Richardson pops back into place for team after injury
FAYETTEVILLE — Louisiana Tech receiver Trent Taylor caught a quick pass and zigged.
Arkansas Razorbacks defensive back Kevin Richardson mirrored the zig, but only got his right arm on the shifty, cat-quick Taylor.
The result of that arm tackle on the second play of the second half of the Razorbacks’ 21-20 victory in last season’s opener, had deep implications for the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
Richardson, the most versatile Arkansas defensive
back, completely tore his pectoral muscle away from the ribs in the upper part of his chest, though he stayed on the field for the rest of the third quarter.
“I was just in a bad position,” said Richardson, who has recovered from the injury and talked about it with members of the media for the first time after Tuesday’s practice. “I reached out and he got away from me. I tried to pull him in. I got to him, but his force was too strong and he just pulled me away.
“It popped. I felt it pop. I could see myself on film re-adjusting my arm. It was tough. It hurt.”
Richardson, who tied for the team lead with seven tackles in the opener, played through the pain for a while.
“It eventually went numb,” Richardson said. “You could see on film … when I stopped giving effort with that arm. I would run full speed not moving my entire right arm.
“After that, I didn’t feel it. Adrenaline.”
After the game, his pectoral muscle was iced down. But the memory of the pain lingered.
“That was the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life. I tore my pec, I’ve dislocated my shoulder, I’ve broken some fingers, but that, by far, was the most painful thing I’ve ever endured.”
Richardson was lost for the final 12 games of the season and his absence was acute, both for the junior from Jacksonville and the Arkansas secondary.
“I’ve talked about the fact that losing Kevin really, really hurt us,” Arkansas defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads said. “It hurt us in our level of play and production without him on the field, but it also really hurt us on the practice field. We were very limited with the bodies that we had, and our guys got a little exhausted because of the number of snaps they took on the practice field.”
Richardson missed out on games in which players dream of competing, like the Hogs’ 49-30 shootout loss to No. 1 Alabama.
Coach Bret Bielema rued the loss of his veteran defensive back periodically during Arkansas’ 7-6 season in 2016.
“Coach B talked about it to you guys several times, that I did shed a tear because it was tough not being able to play,” Richardson said. “That’s a dream to play the No. 1 team at home and try to beat them.
“Being able to play Florida in those nice uniforms was something I really wanted to do, and I didn’t get to participate in it. I’m so ready for this year. I’m excited to see what it brings.”
Richardson is competing for a starting job at cornerback along with Ryan Pulley and Henre Toliver, but he’s still the starting nickel back. While Arkansas’ transition to a 3-4 defensive front is not that drastic for the secondary, it has created more blitzing opportunities for the nickel back.
Richardson had a sack and
another tackle for loss in Arkansas’ second spring scrimmage.
“It’s a little bit more aggressive,” Richardson said. “Coach Rhoads likes to vary what we bring into the packages, and he likes everybody to get their share of the blitzing and the covering.
“For me to be able to do that, I really like bringing some pressure.”
“K-Rich, we feel really good about,” Bielema said, “and obviously at that nickel spot he does some good things and he’s a very explosive player. He’s a guy that can really play all five DB positions.”
Richardson said strength and conditioning assistant Tenarius Wright, a former Razorback, worked with him one-on-one during his rehabilitation and helped keep his spirits up through the long fall and winter.
“He would lift my off-arm and I would do all my weight stuff in the training room until I was cleared to use my right arm back in the weight room,” Richardson said. “I got back to my normal strength. In fact, I feel like I’m stronger now than I was before the injury.”
Senior defensive back Josh Liddell pointed out the value of having Richardson return for spring practices.
“I love having K-Rich back there,” Liddell said. “He’s a leader. He knows what’s going on. He’s always communicating and keeping guys up. It’s good to have him back.”