later also decided to skip workouts at the Alabama Pro Day on March 7. Richardson held his own Pro Day on March 27.
By March 2012, Richardson was widely projected to be a top six draft choice by the majority of analysts and scouts, with the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ...
,
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The clu ...
, and
St. Louis Rams rumored to be showing the most interest. Former Colts vice chairman
Bill Polian called him one of the "three sure-thing players" in the 2012 draft.
Cleveland Browns
Richardson was selected in the first round with the third overall pick by the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ...
, after they had traded picks with the
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 expan ...
to select him ahead of the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The clu ...
. Richardson was the highest selected running back since
Reggie Bush
Reginald Alfred Bush Jr. (born March 2, 1985) is an American former football running back who now serves as an on-air college football analyst for Fox Sports. He played college football at USC, where he earned consensus All-American honors ...
went second overall in
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 ...
. The Browns had not selected a running back in the first round since
William Green in
2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
. On July 23, Richardson and the Browns agreed to a four-year, $20.4 million contract (fully guaranteed) with a $13.3 million signing bonus.
On August 9, 2012, Richardson underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove some cartilage fragments in his left knee. Richardson missed the entire preseason, but returned for the season opener. In his debut against the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
, he rushed for 39 yards on 19 carries, being limited in his touches after having just come off the disabled list. The following week, in a 24-34 loss against the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The club's home ...
, he rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. He also had 4 receptions for 36 yards and a receiving touchdown. He was the first Browns rookie to rush for over 100 yards and score rushing and receiving touchdowns in the same game. During Week 13, against the
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 t ...
, Richardson rushed for 42 yards and two touchdowns, tying
Jim Brown
James Nathaniel Brown (born February 17, 1936) is a former American football player, sports analyst and actor. He played as a fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1957 through 1965. Considered to be one ...
's franchise rookie record of 9 touchdowns. He rushed for 3.6 yards per carry, which was the lowest yards per carry stat for a rookie running back in the NFL 2012 season.
Prior to the 2013 season, Richardson was ranked as the 71st best player in the NFL by his fellow players. Richardson would only play two games for the Browns in
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
before being traded. He rushed for 105 yards on 31 carries in losses to the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The ...
and
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
.
Indianapolis Colts
On September 18, 2013, Richardson was traded to the
Indianapolis Colts for a
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...
first-round draft pick. The Colts were looking for a running back after a season-ending injury to
Vick Ballard. In his first carry as a Colt, Richardson scored a one-yard touchdown against the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
. He struggled through most of the season and was demoted in favor of
Donald Brown on December 1, 2013. Richardson returned to his starting role in the Colts Week 15 game against the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their home games at N ...
when Brown left due to injury, and recorded his first touchdown since Week 4 against
Jacksonville
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...
. Richardson fumbled on his first career playoff carry against the
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 t ...
in the Colts' Wild Card 45–44 victory.
Richardson began the 2014 season splitting carries with veteran running back
Ahmad Bradshaw
Ahmad Bradshaw (born March 19, 1986) is a former American football running back. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. He played college football at Marshall. He is a two-time Super Bowl champion, wi ...
, limiting his carries and yardage totals. Bradshaw was injured in a Week 11 game against the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The P ...
, making Richardson the lead back. However, after Week 13,
Dan Herron replaced Richardson as the Colts' primary running back after totaling 88 yards on just eight carries, including a 49-yard touchdown run. In the
2014–15 NFL playoffs
The National Football League playoffs for the 2014 season began on January 3, 2015. The postseason tournament concluded with the New England Patriots defeating the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX, 28–24, on February 1, at University of Phoe ...
, Richardson was not active for Indianapolis' final two playoff games. He was suspended by the team for the AFC Championship Game against the Patriots after he missed a walk-through for what he called a "family emergency" and did not alert the team. On March 12, 2015, the Colts waived Richardson.
Oakland Raiders
On March 17, 2015, Richardson signed a two-year, $3,850,000 contract with the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Rai ...
. The deal included $600,000 guaranteed. He missed the first part of training camp due to a bout with pneumonia. On August 31, 2015, Richardson was released by the team.
Baltimore Ravens
On April 18, 2016, Richardson signed with the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
, but was waived by the team on August 2, 2016.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
In July 2017, the
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division.
The Roughriders were founded in 1 ...
of the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
added Richardson to their negotiation list. The following month, he announced his decision not to sign with the team. However, he eventually signed with the team on September 26, 2017. On October 27 against the
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes (French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the East Division of the Canad ...
, Richardson suffered an ankle injury late in the game. He was placed on the injured list on November 1, and subsequently missed out on the playoffs. Richardson played in 4 games during the 2017 regular season, rushing 48 times for 259 yards and 2 touchdowns.
His rushing totals, as well as his average yards per carry, increased each week. Richardson also recovered a fumble from quarterback
Kevin Glenn during a quarterback sneak, and converted the first down. On May 10, 2018, Roughriders head coach
Chris Jones announced that the team did not expect Richardson to report to the team's 2018 training camp on May 20, 2018. On May 20, after failing to report to training camp, the Riders placed Richardson on the suspended list. It was revealed that Richardson would lose custody of his children if he crossed the Canadian border, effectively keeping him from playing in the CFL, and so to allow Richardson to sign with the local franchise of the startup
Alliance of American Football, he was released by the Roughriders on August 15, 2018.
Birmingham Iron
In 2018, Richardson signed with the
Birmingham Iron of the
Alliance of American Football for the
2019 AAF season
The 2019 AAF season was the only season in the history of the Alliance of American Football (AAF), which began on February 9, 2019. A ten-week regular season was scheduled for each of the league's eight teams.
On April 2, multiple sources indic ...
. During the first game of the 2019 AAF season against the Memphis Express, Richardson carried for 58 yards in 23 carries, resulting in 2.5 yards per carry with two rushing touchdowns and one fumble. Richardson also recorded one catch, breaking several tackles for a 14 yard gain and a first down, as well as a two point conversion catch following his first touchdown. In later weeks, Richardson would be utilized more as a receiving back, in addition to rushing duties. Richardson caught his first touchdown in a week 6 victory against the
San Diego Fleet, and scored at least one rushing touchdown in each game through eight weeks, including what would have been a playoff clinching game in week 8 against the
Atlanta Legends
The Atlanta Legends were a professional American football franchise based in Atlanta, Georgia, and one of the eight members of the Alliance of American Football (AAF), which played one season from February 2019 to April 2019. They played their ...
. However, the AAF ceased football operation the following week, ending the season early after only eight of its 10 weeks were played. The league officially ceased operations on April 17, 2019. Richardson finished his time in the AAF's short existence as arguably the most productive player with the most rushes per game, and had a league best 12 total touchdowns.
Caudillos de Chihuahua
Richardson signed with the Caudillos de Chihuahua of Mexico of the
Fútbol Americano de México (FAM) on February 11, 2021. When asked of his role on the team, Richardson said "My role will be — we’ll have to let y’all know” and speculated that his role could vary from "making decisions" to "might being part of (the) D".
Career statistics
Regular season
Postseason
Personal life
Richardson has two daughters and three sons.
References
External links
Alabama Crimson Tide bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richardson, Trent
1990 births
Living people
Players of American football from Pensacola, Florida
Players of Canadian football from Pensacola, Florida
African-American players of American football
American football running backs
Under Armour All-American football players
Alabama Crimson Tide football players
All-American college football players
Cleveland Browns players
Indianapolis Colts players
Oakland Raiders players
Baltimore Ravens players
Birmingham Iron players
African-American players of Canadian football
Canadian football running backs
Saskatchewan Roughriders players
21st-century African-American sportspeople