CB Shaquille Richardson: 'I want to play against the best'

[hawaiiansteel]

Richardson: 'I want to play against the best'

Teresa Varley
Steelers.com



Rookie cornerback Shaquille Richardson is not afraid of a challenge.

If you want to be the best, you have to go against the best, and rookie cornerback Shaquille Richardson is getting to do that during the Steelers’ OTAs.

Richardson, a fifth-round draft pick, has had to cover Pro Bowl receiver Antonio Brown during OTAs, and it’s a challenge he loves.

“I want to play against the best,” said Richardson. “I am playing against Antonio out here. I am trying to work against him. He is a great receiver. I just try to go against the best players here and make plays.

“I talk to some of the other corners and some say they have been to other teams and Antonio is the most complete receiver that they have seen, speed, routes, intelligence, everything that you need. The first day that I tried to cover him I was like he is slick. He got away from me, but I am doing better.”

Richardson also loves having to defend quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, and even challenged himself to shine against him.

“I told him I was going to pick him off before the end of this is over,” said Richardson. “He said you might get me once before I leave out of here. We’ll see.”

Richardson also weighed in on the following topics:

On how things are going so far in OTAs: “It’s going great. I am having fun with the team, trying to make as many plays as we can.”

On how he is picking up the defense: “We put in a lot of plays but you start grouping plays together, where this play is like this play, so I have been picking it up pretty well.”

On what he thinks of the defense: “It’s super fun. When we add plays I am like man that is tight and I can’t wait to do that. When you see how it’s supposed to work and it works like that on the field, it’s so much fun as a defense to work together like that.”

On his impression of the defense: “It’s a fly around defense, make plays, be aggressive. Our fire zones are crazy. We get a lot of pressure on the quarterback and we just make plays.”

On if he is leaning on the veterans for help: “A lot. When I come off the field I talk to them about plays I’ve done, plays that they do or why they did something. Will Gay has been helping me out a lot, Robert Golden, Will Allen. Everybody is. I talk to everybody.”

[URL]http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Richardson-I-want-to-play-against-the-best/11ad9316-2aea-45c6-9373-878af848f26a[/URL]

[RobinCole]

"Now that's how you be great." - Santonio Holmes.

[sick beats]

Now the question is: How did he do against him? Did he hold his own? I'd love to hit on a mid-round CB since Ike and Gay and Allen.

[8467thekraken]

I sure like everything this kid said.

Seems to have a good head and seems to want it.

[Iron City Inc.]

Regardless of how he looks in shorts we are not going to know until the pads go on. IMHO cb is our weakest link. He'll be someone I'm going to be watching at Latrobe along with Blake (4.18 at Texas El Paso) I think the 40 there is only 39 yds. sorry poor attempt at humor. Blake is lightning but only 5'9".

[papillon]

I like that he challenged Ben and told him he was going to get him once before it's over. I hope Ben picks on him, so he sees what its like playing corner in the NFL.

Pappy

[Shoe]

What was it that ended up making this kid a 5th round pick?

[hawaiiansteel]

What was it that ended up making this kid a 5th round pick?

CBSHAQUILLE RICHARDSON ARIZONA PAC-12

DRAFTED BY: STEELERS ROUND5 PICK17 OVERALL157

OVERVIEW

2013: Started all 13 games. Second on team with 3 INTs. 2012: Played in 13 games, starting 11. Led team with 14 PBUs. Had 1 INT. 2011: Played in 10 games, starting all 10. Led team with 4 INTs. 2010: Played in 13 games, starting 3. Recorded 2 INTs at Washington State in first career start. High School: No. 26 CB nationally (Scout).

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS Quick and agile and is aggressive jumping routes when he sees it. Can make spectacular plays look easy -- produced one of the most sensational highlight-reel plays of the season vs. Oregon when he acrobatically tipped the ball back into play to a teammate for an interception on the first play and closed the game with an interception of his own vs. Marcus Mariota to key a surprise upset. Outstanding pro day workout, posting a 4.43-second 40, 38 1/2-inch vertical jump and 6.95-second three-cone drill time, indicating good speed, agility and explosion.

WEAKNESSES Very lean build. Tends to squat on routes. Lacks eye discipline to sort out run-pass reads -- is late to locate the ball and support the run. Benched in 2012 for lapses in coverage and needs to become more consistent recognizing/supporting the run and securing open-field tackles. Marginal physicality. Character will invite close scrutiny -- was arrested on suspicion of felony theft as an incoming freshman and released from UCLA program.

BOTTOM LINE A lean, leggy, underdeveloped press corner who has shown big-time flashes but must prove more consistent in coverage, a greater willingness to tackle and more maturity than he demonstrated early in his career to be given an opportunity to compete.

[URL]http://www.nfl.com/draft/2014/profiles/shaquille-richardson?id=2543779[/URL]

[BradshawsHairdresser]

In other words, he's got a lot of potential, but he's raw and needs a lot of work.

Hope he fares better than last year's 5th-round CB selection.

[Captain Lemming]

CBSHAQUILLE RICHARDSON ARIZONA PAC-12

DRAFTED BY: STEELERS ROUND5 PICK17 OVERALL157

OVERVIEW

2013: Started all 13 games. Second on team with 3 INTs. 2012: Played in 13 games, starting 11. Led team with 14 PBUs. Had 1 INT. 2011: Played in 10 games, starting all 10. Led team with 4 INTs. 2010: Played in 13 games, starting 3. Recorded 2 INTs at Washington State in first career start. High School: No. 26 CB nationally (Scout).

