Huey Richardson
Encyclopedia
Huey L. Richardson, Jr. is a former American college and professional football
player who was a defensive end
in the National Football League
(NFL) for two seasons during the 1990s. Richardson was an All-American for the University of Florida
, but saw little playing time with the Pittsburgh Steelers
, Washington Redskins
and New York Jets
of the NFL.
in 1968. He attended Lakeside High School
in Atlanta, and played high school football
for the Lakeside Vikings.
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played defensive end for coach Galen Hall
and coach Steve Spurrier
's Florida Gators football
teams from 1987 to 1990. Richardson was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference
(SEC) selection in 1989 and 1990 and a first-team All-American in 1990, and was selected as a senior
team captain. At the end of his four years as a Gator, he totaled 26.5 quarterback sack
s and 50.5 tackle
s for a loss, still third and fourth, respectively, on the Gators' all-time record lists.
Richardson was honored as an SEC Academic Honor Roll selection all four years, received an NCAA post-graduate scholarship, and graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree
in economics
in 1990. He was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2003.
. Based on a conversation with the former Steelers director of scouting, Max McCartney, with three picks remaining before the Steelers picked at number 15, they had three players targeted that they would be willing to select: Tennessee Volunteers
wide receiver
Alvin Harper
, Colorado Buffaloes
wide receiver Mike Pritchard
and Arizona State Sun Devils
running back
Leonard Russell
. When those three players were all selected with the three immediately preceding picks (by the Dallas Cowboys
, Atlanta Falcons
and New England Patriots
, respectively), the Pittsburgh draft managers were unprepared and were forced to make a selection before their fifteen-minute time limit expired, and they settled on Richardson.
, and Richardson didn't have the build to play defensive end in that scheme. The Steelers made him an inside linebacker
, and he didn't make the adjustment very well. Following the 1991 season, long-time head coach Chuck Noll
retired and was replaced by Bill Cowher
, who tried to switch Richardson to outside linebacker (his position for the first three years of his collegiate career). When that didn't work, Cowher asked player development director Tom Donahoe
if it was too soon to cut him. When Donahoe said he should keep the top forty-seven players regardless of their draft history, Richardson was traded to the Washington Redskins for a seventh round draft pick; if a trade had not been possible, Richardson would have simply been waived. After four uneventful games with the Redskins, he was released and signed with the New York Jets. At the end of the season, after seven games with the Jets, Richardson's short NFL career was over.
in business administration from Emory University
in Atlanta in 2000, and currently works as a financial analyst for Merrill Lynch
in New York City
. He was in the World Trade Center
for a meeting on the morning of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. His meeting was scheduled to take place on an upper floor of the building, but he was delayed in the lobby before boarding the elevator, and was able to leave the World Trade Center safely after the first plane hit the building.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who was a defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) for two seasons during the 1990s. Richardson was an All-American for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, but saw little playing time with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
and New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL.
Early years
Richardson was born in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
in 1968. He attended Lakeside High School
Lakeside High School (DeKalb County, Georgia)
Lakeside High School is a public high school in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia. The school has an Atlanta address . The school is a part of the DeKalb County School System. The current principal is Joe Reed....
in Atlanta, and played high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
for the Lakeside Vikings.
College career
Richardson received an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played defensive end for coach Galen Hall
Galen Hall
Galen Samuel Hall is an American college and professional football coach and former player. He is a native of Pennsylvania, and an alumnus of Penn State University, where he played college football...
and coach Steve Spurrier
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...
's Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
teams from 1987 to 1990. Richardson was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) selection in 1989 and 1990 and a first-team All-American in 1990, and was selected as a senior
Senior (education)
Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:...
team captain. At the end of his four years as a Gator, he totaled 26.5 quarterback sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
s and 50.5 tackle
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
s for a loss, still third and fourth, respectively, on the Gators' all-time record lists.
Richardson was honored as an SEC Academic Honor Roll selection all four years, received an NCAA post-graduate scholarship, and graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
in 1990. He was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2003.
NFL Draft
Richardson was the first round draft choice (fifteenth pick overall) of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1991 NFL Draft1991 NFL Draft
The 1991 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 21–22, 1991 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Manhattan, New York...
