Horned Frogs First Person: JP Richardson
6/29/2023 8:14:00 AM | Football
Football is truly important to the TCU wide receiver
(as told to Lily Margaret Greenway)
There's a picture of me framed in my parents' house. I can't be more than a year old, but I'm holding a football.
Football is arguably the single most important thing in my entire life. I don't know what I would do without it, and it's the biggest blessing I have. Growing up with a family of players and coaches, we were at games every weekend. I spent a lot of time in a college locker room, even as a kid. I would watch the team and coaches, and know that's where I wanted to be one day. I think my younger self would be proud of where we are now. If I could tell him something, I would say that hard work pays off. You get in what you get out, so make every second count. It's wild to reflect on the fact that I'm really here, playing college football, and fulfilling the dream I've had my entire life.
My grandfather introduced me to the game, and my dad (former Texas A&M and Houston Oilers quarterback Bucky Richardson) sculpted me into the individual I am today. He passed on the mentality of being a good person and doing the right thing all the time, but he also taught me never to lose the competitive edge. I'm really competitive. I don't care if I'm playing rock-paper-scissors, basketball, or a game on the field – losing isn't an option for me. I give 100 percent every single play, and from the classroom to the weight room, I don't take a day for granted in trying to become better.
I'm so happy to be a Horned Frog. You can't draw up a better spot in the entire country to be right now than Fort Worth. When the coaches reached out to me after I hit the transfer portal, I knew immediately that with the trajectory of the program, TCU was a good place to be. It's the start of a new chapter, and it feels right.
I show up on time, step in when I need to, and I'm committed and bought into what our coaches are doing here. Coach Kaz always tells us, "Sharpen your teeth. Every day, you want to come in and be a wolf." He works a lot from behind the scenes, but I think how Coach Kaz operates is key to last year's success, and a leading cause of what we'll do this year. Of course, a lot of other things have to go right, too. Nothing is ever handed to you, you've got to go get it.
I'm always going to bring that edge and hunger on the field, but as a person, I'm trustworthy, funny, loving and soft. Relationships really matter to me. Between my family, friends, and my buddies on the team, it is so important to have a good support system in your life. It really helps your mental health, and just makes your everyday life better. I don't like to not know anybody, so I make an effort to talk to all the guys on the team, especially the new guys. It's hard to believe I've been here six months. Some days it feels like I got here yesterday. Some of the guys I've made friends with will be in my wedding one day. But for now, I can't wait to get in the TCU uniform and go to war together on September 2.
There's a picture of me framed in my parents' house. I can't be more than a year old, but I'm holding a football.
Football is arguably the single most important thing in my entire life. I don't know what I would do without it, and it's the biggest blessing I have. Growing up with a family of players and coaches, we were at games every weekend. I spent a lot of time in a college locker room, even as a kid. I would watch the team and coaches, and know that's where I wanted to be one day. I think my younger self would be proud of where we are now. If I could tell him something, I would say that hard work pays off. You get in what you get out, so make every second count. It's wild to reflect on the fact that I'm really here, playing college football, and fulfilling the dream I've had my entire life.
My grandfather introduced me to the game, and my dad (former Texas A&M and Houston Oilers quarterback Bucky Richardson) sculpted me into the individual I am today. He passed on the mentality of being a good person and doing the right thing all the time, but he also taught me never to lose the competitive edge. I'm really competitive. I don't care if I'm playing rock-paper-scissors, basketball, or a game on the field – losing isn't an option for me. I give 100 percent every single play, and from the classroom to the weight room, I don't take a day for granted in trying to become better.
I'm so happy to be a Horned Frog. You can't draw up a better spot in the entire country to be right now than Fort Worth. When the coaches reached out to me after I hit the transfer portal, I knew immediately that with the trajectory of the program, TCU was a good place to be. It's the start of a new chapter, and it feels right.
I show up on time, step in when I need to, and I'm committed and bought into what our coaches are doing here. Coach Kaz always tells us, "Sharpen your teeth. Every day, you want to come in and be a wolf." He works a lot from behind the scenes, but I think how Coach Kaz operates is key to last year's success, and a leading cause of what we'll do this year. Of course, a lot of other things have to go right, too. Nothing is ever handed to you, you've got to go get it.
I'm always going to bring that edge and hunger on the field, but as a person, I'm trustworthy, funny, loving and soft. Relationships really matter to me. Between my family, friends, and my buddies on the team, it is so important to have a good support system in your life. It really helps your mental health, and just makes your everyday life better. I don't like to not know anybody, so I make an effort to talk to all the guys on the team, especially the new guys. It's hard to believe I've been here six months. Some days it feels like I got here yesterday. Some of the guys I've made friends with will be in my wedding one day. But for now, I can't wait to get in the TCU uniform and go to war together on September 2.
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