David Richards (American football)
Encyclopedia
David Richards is a former professional American football
guard
who played nine seasons in the National Football League
.
A standout at Highland Park High School
in Dallas, Texas
, the 6-foot-5, 310-pound Richards was the first lineman to be named Parade Magazine's National High School Player of the Year in 1983.
In college, he was an All-Southwest Conference selection at guard as a sophomore at Southern Methodist University
. The following season, he earned All-SWC honors as a tackle at SMU.
Prior to his senior season, the NCAA placed SMU's football program on probation [see "Death penalty (NCAA)"] and Richards transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles
, for his senior season.
A fourth-round selection of the San Diego Chargers
in the 1988 NFL Draft
, Richards spent five seasons with the Chargers (1988–1992), starting at right tackle (1988) and right guard (1989–92) in all 80 games.
In April 1993, Richards signed a three-year, $5.1 million agreement to play for the Detroit Lions
. He started 15 games at left guard for the Lions during the 1993 season before signing a two-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons
in August 1994. With the Falcons, Richards started 26 games during the 1994 and 1995 seasons. In 1996, he started six games for the Falcons before he was released by the team. He was claimed on waivers by the New England Patriots
in October 1996.
Today, Richards lives in Dallas where he works in commercial real estate. He worked alongside Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach
at The Staubach Company, which was sold to Jones Lang LaSalle
in 2008.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
who played nine seasons in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
.
A standout at Highland Park High School
Highland Park High School (University Park, Texas)
Highland Park High School is located in University Park, Texas.Highland Park is a part of the Highland Park Independent School District. It serves all of the city of University Park, most of the town of Highland Park, and portions of Dallas.-History:...
in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, the 6-foot-5, 310-pound Richards was the first lineman to be named Parade Magazine's National High School Player of the Year in 1983.
In college, he was an All-Southwest Conference selection at guard as a sophomore at Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
. The following season, he earned All-SWC honors as a tackle at SMU.
Prior to his senior season, the NCAA placed SMU's football program on probation [see "Death penalty (NCAA)"] and Richards transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
, for his senior season.
A fourth-round selection of the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 1988 NFL Draft
1988 NFL Draft
The 1988 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 1988. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
, Richards spent five seasons with the Chargers (1988–1992), starting at right tackle (1988) and right guard (1989–92) in all 80 games.
In April 1993, Richards signed a three-year, $5.1 million agreement to play for the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. He started 15 games at left guard for the Lions during the 1993 season before signing a two-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in August 1994. With the Falcons, Richards started 26 games during the 1994 and 1995 seasons. In 1996, he started six games for the Falcons before he was released by the team. He was claimed on waivers by the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
in October 1996.
Today, Richards lives in Dallas where he works in commercial real estate. He worked alongside Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
at The Staubach Company, which was sold to Jones Lang LaSalle
Jones Lang LaSalle
Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc. is a multinational financial and professional services company specializing in real estate. Global headquarters are located in Chicago, with an operational remit covering the Americas regional market...
in 2008.