Shaquille "Shaq" Nakeem Richardson (born March 21, 1992) is a professional gridiron football

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...

in 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 ...

(CFL) who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

High school

Richardson attended

Los Alamitos High School Los Alamitos High School (also known as Los Al) is a public school for grades 9 to 12 located in Los Alamitos, California, and also serving the city of Seal Beach and the community of Rossmoor. It is the only traditional high school in the Los ...

Los Alamitos, California Los Alamitos () is a city in Orange County, California. The city was incorporated in March 1960. The population was 11,780 at the 2020 census, up from 11,449 at the 2010 census. The adjacent unincorporated community of Rossmoor uses the same 9 ...

, where he was an All-Region selection. As a senior, he made 38 tackles and five interceptions on defense and 31 receptions for 540 yards and five touchdowns on offense. Considered a three-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 Heckma ...

'', he was rated as the 30th best

prospect of his class.

College career

Richardson originally enrolled in school at UCLA but upon being one of three freshman players dismissed by the team, along with his cousin Paul Richardson and Josh Shirley. After his dismissal, he chose to attend the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. T ...

from 2010 to 2013. In 2010, he played in all 13 games as a true freshman, starting three. In his first career start against

Washington State Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...

, he intercepted two passes. He finished the season with 29 tackles, seven pass break-ups, one forced fumble and two picks. In 2011, he played in and started 10 games, recording 47 tackles, a team leading four interceptions (73 yards), five pass break-ups and one forced fumble. In 2012, he played in all 13 games with 11 starts. He recorded 58 total tackles, one interception and 14 pass break-ups. In 2013, he started all 13 games, recording 55 tackles, including three for loss, three interceptions and four pass break-ups.

Professional career

Pittsburgh Steelers

Richardson was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round (157th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft. He was cut from the Steelers 53-man roster prior to the start of the regular season but was then signed to their practice squad.

Kansas City Chiefs

On February 26, 2015, Richardson signed a one-year deal with 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 ...

. He was waived by the Chiefs on April 21.

Arizona Cardinals

On July 31, 2015, Richardson was signed by the Arizona Cardinals. On August 31, 2015, he was cut by the Cardinals.

Tennessee Titans

On November 17, 2015, Richardson was signed to the Titans' practice squad.

Carolina Panthers

On May 17, 2016, Richardson signed a 2-year, $960,000 contract with the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...

. He was waived on July 14, 2016.

Oakland Raiders

On January 9, 2018, Richardson signed a reserve/future contract with the Oakland Raiders. He was waived/injured on August 6, 2018, and was placed on injured reserve. He was released on August 23, 2018.

Arizona Hotshots

Richardson later joined the

Arizona Hotshots The Arizona Hotshots were a professional American football franchise based in Tempe, Arizona, 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 h ...

of the Alliance of American Football. He was placed on injured reserve on January 30, 2019. He was activated from injured reserve on March 6, 2019. The league ceased operations in April 2019.

Toronto Argonauts

In October 2019, Richardson was signed by the

Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based in Toronto, Ontario ...

to their practice roster, and then later promoted to their active roster. He signed a contract extension with the Argonauts on January 14, 2021. In 2021, Richardson was named a CFL East Division all-star. He would also go on to win the

109th Grey Cup The 109th Grey Cup decided the Canadian Football League (CFL) championship for the 2022 season. The game was played on November 20, at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan. It marked the fourth Grey Cup game to be held in Regina, and the firs ...

with the Argonauts during the 2022 CFL season. On February 14, 2023, Richardson became a free agent.

Personal life

Shaquille Richardson's cousin is wide receiver Paul Richardson.

References

External links

Arizona Wildcats bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richardson, Shaquille Living people 1992 births Players of American football from Compton, California American football cornerbacks Canadian football defensive backs Players of Canadian football from California Arizona Wildcats football players Pittsburgh Steelers players Players of American football from Los Alamitos, California Kansas City Chiefs players Winnipeg Blue Bombers players Arizona Cardinals players Carolina Panthers players Calgary Stampeders players Oakland Raiders players Arizona Hotshots players Toronto Argonauts players Los Alamitos High School alumni