“Old-Man Football” Prepared Sheldon Richardson
April 5th, 2013
Joe always giggles when he hears SEC types embrace Missouri, a horrible football program, as one of their own. Joe remembers hearing a caller to Paul Finebaum last year rightly roast SEC commissioner Mike Slive for letting the back gate open to invite Missouri because, the caller said, “They are Big Ten rejects.”
It’s true. A few years ago when the Big Ten expanded, Missouri put on a full court press begging Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany to be invited. Instead, Delany selected Nebraska.
Neither the Big Ten nor the SEC impressed Missouri defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson. Before Missouri’s SEC debut against Georgia, Richardson had this to say, per CBSSports.com:
With his team’s hotly anticipated SEC debut against Georgia on deck for this Saturday, Richardson was asked by the Columbia Daily Tribune if he’d watched the Bulldogs’ ho-hum 45-23 win over Buffalo.
“I watched that game. I turned it off, too,” Richardson said. “It’s* like watching Big Ten football. It’s old-man football.”
Richardson, like a wise young man, learned the error of his ways. It was that “old-man football” in the SEC that transformed him into one of the top defensive tackles in the draft.
“Handing the ball off. ‘Old-man football,’ that got taken out of proportion,” Richardson told Joe and other reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine. “You know, I told (Georgia) Coach (Mark) Richt how he had a great team and I didn’t mean any disrespect, after that game. I respected his team, they had a great season.
“But when I said ‘old-man football’ I meant ‘old school football.’ It was just a joke. It is what it is. I’m a jokester to this day. So hopefully they’re laughing about it. It was a good game between us and Georgia.”
Playing in the SEC “motivated me a lot. Jumping into the SEC brought a whole lot of offensive competition, which I was ready for. And I wanted to prove that I was ready for it. I liked it. Loved it.”
Richardson is a soon-to-be stud and the Bucs just may want to upgrade at defensive tackle in the first round. Mike Mayock has Richardson listed as his No. 2 defensive tackle.
Playing against star Alabama tackle D.J. Fluker, Richardson had a field day racking up 14 tackles and a sack.
A redshirt junior, Richardson totalled 75 tackles — in the conference that plays “old-man football.”
Now Joe isn’t sure whether the Bucs would pick Richardson at No. 13, but if Bucs rock star genreal manager really wants a good, solid one-two punch with Gerald McCoy, Richardson just might be the man.
April 5th, 2013 at 5:11 pm
That horrible football program stood toe to toe with many SEC programs. Georgia was on upset alert until late in the 3rd Qtr, Florida was nearly upset, and many of the Tigers losses were very close.
It’s perfectly okay for you to maintain a bias against Missouri because of your midwest upbringing (Illinois I believe?), but don’t treat a program with absolutely no respect because of one season.
They are an average team and an average program, but by no means horrible.. and make no mistake that the Nebraska admittance to the Big Ten was all about $$$$.
April 5th, 2013 at 5:40 pm
Be aware that Mike Mayock has Richardson rated as the #2 DT behind because Mayock rated Star Lotulelei as a 3-4 DE. First time I’ve seen that. Most analysts draft boards have Lotulelei rated higher than Richardson as a DT and since he has received a full medical clearance, some have him rated above Floyd.
I like Richardson as a 3 technique, but is he the best guy to play beside McCoy? PR asserts that the tilted nose is a devalued position in Schiano’s defense, so maybe playing two gap penetrators would best fit his scheme. If that is true, Richardson would be the man!
April 5th, 2013 at 5:43 pm
The draft can’t come soon enough.
