Richard Newton Is Back, Patiently Looking for a Crease to Run Through

The new University of Washington football coaching staff took over last winter and immediately wanted to know where all the running backs were. It was like a house without a furnace. You can't live without one warming the place.

The answer was: they were in the training room nursing a variety of ailments, geared for an offensive style not conducive to what Kalen DeBoer and his guys had in mind, and some not for long for Seattle.

To beef up or rearrange the ranks, the Huskies went out and obtained runners through the transfer portal from Nebraska, New Mexico and Virginia.

They had almost no one to work with during spring practice.

They saw a pair of Texas-produced backs go home, either on their own or encouraged to do so.

Finally, DeBoer's staff worked on getting three other carryover ball-carriers healthy, most notably former starter Richard Newton.

Last weekend, the 6-foot, 212-pound junior from Lancaster, California, made a fourth-quarter return against Portland State after missing 11 of the previous 15 games over three seasons.

It went well for Newton, who's always been a fan and team favorite, though he clashed some with the since-departed Jimmy Lake coaching staff. He picked up 59 yards on 10 carries, breaking off runs of 16 and 21. It was the Richard of old.

Coming into last week's game, the Husky pecking order was Wayne Taulapapa, Cam Davis and Will Nixon. Each scored a touchdown against Portland State, with Davis providing two, making all of them productive. Taulapapa supplied a game-high 94 yards rushing on 12 carries, Davis a supplemental 70 yards on 10 tries.

Yet none of them should get too comfortable with their previously doled-out playing time. Unlike the others, Newton provides a power running style, someone who can break tackles downfield. He's also started more games (3) as a UW tailback than Taulapapa (2) and Davis (2), so he has some ownership to the position.

Newton diplomatically says he's prepared himself for whatever DeBoer's staff has in mind for him.

"I just think they want me healthy, honestly, to be a factor on this team — no matter where that's from," Newton said. "But they want me back and healthy and [to] do my thing on the field."

It was two UW coaches ago when he was the ever opportunistic redshirt freshman coming off the bench who found the end zone in so many ways.

In 2019, he ran for 10 touchdowns, caught a pass for another and even threw for a score in the Las Vegas Bowl against Boise State.

Richard Newton holds the ball aloft after scoring one of his 10 rushing touchdowns in 2019 against USC, a decisive 28-14 Husky victory.

At Stanford in 2019, Richard Newton had to be helped off the field by teammate Sean McGrew and a trainer. He was having a decent outing, too, rushing 10 times for 64 yards.

During the pandemic-restricted 2020 season, Richard Newton got free for an 54-yard touchdown run against Arizona, the longest of his UW career. He finished with 81 yards on 8 carries.

Richard Newton resembles a cool cat in pregame warmups, donning sunglasses and head phones as he stretches out. He's never been lacking for having his own style.

In the 2021 spring game, Richard Newton leaps over cornerback Elijah Jackson to score on a 15-yard run. He led all rushers with 49 yards.

Richard Newton is brought down by a gaggle of Wolverines during the UW's 31-10 setback at Michigan in a nationally televised game on ABC. He had 24 yards rushing on 12 carries.

To open the 2021 season against Montana, Richard Newton made his first career start. Otherwise, the game wasn't memorable as the Big Sky team pulled a 13-7 upset. He had 62 yards rushing on 12 carries.

Richard Newton was in uniform from the beginning of fall camp, but under limitations after having knee surgery the previous October and missing spring ball.

Making his long-awaited return, Richard Newton had a chance to get out and run against Portland State. Here he follows the blocking of Geirean Hatchett.

Richard Newton lets his emotion show after returning from an injury to play against Portland State. He broke off runs of 16 and 21 while churning out 59 yards on 10 carries, all in the fourth quarter.

He wants to be a good teammate for the others and not a distraction. He rejoins a group that also includes returnee Jay'Veon Sunday and New Mexico transfer Aaron Dumas, who may or may not be a good fit for the new offense and currently aren't in the mix for snaps; the highly regarded Sam Adams, who is just now getting healthy and practicing again; and persistent non-scholarship back Cam Sirmon, who ran three times for 12 yards against Portland State and seems determined to stay in contention for time somehow.

"Obviously, [I'm] supporting these guys when they're toting the rock always, always supporting my brothers, learning from them and supporting them," Newton said. "For me, I need to be ready when my number is called and make the most of that opportunity when I do get the chance."

Starting right away is not a given, considering he's getting off to such a late start after recovering from an ACL tear suffered in the 2021 UCLA game and missing spring practice and fall camp. He can handle it.

"Even if that's not the case, I want to contribute and do my job and be a spark for this team and score some touchdowns," he said.

While he's a fifth-year player for the Huskies, Newton doesn't consider himself a finished product by any means, even when healthy. He's still evolving in terms of his style, taking little nuances from the new guys or even the teammates who have left him.

"I'm trying to get the shiftiness and smooth feet like Sean [McGrew]," he said. "You know what I mean, the moves from Kamari [Pleasant]. I watch all the backs in the country, all the top backs, and get something from everybody."

And now, with that knee all healed up, it's time for the Huskies to get something out of him in return.

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