When we last heard from former NFL draft bust Trent Richardson, he was trying out for the Chiefs. Kansas City didn’t want him, and neither does any other NFL team, but Richardson is still putting on the pads. At Alabama.
Richardson, who was the third overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft after a good career with the Crimson Tide, was back at Alabama last week, playing the role of LSU star Leonard Fournette on the scout team in preparation for Alabama’s 10-0 win over LSU on Saturday.
Alabama coach Nick Saban said he received permission from the NCAA and the SEC to have former players come back and work on the scout team at his practices. He also had Blake Sims, the Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback in 2014, running the scout team in preparation for Alabama’s game against Texas A&M this season.
Richardson was drafted by the Browns and then traded to the Colts and was a disappointment in both places. He also briefly spent time on the Raiders and Ravens but never played in a regular-season game for either team. At age 25, he has said he still believes he has an NFL future. That seems unlikely, but there are worse ways to stay in shape for the NFL than practicing with the college football team that most closely resembles an NFL team.