April 5th, 2013 at 5:54 pm
I know right this draft is really exciting because we are so close to be a playoff team just need a good draft and the revis trade and bam we are contending every year
April 5th, 2013 at 6:06 pm
Been selling this guy for 3 months…finally guys like “the guru” are copying me
April 5th, 2013 at 6:17 pm
I agree with Colb. I’ll also add that MU has produced some very good NFL players. Justin Smith, Aldon Smith, Sean Weatherspoon, Jeremy Maclin, William Moore, and Brad Smith come to mind. This “horrible”program also recruited the top WR prospect in the country last off-season. They had a down year last year because of atrocious QB play after losing Blaine Gabbert (another 1st round pick). I’m thinking Joe must be a KU fan!
April 5th, 2013 at 7:19 pm
Joe, I did’t know how to reach you for a question, so here it is : What do you know about what they are saying : Tim Tebow to Tampa Bay Buccaneers???????????? This is great stuff for debate; my take : I love for him to be here, no matter what people say, I really believe he can help us, after all, he sure fits the mold of a Buccaneer Man per Captain Schiano’s standards, don’t he???
April 5th, 2013 at 7:45 pm
Richardson is a 292lb. 3 technique, the same position McCoy plays, not a nose tackle. Bucs will want somebody much bigger and stronger that can stand their ground in the “tilted” nose position. However, Richardson will make some team an excellent 3 tech.
April 5th, 2013 at 7:50 pm
IMO
*(Trade back-Pick up an extra pick or picks)
Draft Datone Jones, DE
-Elite hands & get Off-Thats all I’m gonna say
NT Kawann Short- (Top of the 2nd round)
50 games played
183 Tackles
*49 Tackles for loses
18 sacks
NT Josh Boyd (End of the 5th or Top of the 6th Round)
April 5th, 2013 at 7:58 pm
He looks pretty fast for a DT. I gotta see how big he is.
April 5th, 2013 at 8:03 pm
DE Devin Taylor would be an upgrade as well
April 5th, 2013 at 8:08 pm
Better Prospect *NT Kawann Short- (Top of the 2nd round)
50 games played
183 Tackles
*49 Tackles for loses
18 sacks
(Youtube) 2013 NFL Draft Profile: Purdue – Kawann Short
April 5th, 2013 at 8:19 pm
There is no point in trading back in this draft when you can get the guy you NEED now
April 5th, 2013 at 8:59 pm
BPA all day erry day!
Tavon Austin come on down….
April 5th, 2013 at 8:59 pm
BPA all day erry day!
Tavon Austin come on down….
April 5th, 2013 at 9:34 pm
@Joe: I’m confused, weren’t you and I talking about DTs vs. DEs in the draft a few weeks ago…and you were saying there’s no way the Bucs would pick a DT in the first round and that DE was a much bigger need?
April 5th, 2013 at 10:53 pm
Fatmosh:
Yeah, as long as they re-signed Miller. Still cant believe how thin-skinned Bucs were about anything negative about Miller, then, poof.
Joe thinks he was conned.
April 6th, 2013 at 12:27 am
I went out to YouTube to watch Richardson highlights and after watching a few, I ran into a Tavon Austin highlight. I have been all about drafting a DT with the 13th pick but holy cow Austin is special! Not sure the Bucs should pass on him if he is available. Our D might still be week but no one would be stopping our offense with Jackson, Martin, and Austin on the field at the same time. Well maybe Josh could stop them (that wasn’t nice, was it?)
April 6th, 2013 at 12:07 pm
Joe! Richardson is SPECIAL! When ppl talk about tilt nose position & having to be a big man is BS. The reason Miller was good was b/c of his techniques & leverage. Richardson plays w/ leverage & something you really can’t teach “get-off/quickness” he can play the nose & be successful in it…then on 3rd down he can do what he does & rush the passer…you can move him around like McCoy & that will give offenses headaches trying to key on those two. If we draft Richardson I wouldn’t be upset b/c I can see the thinking in the pick!
April 6th, 2013 at 1:08 pm
Having two GMC on the field at the same time… makes me smile.
Like C Alak says: Move those two around and it can be deadly. McCoy sometime flips with Miller last year and years before. Yet was effective.