Paul Richardson performed admirably during the Sept. 10 game versus Cal. (CU Independent/James Bradbury)
With his stellar performance versus Cal, sophomore wide receiver Paul Richardson is the inaugural CU Independent Athlete of the Week
The 6-foot-1-inch California native set a school record for the most receiving yards in a single game with 284. This marks only the third 200-plus game in CU history. Richardson also tied the single game reception record with eleven. Ten of his 11 catches earned first downs, also a record for a CU receiver.
“I didn’t even know I broke the record,” said Richardson after the disappointing overtime loss to Cal. “But without the coaches putting together the game plan and without [Tyler Hansen] being able to throw the ball it would not have happened.”
This was his fourth, two-touchdown game, which ranks third all-time at CU.
Richardson has six career plays of 50 yards or longer, with his 10-career touchdown catches covering 362 yards. His two touchdowns in the Cal loss went for 66 yards and 78 yards.
After the game, Richardson’s teammates had nothing but accolades for the receiver. Senior quarterback Tyler Hansen said that Richardson got into the zone and proved that he is a special player.
“You know that’s P-Rich, that’s him every day,” said junior linebacker Douglas Rippy in a press conference. “Obviously he’s very persistent and that’s what he does in practice, so you know whatever he does in practice he does in the game.”
His standout performance has also gained him national attention.
“Over the week, we talked about Richardson’s playmaking ability,” said Cal defensive back Mark Anthony. “But you got to give credit where credit is due. The guy came out and made big plays. That’s what we tried to limit, but he was in the right place at the right time.”
Richardson is getting plenty of credit indeed. On Monday, he earned the Bank of the West Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week, and Intersport announced that he has been nominated for the Receiver Performance of the Year.
The Receiver Performance of the Year is part of a four-month competition where fans vote for the top individual performances during the 2011 college football season. The top two wide receivers of the week will go head-to-head with the winner proceeding to the finals, which runs from Jan. 19-25.
“I think Paul Richardson is a star in the making and we are seeing it,” head coach Jon Embree said.
Contact CU Independent Sports Editor Marlee Horn at Marlee.horn@colorado.edu.
