Trent Richardson Still Hoping for NFL Call: ‘That’s Where I Want to Be’
Trent Richardson is soaking up his season in the new Alliance of American Football league and sees how success this year could lead to something much bigger.
Richardson, a running back with the AAF's Birmingham Iron, spoke with the MMQB recently and shared why he still has his eyes set on the NFL.
"In a few months, hopefully I’ll be getting a phone call [from the NFL] after we leave Vegas, where we have us a nice championship," Richardson told the MMQB. "But you know, in a few months, I definitely hope I’ll be getting a phone call from the big show. And if that opportunity comes, I’ll do everything I can to be that guy. Be the one they talk about having the greatest comeback or, you know, who has the greatest story in football. That’s where I want to be."
Richardson, 28, is gaining attention through the AAF's first three weeks by leading the league in carries (59) and touchdowns (6). He's sixth in the AAF in yards (145).
Richardson's stint with the 3–0 Iron is working out so far after a rocky and short career in the NFL. The Browns selected him in the 2012 draft with the third overall pick after an impressive college career.
The running back won two national championships with Alabama in 2009 and 2011. As a junior, he was named the SEC's Offensive Player of the Year, where he lead the conference in touchdowns (24) and rushing yards (1,679).
However, his lack of production on the field combined with off the field issues cut Richardson's NFL career short. (Richardson was sued by two women for assault in 2013, though there were no criminal charges and the civil suit was dismissed. In 2017 he was arrested on a domestic violence charge after an alleged physical altercation with the mother of his four children, but charges were dismissed.)
Now he's just focused on playing well with the Iron and working for another shot at the NFL.
"I’m just another hungry man out there, trying to do everything I can to get back to the big show, and to get that W at the end of the day," he said. "I don’t look at it as having a chip. I look at it as, I’m playing good football."
