Hall of Fame
A native of Jackson, Miss., Richardson earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Northwestern in 2007. Before joining the Rangers for the 1998 and 1999 football seasons, Richardson attended Hinds Junior College in Mississippi, where he helped the Eagles to back-to-back state championship wins in 1996 and 1997.
In 1998, the linebacker joined forces with the Rangers, helping the team finished the season as the NAIA’s top-ranked defense. The following year, “Unc,” as some knew him, lead the nation’s second-ranked defense. During his career, Richardson amassed 172 tackles, collected 12 sacks, recovered six fumbles, intercepted two passes and scored two touchdowns.
A team captain of the 1999 NAIA National Championship football team, Richardson was selected as the Defensive MVP of the National Championship game and earned similar honors in the 1998 Wheat Bowl. For his accomplishments on the field, Richardson was named Second Team NAIA All-American in 1998. In 1999, he took home First Team All-Conference and First Team NAIA All-American honors.
Richardson says his greatest memory as a Ranger was when the 1999 team was inducted into the Northwestern Sports Hall of Fame.
Following his days as a Ranger athlete, Richardson coached Northwestern linebackers and defensive ends for the 2000 and 2001 seasons and played arena football from 2001 to 2004. Since leaving Northwestern, Richardson has worked for Robert Jones Roofing and UPS and is now a firefighter with the Jackson Fire Department. He lives in Jackson and has four children, Jontario, Jasmine, Darrell and Keagan.
