Willie Richardson
- For the artist, see: Willy Bo Richardson. For the professional wrestler, see Da Soul Touchaz.
No. 87 | |||||||
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Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||
Personal information | |||||||
Born: | Clarksdale, Mississippi, U.S. | November 17, 1939||||||
Died: | February 8, 2016 Jackson, Mississippi, U.S. | (aged 76)||||||
Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||
Weight: | 198 lb (90 kg) | ||||||
Career information | |||||||
High school: | Coleman HS, Greenville, MS | ||||||
College: | Jackson State | ||||||
NFL draft: | 1963 / Round: 7 / Pick: 89 | ||||||
AFL draft: | 1963 / Round: 3 / Pick: 19 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
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Career highlights and awards | |||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Player stats at NFL.com | |||||||
Willie Louis Richardson (November 17, 1939 – February 8, 2016) was an American professional
A first team college All-American in 1962, Richardson was named 1st Team All-Pro by the Associated Press for his play the 1967 NFL season and went to two Pro Bowls.
He is a member of the Jackson State Hall of Fame (1978), the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame (1979), and the College Football Hall of Fame (2003).
Biography
Early years
Willie Richardson was born November 17, 1939, in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He attended Coleman High School in Greenville, Mississippi,[1] where he gained attention as a pass receiver on the school football team.[2]
Collegiate career
Richardson attended
He played at Jackson State from 1959 to 1962.[3]
In 1960, Richardson lead the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in pass receiving.[1]
In his final two seasons he led the Tigers to Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) titles in 1961 and 1962.[4] In the latter year, Jackson State claimed the Black College National Championship.[4]
During his 1962 senior season, Richardson finished with 43 receptions for 896 yards (20.8 yards per catch), with 11 touchdowns.
Richardson received a Bachelor of Science degree from Jackson State in 1962.[1]
Willie Richardson Day
Mayor Allen C. Thompson of Jackson proclaimed January 14, 1963, to be "Willie Richardson Day" in honor of the football star's exploits.[7] Initiated with a parade and a celebratory meeting at city hall, the event was lauded in the city's black newspaper as an event when "for the first time since [Jackson's] founding some 150 years ago, by official proclamation a day was set aside, and the entire city called upon to join the observance and celebration honoring a Negro."[7]
The Richardson Day event was not easy to ignore, with the parade up Capitol Street to city hall featuring the Jackson State College marching band, the band from
A second assembly was held at 4 pm, addressed by academic and sports leaders, including Jackson State head coach "Big John" Merrick and Buddy Young, a former black Colts star now working as a scout for the team.[7]
Professional career
Richardson was picked by the
During his 1963 rookie season Richardson was a reserve flanker behind starter Jimmy Orr. He saw game action in 13 games with 3 starts, catching 17 passes for 204 yards (12.0 yards per reception), with no touchdowns and a fumble.[11]
Richardson would not play a truly significant role in the Colts' offense until 1967. In that year he started 13 of 14 games, turning in what would be career highs for receptions (63) and yards gained (860) — an average of 13.7 yards per catch — and scoring 8 touchdowns.[11]
He would continue as the Colts starter at flanker in 1968 and 1969, starting all 28 of the regular season games in those years.[11]
After losing his starting role to
Richardson finished his professional career with 195 receptions for 2,950 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Life after football
Later in life Richardson worked in sports radio, hosting an hour-long weekly radio show on an ESPN affiliate.[14] He was also a color analyst for Jackson State football broadcasts on the radio and hosted the Jackson State football coach's radio call-in show when the sport was in season.[14]
Death and legacy
Willie Richardson died of unspecified natural causes on February 8, 2016, in Jackson, Mississippi, age 76.[14]
Richardson was inducted into the Jackson State Hall of Fame in 1978, the first such inductee.[4] He was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame a year later.[3]
In 2003, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.[4]
At the time of his death Richardson was remembered by Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame archivist Rick Cleveland as an excellent athlete to the end and a compassionate person.
"Last time I played golf with him he shot even par at age 75," Cleveland recalled. "Everything he did athletically was smooth. He made everything look easy. He always had a kind word for everybody. Last time I saw him was at the press conference to name Fred McNair the head coach at Alcorn. Here's a Jackson State guy showing up for the head coach at the rival school and he did it just because he said so many times in life people don't get what they deserve. He wanted to be there for Fred because he was getting what he long deserved. He was just a kind guy."[14]
Willie Richardson was the older brother of former NFL wide receiver Gloster Richardson (1942–2020), who played for the Kansas City Chiefs Dallas Cowboys, and Cleveland Browns from 1967 to 1974.[14]
References
- ^ a b c Joe Marcin (ed.), Football Register 1971. St. Louis, MO: The Sporting News, 1971; pp. 231–232.
- ^ "Coleman–Clarksdale in 26–26 Deadlock," [Greenville] Delta Democrat-Times, Oct. 7, 1957, p. 5.
- ^ a b Taylor Mitchell, "Willie Richardson's Impact Felt On, Off Football Field," [Greenville] Delta Democrat-Times, Feb. 11, 2016, p. A8.
- ^ a b c d "Willie Richardson," National Football Foundation, footballfoundation.org/
- ^ John Hall, "Powerful Jackson State Looks Forward to '63: 'The Richardson Era' Just Now Beginning," Jackson Clarion-Ledger, Dec. 16, 1962; p. 37.
- ^ Baltimore Colts: Press, Radio, TV — 1963. Baltimore, MD: Baltimore Colts, 1963; p. 36.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Parade and Ceremony at City Hall Marks Opening of Willie Richardson Day Observance Here," Jackson Advocate, Jan. 19, 1963, pp. 1, 6.
- ^ "Shula Hired to Give Game Back to Players, Carroll Says; Opines Lenny Moore Will Run the Option Play More," Baltimore Evening Sun, Aug. 14, 1963, p. 2.
- ^ "Colt Rookies Learn Lesson Early — Shula Likes to Work," Baltimore Evening Sun, July 9, 1963; p. 23.
- ^ Cameron C. Snyder, "Drill Helps Colt Attack," Aug. 21, 1963; p. 24.
- ^ a b c "Willie Richardson," Pro Football Reference, www.pro-football-reference.com/
- ^ William N. Wallace, "Steelers Trade Jefferson to Colts for Richardson and a High Draft Choice," The New York Times, Friday, August 21, 1970.] Retrieved October 27, 2020
- ^ Bob Labriola, "Asked and Answered: Oct. 19," www.steelers.com/ Oct. 19, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Antonio Morales, "Jackson State Icon Willie Richardson Dies," Jackson Clarion-Ledger, Clarionledger.com Feb. 8, 2016.