Larry Brown Sports

Trent Richardson had an impressive rookie season with the Cleveland Browns, totaling over 1,300 yards rushing and receiving. He fell just 50 yards short of 1,000 yards on the ground, but ultimately Richardson showed that he should be worthy of the third overall pick Cleveland spent on him. Especially when you consider the fact that he played through a painful injury for most of the season.

According to the Akron Beacon Journal, Richardson suffered a rib cartilage injury on Oct. 14 against the Cincinnati Bengals. After the final game of the season, he admitted that two of his ribs are broken and that it still hurts to lay on his right side or his back.

“Sometimes it’s hard to shift positions, twist, catch balls on my shoulder,” Richardson said. “It was real tough because it limits you from a lot. You can’t really cut like you want to or you can’t really make the body movement like you want to. You can’t squeeze through the hole like you want to. You can’t really get full burst ‘cause your feet hitting the ground, it’s impacting all of that. It hurts a lot, especially when you get punched and you get hit in that side. Some guys on the ground want to do other stuff, want to come in and land on your ribs, which really hurts. It impacts a lot.”

While Richardson says the injury was so painful he needed help getting dressed and getting into the shower, he didn’t use it as an excuse for a season that he says was not what he had hoped for.

“I wasn’t satisfied with my season at all,” he said. “Looking back at it, there was some times and positions where I couldn’t do anything, and I made something out of nothing. My offensive line they picked me up, and they got better and better as the season went on. … At a time like this, you got to discipline yourself to make sure that you be hard on yourself when you go back and watch film and make sure that you criticize yourself so hard to where you won’t make those mistakes next year.”

Assuming Richardson is healthy entering next season, the Browns offense should receive a boost. But first, Cleveland will have to find itself a new head coach.

Jim Brown, the greatest running back in Cleveland Browns and arguably NFL history, has expressed on two occasions that he does not think highly of Trent Richardson, who was drafted third overall by the team in April.

Richardson finally responded to Brown’s criticism.

“He has his own thoughts. That’s him being him,” Richardson said earlier this month, according to ESPN’s Jamison Henley. “I have no problem with it. I just wish the best of luck for him whatever he’s doing in life.

“I laugh at the situation,” Richardson said. “You don’t know me from spic to span. But he’s Jim Brown. He’s done a lot here and I haven’t done anything yet. I have a lot to accomplish and big shoes to fill. When it comes down to it, I have to work and make sure I make him a believer. I haven’t done anything yet.”

Brown may not know Richardson, but he’s certainly entitled to evaluate him as a running back. The best thing for the Browns would be for Richardson to use the slights as motivation to dominate on the field. We already know Brown said he’d apologize if Richardson proves him wrong, so at least he’s pledging to be fair about the situation.

For the record, I lean more toward Brown’s evaluation of Richardson rather than Cleveland’s.

Helmet knock to Pro Football Talk

From the moment the Browns traded up to select Trent Richardson with the third overall pick in the 2012 draft, Jim Brown has made it clear that he does not agree with the decision. Many view Richardson as an electric player who can become a game-changer for the Browns’ offense, but the best running back in Cleveland history doesn’t see it that way. Brown reiterated that during an interview with ESPN Cleveland on Wedensday.

When radio host Tony Grossi told Brown that many have compared Richardson to Emmitt Smith, Brown said Smith was a “warrior” but he wouldn’t put him in his top tier of running backs anyway.

“If you look at Emmitt Smith and the kind of blocking he had, I don’t think he’d have close to the career he had (without it),” Brown said. “But if you take a Gale Sayers, Walter Payton, Eric Dickerson … Earl Campbell, there’s something special there.

“Emmitt was a warrior. But when it comes to the first level of backs, Emmitt would not be in my first level. So when I look at Richardson, I see adequate speed, adequate power, and a good attitude. But I don’t see anything special. And I don’t know if anyone can tell me there’s anything special.”

Read The Rest of the Story…

The Cleveland Browns clearly are not soliciting player analysis opinions from Jim Brown, because they traded up to select Trent Richardson No. 3 overall in the 2012 NFL Draft on Thursday. Earlier in the day, Brown, the best running back in Cleveland’s franchise history (and perhaps all time), expressed doubt about Richardson’s ability.

Asked about the Browns potentially drafting Richardson — which they did — Brown was unenthusiastic.

“I’m not overwhelmed with it. The problem is that he’s ordinary,” Brown told The Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio. “I think he’s ordinary.”

Asked what about him is ordinary, Brown said, “the size, the speed, his moves.”

Brown was not impressed by any of the running backs in the draft, saying “It’s not a good year.”

Brown believes the importance of running backs has become marginalized because the NFL is a passing league, and thinks a team should only draft one early if he’s great.

I agree with Brown’s analysis all the way around. The problem is Cleveland needs a quarterback and Washington beat them out by acquiring the No. 2 overall pick from the Rams. Instead, they moved up to take Richardson and settled on Brandon Weeden at No. 22. I still think their offense has a long way to go.

Helmet knock to Pro Football Talk

Courntey Alvis had to a face a life-changing moment at the age of 16 when she was diagnosed with leukemia. Because of her weakened immune system, Alvis was told she basically couldn’t leave her house — no driving, no going to the mall, no seeing a movie or taking part in anything that a healthy high schooler would be off enjoying.

Alvis was told that she could attend her junior prom last year if she took the necessary precautions. Doctors told her she would have had to wear rubber gloves and a mask and not touch anybody. Unsurprisingly, she decided to pass. After a year of treatment and fighting the disease, Courtney is now determined to attend her senior prom and end high school on a high note. The problem was she didn’t have a date.

With the help of her uncle, Alvis was put in touch with Alabama star Trent Richardson. The 2011 Heisman trophy finalist is solving the no date problem.

“I’m very excited but I’m also really nervous,” Alvis said according to WSFA. “I watch Trent all the time on TV and he’s going to be come with me.”

Good on you, Trent. It’s been said that attitude and demeanor are some of the most important factors in being able to fight off cancer. Here’s hoping Richardson’s gesture will help Courtney Alvis on her road to recovery.

H/T Eye on College Football
Photo credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE