The Canadian Press
REGINA — Trent Richardson is becoming an important part of the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ offensive attack. The 27-year-old running back helped lead the Riders to their tenth win of the season on Friday night, rushing for 127 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries against the Montreal Alouettes.
The 5-foot-9, 225-pound workhorse has gotten better in every game for the Riders. After rushing for just 20 yards in his Oct. 7 debut against the Toronto Argonauts, Richardson has racked up 239 yards on the ground over the last three weeks. Richardson averaged 6.4 yards per carry against the Alouettes, and his rushing average has improved every single week.
“It just pays off from hard work being in the Warehouse down in Birmingham, ” Richardson told TSN after the win. “You know, fighting for my kids and fighting for myself.”
Richardson’s comeback journey has been a long and tough one. Before signing with the Riders last month, the former third overall NFL Draft pick had not played in a regular season game since he was with the Indianapolis Colts in 2014. For Richardson, Friday’s breakout performance was a chance to enjoy the results of all his hard work.
“I’m having fun with it,” Richardson said. “I’m not worried about all the other stuff. I’m in the CFL, and I’m coming here to play to the best of my abilities.”
While Friday’s victory had a lot to do with Richardson’s big rushing performance, the running back gave all the credit to the blockers who created running lanes for him all game long.
“Offensive line did everything,” Richardson said. “It wasn’t nothing special. I ran a couple people over, but other than that it was offensive line and play-calling. I gotta give good shouts out to coach Mac.”
Richardson said head coach Chris Jones approached him before the game to let him know they were going to focus on establishing the run. The running back did not disappoint, and Richardson became more effective as the game progressed and his carry total increased.
Richardson appeared to injure his ankle near the end of the game, and he made his way to the sideline in obvious pain. But luckily for the Riders, it was only a brief scare.
“I’m good, man,” Richardson said. “I had an injury like that in high school, so it was just a little scary for me. And it’s cold out here, so you feel it a little bit more when it’s cold.”
The Riders will look to win their third-straight when they host the Edmonton Eskimos in their regular season finale next Saturday. By bolstering their rushing attack, Richardson has a chance to play a major role in Saskatchewan’s offence heading into the playoffs.
“I know you gotta win one game at a time and just fight forward,” Richardson said. “We got this game ahead of us, so that’s the game we’re worried about right now.”