. Based on a conversation with the former Steelers director of scouting, Max McCartney, with three picks remaining before the Steelers picked at number 15, they had three players targeted that they would be willing to select: Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Alvin Harper
Alvin Harper
Alvin Craig Harper is a former American football player in the National Football League. After going 1-15 in 1989 and 7-9 in 1990, the Dallas Cowboys were poised to capitalize on some key draft opportunities...
, Colorado Buffaloes
Colorado Buffaloes football
The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,...
wide receiver Mike Pritchard
Mike Pritchard
Michael Robert Pritchard is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the 1st round of the 1991 NFL Draft. A 5'10", 193 lbs. wide receiver from the University of Colorado, Pritchard played in nine NFL seasons from 1991 to 1999...
and Arizona State Sun Devils
Arizona State Sun Devils football
The Arizona State Sun Devils' football program represents Arizona State University in college football, and competes in NCAA Division I FBS as a member of the Pacific-12 Conference....
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Leonard Russell
Leonard Russell
Leonard James Russell is a former professional American football player who was selected by the New England Patriots in the 1st round of the 1991 NFL Draft. A 6'2", 235-lb. running back from Arizona State University, Russell played in 6 NFL seasons from 1991 to 1996 for the Patriots, the Denver...
. When those three players were all selected with the three immediately preceding picks (by the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, respectively), the Pittsburgh draft managers were unprepared and were forced to make a selection before their fifteen-minute time limit expired, and they settled on Richardson.
Professional career
Richardson played only five games with the Steelers in , registering two tackles, plus another on special teams. Part of the problem was that the Steelers played a 3-4 defense3-4 defense
In American football, the 3–4 defense is a defensive alignment consisting of three down linemen and four linebackers.The 3–4 defense declined in popularity over the years, but has found renewed use by modern professional and college football teams. The 3–4 defense is so named because it involves 3...
, and Richardson didn't have the build to play defensive end in that scheme. The Steelers made him an inside linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
, and he didn't make the adjustment very well. Following the 1991 season, long-time head coach Chuck Noll
Chuck Noll
Charles Henry "Chuck" Noll is a former professional American football player and coach, and a member of the Sid Gillman coaching tree. He served most notably as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League from 1969 to 1991...
retired and was replaced by Bill Cowher
Bill Cowher
William Laird "Bill" Cowher is a former American football coach and player. Cowher resigned after 15 seasons as the Steelers' coach on January 5, 2007, 11 months to the day after winning 2005–06's Super Bowl XL...
, who tried to switch Richardson to outside linebacker (his position for the first three years of his collegiate career). When that didn't work, Cowher asked player development director Tom Donahoe
Tom Donahoe
Tom Donahoe is a former general manager and president of the Buffalo Bills of the NFL.-Biography:Prior to his tenure with the Bills, he was director of football operations for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1991-1999...
if it was too soon to cut him. When Donahoe said he should keep the top forty-seven players regardless of their draft history, Richardson was traded to the Washington Redskins for a seventh round draft pick; if a trade had not been possible, Richardson would have simply been waived. After four uneventful games with the Redskins, he was released and signed with the New York Jets. At the end of the season, after seven games with the Jets, Richardson's short NFL career was over.
Life after football
Richardson returned to college and earned his master's degreeMaster's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in business administration from Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
in Atlanta in 2000, and currently works as a financial analyst for Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch is the wealth management division of Bank of America. With over 15,000 financial advisors and $2.2 trillion in client assets it is the world's largest brokerage. Formerly known as Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., prior to 2009 the firm was publicly owned and traded on the New York...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He was in the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
for a meeting on the morning of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. His meeting was scheduled to take place on an upper floor of the building, but he was delayed in the lobby before boarding the elevator, and was able to leave the World Trade Center safely after the first plane hit the building.
See also
- 1990 College Football All-America Team1990 College Football All-America TeamThe 1990 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, Scripps-Howard, The...
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1980–1989
- Florida Gators football, 1990–1999
- List of Florida Gators football players
- List of New York Jets players
- List of Pittsburgh Steelers first-round draft picks
- List of Pittsburgh Steelers players
- List of University of Florida alumni