Trent Richardson is now a star in the Canadian Football League. Richardson signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL and just had a really nice game on Friday night (Oct. 27). Playing against the Montreal Alouettes, Richardson had 20 carries for 127 yards and two touchdowns. Those are the numbers that several NFL teams wanted to see from him after he became a star for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
A report by NBC Sports states that Saskatchewan has posted a 3-1 record since signing Richardson midseason. The team has now clinched a spot in the 2017 CFL Playoffs, possibly giving Richardson a chance to shine in the postseason as well.
After falling off the radar for NFL fans over the past two seasons, it appears that Richardson is now creating a new fan base for himself up in Canada.
The struggles of Trent Richardson
After playing for the University of Alabama, the Cleveland Browns selected Trent Richardson with the No. 3 overall selection in the 2012 NFL Draft. The Browns took a risk on him because the expectation was that he would provide an immediate impact on offense. In 17 games for the Browns, Richardson rushed for 1,055 yards and 11 touchdowns on 298 carries. It was an average of just 3.5 yards per carry that put up some red flags.
The Indianapolis Colts pulled off what was considered a blockbuster trade at the beginning of the 2013 NFL season, sending the Browns a 2014 first-round pick in exchange for Trent Richardson.
His numbers were worse in Indianapolis than they had been for Cleveland. In 29 games with the Colts, Richardson rushed for 977 yards and six touchdowns on 316 carries. That was an ugly average of just 3.1 yards per carry.
Has Richardson resurrected his career?
Putting in perspective what Richardson did on Friday night for Saskatchewan, the 127 yards he rushed for were more than he ever had in a single NFL game.
In fact, it was the most yards he had on the ground since a 2011 game between Alabama and Auburn where he had 203 yards. Could this be just the first sign that the 27-year-old running back has resurrected his career? Saskatchewan fans certainly hope so, as the postseason approaches.
More NFL news
Elsewhere around the NFL, the commissioner sent down some fines from the Seattle Seahawks vs.
New York Giants game in Week 7. Both were applied to overeager defensive players. The latest NFL playoff standings have been revealed as well, with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences.
