Anthony Richardson reflects on the highs and lows of his Florida Gators career
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — After spending all of junior high, high school and college in Gainesville, Anthony Richardson is about to call a new place home. The Florida Gators star will be one of the first quarterbacks selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
For Richardson, it will mark the accomplishment of a goal that he set for himself in sixth grade after moving from Miami to the 352. Following a decade of dedication and hard work to make it to the league, he finally arrives on Thursday night.
“Getting ready to get drafted doesn’t feel real. I just think about how time has gone by so fast,” Richardson said. “It feels like yesterday that I was in high school and now the draft is here. It still hasn’t hit me yet, but it’s been a long, fun journey.”
Richardson signed with UF in the 2020 class out of Eastside as one of the top quarterback recruits in the country. He was pursued by several elite programs but ultimately decided to stay close to home for college.
Richardson said he didn’t grow up dreaming to play at Florida, but once he relocated to Gainesville before middle school, playing in The Swamp and putting on for his hometown became a goal for him.
“Growing up there, it’s a different feeling when you actually step on that field and you’re playing. Because you got all your old coaches and old teammates like, ‘My boy plays for the Gators. Look at him out there on the field doing his thing.’ It felt good, so I definitely enjoyed that,” Richardson said.
“And then just being able to go around town and people are like, ‘Oh, I saw what you did out there Saturday. You did good.’ I just walk on the East side of town and go to Walmart or something, all of the little kids run up to give me high fives. That’s major love. It just feels different.”
However, with that comes extra expectations and pressure. Richardson felt the weight of it all during his first season as a starter last year. He opened SEC play against Kentucky with what he called one of his worst games ever and followed that up with another poor outing vs. USF.
Richardson went from fans demanding that he start in 2021 to calls for him to be benched after his first career conference start at home.
“It was challenging,” Richardson said. “Because people show love and they’re excited for you and they’re just rooting for you, but people are also going to expect so much out of you. And then you don’t live up to their standard and you’re not perfect, it’s, ‘This guy stinks. Why is he on the field?’ I was like dang, bro. I can only do so much. Like, I’m not perfect. Even though I aspire to be. I’m not perfect.
“And I just thought sometimes, what if we were able to switch spots right now? How about you get out there and at least try to do the way better than I did. If you can do it, then I salute you. But if not, then just chill. I’m trying to do everything in my power to make you happy, but I can’t do it all. So, it was up and down for me a little bit, but I just had to be strong.”
The turning point for Anthony Richardson
Richardson points to the Tennessee game — his first career SEC road start — as a pivotal moment in his 2022 season. Following his 274-yard, three-touchdown performance in the win over Utah, he had back-to-back-games with two interceptions, zero touchdowns, under 150 passing yards and less than 25 rushing yards.
After just 112 passing yards vs. USF, he quadrupled that amount at Rocky Top. Richardson produced the most total yards (515) by a Florida quarterback in an SEC game in program history. He threw for a career-high 453 yards and two touchdowns on 24 of 44 passing, while rushing for 62 yards and two more scores on 17 carries.
“Even though we didn’t win, you know, I felt relief within myself,” Richardson said. “That was like one of the games where I just let myself be me. I wasn’t worried about what people were saying. I wasn’t worried about I had no passing touchdowns and four interceptions. I wasn’t worried about that. I was just worried about doing my job each and every play and just trying to get the victory with my brothers.
“Those fans were talking. I’m like, ‘OK, I like this. Come on. Keep it up.’ I realize I perform way better when people doubt me. Of course, I love (getting) love, but once I pay attention too much, I kind of get complacent a little bit. … Everybody was in there is expecting me to do bad, so I just gotta showcase what I’m about to do. I went out there and did it, and I just felt relief and peace within myself.”
The plays, wins & losses that stick with him most
Richardson on his top plays as a Gator:
“The hurdle (vs. FAU) is definitely up there. That was like the first time I’ve ever done that. I just broke tackles and jumped over somebody. I always talked about doing it. Never done it. And I was like, ‘Dang, I actually did it.’ So that was definitely one up there. The pump fake (vs. Utah). I did that in practice like two weeks before. I don’t know what made me do it. I just did it.”
Richardson on his favorite wins at Florida:
“It was either Florida State my second year or the Utah game. I just had pure joy. The Florida State game, I felt good because it’s Florida State, you know what I’m saying? We beat them and it felt good. And then I was able to play through a torn meniscus that game and we were able to pull it out and get the victory. So, that felt really good. And the Utah game, another tough one. The Swamp was rocking. I feel like everybody on the team was clicking, offense and defense. We made it work and I just had a big ol’ smile on my face. Those two are probably the best two.”
Richardson on his toughest UF losses:
“Either UCF my second year or Kentucky this previous season. UCF, I wasn’t able to help the team. I just had knee surgery two weeks before the game and I wasn’t able to play. I felt like I should have been out there playing with them. So, that definitely hurt. And then Kentucky as well. It was so many points in that game where I could have turned it around for us. And I just couldn’t get out my own head.”
How Richardson wants to be remembered at UF
Richardson came to Florida with aspirations to win championships, add a Heisman Trophy statue in front of the stadium and become a first-round draft pick. The latter will become a reality on Thursday night, but he wasn’t able to experience the team or individual success he hoped for.
Nonetheless, he still enjoyed his time with the Gators and playing for his hometown team. While Richardson provided the program with some excitement and highlights during two down years, he hopes the left a legacy he left off the field — always signing autographs and taking pictures for fans, visiting local schools and giving back to the community — will be remembered most.
“I definitely take pride in that, but I don’t think it’s just all about ball. I think it’s more important that they know who I am as a person,” Richardson said. “Understand that I’m not going to be perfect on the field, but off the field I just try to show love to everybody. They’re the ones coming to the game. So, just them coming to The Swamp, you know, supporting us, it was definitely a blessing. They show love to us, so why not show back? That’s what I want them to remember the most. Not just me jumping over people or running by people. All that’s fun and I’ve been doing that. That’s part of who I am. But just showcasing who I am off the field, that’s more important to me.
“I always just try to connect with people, outside of the stadium doing backflips with little kids. Nobody else is going to be doing that. Nobody else wants a quarterback to be doing that. But stories like that they’re going to be able to tell for the rest of their lives. And I appreciate that. Just having fun. I like having fun, making people smile, and making people happy. That just makes me feel good. You never know whose life you can change just by talking to them or giving them a high five, or even signing a little paper. You never know who that person is going to be in life. You never know what memories they’re going to be able to have through stuff like that.”
More stories and videos this week from Gators Online’s sit-down interview with Anthony Richardson.
Richardson’s Journey from ‘Hometown Hero’ to the NFL
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