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS Quick and agile and is aggressive jumping routes when he sees it. Can make spectacular plays look easy -- produced one of the most sensational highlight-reel plays of the season vs. Oregon when he acrobatically tipped the ball back into play to a teammate for an interception on the first play and closed the game with an interception of his own vs. Marcus Mariota to key a surprise upset. Outstanding pro day workout, posting a 4.43-second 40, 38 1/2-inch vertical jump and 6.95-second three-cone drill time, indicating good speed, agility and explosion.

WEAKNESSES Very lean build. Tends to squat on routes. Lacks eye discipline to sort out run-pass reads -- is late to locate the ball and support the run. Benched in 2012 for lapses in coverage and needs to become more consistent recognizing/supporting the run and securing open-field tackles. Marginal physicality. Character will invite close scrutiny -- was arrested on suspicion of felony theft as an incoming freshman and released from UCLA program.

BOTTOM LINE A lean, leggy, underdeveloped press corner who has shown big-time flashes but must prove more consistent in coverage, a greater willingness to tackle and more maturity than he demonstrated early in his career to be given an opportunity to compete.

[URL]http://www.nfl.com/draft/2014/profiles/shaquille-richardson?id=2543779[/URL]

Describes the ideal late pick. 1st round talent, shows flashes of it in actual games (not JUST a track guy), love the "can make the spectacular look easy" quote. However, he has lapses, and does not get nuances (coachable weaknesses). Can get stronger, easy to do in your 20s.

Eager and hungry to learn, wants to take on the best, I really like this kind of late pick.

Potential quality number 2 corner starter in the 5th.

[steelz09]

And Lake had insider knowledge on him. He recruited him when at UCLA.

[raycafan]

Is it just me or do the rest of you feel a different vibe coming out of OTAs. I know it's not camp but all the interviews I read or watch seem like there is a new excitement coming from the Steelers players. Not the same routine of Q&As from the same group. Yes, many are new but man I hope this of carries over onto the playing field.

[hawaiiansteel]

Expectations placed on Shaquille Richardson gives him a sink-or-swim opportunity

By Neal Coolong on Jun 27 2014



Faced with past fifth-round flame-outs drafted by the Steelers as well as future depth concerns at the position, more eyes are on one of this year's fifth round picks than his contemporaries.

Top draft picks get the hat and a grip-n-grin shot with the Commissioner on the stage. The second round picks get something similar, just usually with a slightly hungover crowd watching on Day 2 of the NFL Draft.

Only the die-hards know much about the guys drafted on Day 3. Unless, of course, they play a position most fans feel the team should have drafted much earlier. It's certainly not the fault of Arizona cornerback Shaquille Richardson the Steelers didn't address the position most thought they would on either Day 1 or Day 2. Instead, he embodies the misplaced expectations of a high draft pick.

If Richardson put up comparative statistics as, say, a tight end, fans would not likely have batted an eyelash. Fellow fifth-round pick, Vanderbilt offensive tackle Wesley Johnson, is seen as a guy with upside and will battle for a roster spot.

Richardson carries with him the notion of being a future starter, an impact player, the reason the Steelers didn't address what appeared to be their most shallow position and, with a connection to Steelers defensive backs coach Carnell Lake (who recruited Richardson in high school), someone on whom fans must settle to assuage their fears of future defensive back depth.

At least he's doing the youth camp thing. It's always good to see players taking the responsibility of working with kids.

Fifth round picks haven't fared well in Pittsburgh recently. Terry Hawthorne, cut. Chris Rainey, cut. Chris Carter, possibly on his way out and not exactly in line for an extension. Stevenson Sylvester has been cut possibly more often than any player in franchise history. Chris Scott never panned out and neither did Crezdon Butler (but both ended up in Buffalo).

Mental toughness is a requisite for a cornerback. One with so many trending negatives working against him will need even more of it. Expectations are closer to written vomit than anything tangible. Richardson will likely answer these kinds of questions, and they're more of an annoyance than anything else.

Still, the fans create the storyline they want. His only defense will be to spout off the standard cliches and work hard.

That isn't to say those who went before him didn't do the same things, and that's exactly why fans will pounce on the fifth round pick with unfair expectations. It really doesn't have anything to do with him at all. He's stuck between those hype-fueled expectations and past shortcomings of others.

He can step up and be the hero, earn a dime back position and excel on special teams. He can continue to work to turn that high level of athleticism into a supreme technically-inclined cornerback. He can wilt under the mirage of fan expectations and turn into the next project scooped up by Buffalo.

The tough spot he was placed in on draft day is his to manipulate. He still has a great opportunity with a team that, regardless of the amazingly high amount of improvement Brice McCain and Antwon Blake have made over the offseason, doesn't have much experienced depth at the position in the future.

It's up to him now.

[URL]http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/pittsburgh-steelers-nfl-features-news-blog/2014/6/27/5849230/steelers-shaquille-richardson-2014-nfl-draft-cornerback-depth-chart[/URL]

[RuthlessBurgher]

By Josh Alper
April 21, 2015, 4:49 PM EDT
Chiefs waive 2014 Steelers fifth-rounder Shaquille Richardson

It’s not a great sign for a long NFL career when the team that drafts you in the fifth round in May drops you from the roster before the start of your rookie season.

That was cornerback Shaquille Richardson’s fate with the Steelers, however, and things aren’t looking up for him. Richardson signed with the Chiefs in February, but Kansas City has already decided to move in a different direction despite having 90 spots on the roster. The team announced Tuesday that they have waived Richardson.

The move leaves the Chiefs with Sean Smith, Phillip Gaines, Marcus Cooper, Sanders Commings and Jamell Fleming at corner. Smith’s recent guilty plea on DUI charges opens the door to league discipline that could leave him sidelined for the opening weeks of the regular season.

Richardson finished his college career at Arizona after being dismissed from UCLA along with his cousin and current Seahawks wide receiver Paul Richardson after they were arrested on theft charges that were later dropped.