Trent Richardson is again out of work but says 'I'm not giving up' on NFL
The former No. 3 pick in the draft was waived by the Ravens this week
By
Ryan Wilson
•
2 min read
Trent Richardson's NFL revival tour hit a snag this week when he was waived by the Ravens barely 100 days after he signed with the team. It was his fourth team since the Browns drafted him third overall in 2012, and Richardson last played in a regular-season game in 2014.
But despite the latest setback, the former Alabama standout isn't giving up on his NFL dream.
"A lot of people come back from where I came from," Richardson said shortly after the Ravens let him go, via ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley. "For me to keep fighting, people got to understand I'm not giving up."
The Ravens cut Richardson because of a pre-existing knee injury that flared up in June.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh defended Richardson this week and said there's "still an opportunity [for Richardson] to come back in the future," though it's unclear under what circumstances.
Meanwhile, Richardson, who also had tryouts with the Bills, Saints and Broncos in the last 11 months, remains positive.
"It's hard telling my family I just got released again," he said. "I wish I was on the field. I'm not giving up. I'm not going to let it discourage me."
So how did things go sideways so quickly for Richardson once he reached the NFL?
He explained in March that there was none of the structure in Cleveland that he had in Tuscaloosa, and it proved to be too much for a 22-year-old to handle.
"It's very easy to get lazy in the NFL -- not having everything scheduled and not having everything like at Alabama where it was so structured," Richardson told AL.com this spring. "We had study hall or we had to get a workout in in between classes and had five classes a day. It was just so structured. In the NFL, everything's on your own."
Also not helping: The distractions that come with signing a multi-million-dollar contract. Richardson's family burned through $1.6 million in 10 months and that was just the tip of the iceberg.
There were also the family members and friends constantly asking for money to the point, Richardson said, that it became mentally exhausting and took away from his focus on football. There were countless texts and calls each day. Richardson bought cars for people, somehow got stuck with paying for five funerals that were each at least $12,000.
There were even week-long trips to Disney World.
"And people still had the nerve to complain about the trip," Richardson said at the time.
Richardson may never get another shot to play in the NFL but at the very least, he's cut the hangers-on out of his life. After the Raiders released him last August, he kicked all the relatives out of his house -- including his brother, whom the running back was paying roughly $100,000 to be his personal assistant. A free agent again, Richardson's immediate plans include living with his grandmother in Florida while he rehabs his latest injury.
