Richardson readies for NFL debut

Linden High alum Sean Richardson will get his first taste of live NFL action Thursday night when the Green Bay Packers open preseason play against the San Diego Chargers.

Richardson, an undrafted free agent safety out of Vanderbilt, is excited about his first opportunity to showcase his abilities against live competition.

“I’m very excited, first preseason game,” Richardson said during a phone interview Tuesday evening.  “We’re tired of banging around each other.”

While he has no guarantee of making the Packers’ roster, Richardson is confident in his talents and the performances he has put together thus far during rookie camp, organized team activities and in the early stages of training camp.

“I’ve been doing pretty well in camp and practice,” he said.  “The coaches have been saying good things about me.  I need to continue to showcase different skills.”

Richardson admits to feeling awe struck from time to time as he looks around the locker room and realizes he is in the presence of some of the biggest names in the game.  But he spends little time giving heed to those moments.

“Sometimes I’ll catch myself thinking, ‘Wow, I remember watching them on TV a few years ago.’  But, at the same time, it’s a business and you have to stay focused,” Richardson said.  “I’ve adapted to the environment.  I just take it one practice at a time, one day at a time.  If you take it one day at a time and continue to get better and the coaches are already saying good things about you, that improves your chances of making the roster.”

Richardson will attempt to keep his focus day in and day out as he looks to navigate his way through the weekly cuts over the next month and onto the grass at Lambeau Field for Green Bay’s regular season opener against the San Francisco 49ers Sept. 9.  The 49ers, incidentally, are reportedly one of 13 other teams that extended offers to Richardson immediately following the NFL Draft in April.