Herb Zurkowsky
Montreal Gazette

Jamel Richardson could have had a bounty of Grey Cup championships - had things played out differently.

"I have no regrets," the talented Alouettes receiver said. "Everything happens for a reason. You take it and move on."

Richardson broke into the Canadian Football League in 2003 with Saskatchewan - the Als' opponents in Sunday's Grey Cup. He turned pro two years into his career at Victor Valley, a junior college in the High Desert region of southern California.

But Richardson missed the Roughriders' 2007 championship season. He signed with the Dallas Cowboys in March, was released in August and had no intention of re-signing with Saskatchewan.

Two years into his Riders career, at a time when his collegiate days would have ended, Richardson tried unsuccessfully to get out of his contract so he could test the NFL. Saskatchewan's management at the time - general manager Roy Shivers and head coach Danny Barrett - quashed the player's request.

"I feel I was there for too long," he said. "Four years, and they never used me right. That's why I feel like I was never there. I never thought of going back. I wanted to stay on the East Coast at that point. I was done with them because of the issues I had."

Richardson never was close to becoming the dominant receiver in Saskatchewan he has developed into with Montreal. His most productive season came in 2005, when he caught 55 passes for 663 yards in 14 games.

But Richardson also had a reputation for dropping passes and was considered injury-prone after suffering an ankle sprain and a broken foot.

Nonetheless, had he stayed with the Riders, Richardson would be preparing for the potential of a second championship in three seasons. After the Als' heartbreaking loss to Calgary at Olympic Stadium in last year's Cup, he's still seeking his first title.

While some are surprised to see the Riders back in the Cup, Richardson said they shouldn't be overlooked.

"I mean it was bound to happen," he said. "They have a great group of guys. They had tough breaks, things like that. But they're pretty good. It's just the way they play ... their passion. They're aggressive and fly around to the ball. That's always been Saskatchewan's style of defence."

Richardson made an immediate impact with Montreal in 2008, catching 98 passes for 1,287 yards while scoring 16 touchdowns - leading the Als in the last two categories. He was also Montreal's most dominant player against Calgary in the Cup, catching six passes for 123 yards.

While his numbers were down this season - 85 catches for 1,055 yards and nine touchdowns - he also missed two games to injury. But Richardson has always been a money player who rises to the occasion. In last Sunday's East Division final against B.C., he scored three times - once on special teams after recovering a blocked punt. It was the first special-teams score of his career.

"If I do the same thing, great. I just want to play consistent on every down," he said. "That can be blocking, catching or springing my teammates. Hoisting the trophy's the biggest thing.

"Last year, we had doubts. This year, we're on the same page. I had six months to think about that game. It's B.S. that we lost. We could have dominated that game. We should be going for a two-peat."

Richardson, cocky and confident, wasn't crowing as loudly yesterday, although he said the Als will triumph.

"I want to leave everything on the field," he said. "I mean, they're just another team standing in the way of the Grey Cup.

"I like this group and (Anthony Calvillo) throws the ball. He doesn't look to run. He just throws the ball. I don't know how the game will unfold, but I will make the difference, in little or big ways."

Courtesy: www.montrealgazette.com