ATLANTA — Before
Anthony Richardson walked through the front doors of the College Football Hall of Fame at 1:51 p.m. Wednesday for his main media session, he had already answered dozens of questions, posed for enough photos to fill a family scrapbook, been complimented repeatedly for his dark-blue suit with orange stripes, and reminded that he opted to go without socks at SEC Media Days.
During an offseason spent amidst the cross hairs of burgeoning fame, Richardson handled the rush of attention like a pro. He flashed the type of poise and maturity head coach
Billy Napier and the Gators hope to see from the third-year sophomore quarterback this fall on Saturday afternoons.
"Whenever I can put on a suit and take pictures, I love it,'' he said.
If Richardson's performance Wednesday had been at The Swamp, he would have received a game ball and pat on the back after a victory.
As soon as Richardson entered college football's showcase shrine here on a soupy summer day, he was greeted by about 25 fans asking him to sign helmets, posters, shirts and hats. Richardson, who turned 20 in May, mingled with the group like a 20-year NFL veteran fond of the routine.
"You're going to be great this year,'' a young boy in a Dallas Mavericks T-shirt told Richardson. "I'm a big fan of yours."
"Thanks. That means a lot,'' responded Richardson.
Richardson's first trip to SEC Media Days provided another new experience for the most important player on Florida's roster in Napier's inaugural season.
His coach said Richardson came prepared.
"Our quarterback routine is pretty rigorous,'' Napier said. "It's been a really good summer for him. I think that he's working hard on his leadership, his maturity, really growing up as a person, and proving his character. And then I see his football intelligence is growing."
Anthony Richardson conducts one of his many interviews on Wednesday at SEC Football Media Days in Atlanta. (Photo: Jordan Herald/UAA Communications)
The final verdict on Richardson, like all the heroes and washouts who have played the position before him, will be determined by what he does on the field. The preseason hoopla that surrounds Richardson makes that easy to forget sometimes.
Napier reminded the writers who cover the team regularly that Richardson remains an unknown commodity in many ways.
Yes, he is a physically gifted 6-foot-4, 232-pound quarterback who runs like a receiver and has the build of a tight end. He is also a player with one career start. Richardson is a lot of things: part mystery to students of the game, part phenom to his growing number of admirers.
"A lot of talk about Anthony, but Anthony has played like 220 plays in his career,'' Napier said. "I think he has completed 33 passes [39 to be exact]. But he's a phenomenal talent and I'm looking forward to all that potential turning into performance."
Richardson, coming off knee surgery in the offseason, quickly established that he was healthy and ready for a breakout season in spring camp. His emergence as the team's top quarterback led to the departure of last year's starter,
Emory Jones, following the spring semester. Jones transferred to Arizona State, leaving no doubt who QB1 was for the Gators.
In the ensuing months, Richardson dealt with a pair of off-the-field issues that garnered unwanted attention. First, a speeding ticket in which he was ticketed for driving 105-mph in a 60-mph zone. And most recently, his decision to distance himself from the "AR-15" nickname to prevent any association with the assault weapon that has been used in several deadly mass shootings across the U.S. in recent years.
A former star at Eastside High across town from the UF campus, Richardson said he has grown up and is in a good spot mentally and physically heading into what shapes up to be a promising season.
The ups and downs — and constant attention of playing quarterback at Florida — have taught Richardson to consider all aspects of his actions. Whatever he does garners outside attention, whether it's a backflip or throwing a pass more than 70 yards in the air at the Manning Camp.
"It's different. I kind of experienced a little bit of it going through recruiting, because the fans, the supporters, they are super wild. They're one of a kind, so I love it,'' Richardson said of being in the spotlight 24/7. "Being
the guy, it forces you to move a little different, try to understand people a little differently. It's definitely a crazy experience.
"With a lot of things that have happened to me this year, [Coach Napier] told me I could move like a head coach. I can't just be out here willy-nilly, just doing anything. There's a lot riding on me, there's a lot of people looking up to me, looking out for me, so I have to move different."
Richardson appears to be moving just fine of late. He settled the ticket issue and made a wise decision to drop the "AR-15" nickname last week, announcing it publicly on his social media accounts.
Once again, when asked Wednesday what went into the decision, Richardson displayed maturity that will only help him in his playing career. He said it had nothing to do with a specific incident.
"But just thinking about later on down the road, how people are going to view me if I still have the nickname "AR-15," he said. "I'm not going to play football for the rest of my life, so I'm eventually going to become a business man. I'm going to have to be myself, not AR-15. When I first did it, there was some thoughts, should I actually do this? With the logo and everything like that. There's always been a thought in the back of my mind. My mom and my team decided it's not really a great thing to represent.
"It was pretty much a business decision. AR-15 doesn't necessarily describe who I am."
Napier isn't the only member of the Gators' traveling squad Wednesday to see a different Richardson in recent months.
Senior linebacker
Ventrell Miller said he can't remember the last time he saw Richardson around the team's meeting rooms without a notebook and pen, jotting down notes. Richardson is more vocal in team settings and hangs out more with his teammates, signs that he is taking on the leadership role Napier has talked to him about seriously.
"It's been great to see him maturing,'' Miller said. "I'm excited to see where he goes this year, on and off the field."
More than anything, Richardson's altered perspective plays off the old saying "to whom much is given, much is required."
Napier and his staff have challenged Richardson to become a complete player, better person and team leader. A former quarterback and son of a high school coach, Napier understands the challenges ahead for Richardson to become the player many believe he is destined to be.
In Napier's view, Richardson is gaining significant ground, developing a much better grasp of defensive fronts, pressure points and coverages each week.
"Quarterback is the hardest thing to do in all of sports, and the NFL in particular. I would say the SEC is the next closest thing,'' Napier said. "He's up for the challenge."
One of the more interesting responses Richardson delivered Wednesday was during an interview with CBS as the network collected content for its in-season TV package. The interviewer asked Richardson what "old-person habit" he has.
Richardson thought for a second and shared a habit more likely to come from your grandfather than a college quarterback.
"I like to sit on the porch and take in life,'' he said. "We're not here forever."
It seems like Richardson has been around longer than he has. But in reality, he has one career start, 39 completions and a few highlight-reel runs.
He wants more. Fans demand more. And the Gators will need much more to have a successful season.
Based on the older, wiser Richardson that made the rounds Wednesday, he is in the pocket, surveying the field and ready to make the plays.
"I feel like I'm a lot more confident. I'm enjoying life a lot,'' he said. "The past few months, I've been thankful and grateful for everything. It's taught me a lot about myself, and about who I can become, who I am becoming. The main thing is just becoming a better person.
"There's a lot of people that want to be in my shoes. I understand that, so never taking a day for granted."
