Richardson drops ‘AR-15’ nickname amid gun violence
ATLANTA — Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson no longer wants to be known by the catchy but controversial moniker “AR-15.”
Richardson announced Sunday on his Twitter account he wants to avoid association with the semi-automatic rifle used in some of America’s deadliest mass shootings.
Expected to be the 2022 Gators’ starter and team leader, Richardson is scheduled to join coach Billy Napier and veterans Ventrell Miller and Richard Gouraige Wednesday at SEC Media Days in Atlanta.
Richardson, 20, combined his initials and jersey number to form the AR-15 nickname and marketed a clothing line with it to capitalize on name, image and likeness legislation.
“After discussions with my family and much thought, I have decided to no longer use the nickname ‘AR-15 and the current apparel line logo, which features a scope reticle, as part of my branding,” Richardson said in his statement. “While a nickname is only a nickname and ‘AR-15 was simply a representation of my initials combined with my jersey number, it is important to me that my name and brand are no longer associated with the assault rifle that has been used in mass shootings, which I do not condone in any way or form.
“My representatives and I are currently working on rebranding, which includes the creation of a new logo and transitioning to simply using ‘AR’ and my name, Anthony Richardson.”
Richardson was raised in Gainesville and starred at Eastside High School before signing with the Gators in 2020.
The gifted redshirt sophomore will shoulder the offensive load and aims to capitalize on a rare combination of size (6-4, 237), arm strength and running ability. In a limited role as a backup in 2021, he accounted for six touchdowns 30 yards or longer, including scoring runs of 80 and 73 yards.