Trent Richardson Comments on NFL Comeback, Hall of Fame Aspirations

Running back Trent Richardson quickly became one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history after the Cleveland Browns made him the third overall pick in 2012 and traded him to the Indianapolis Colts in the middle of his second season. By 2015, he had fallen out of the league entirely.

Richardson, who is now getting a fresh start with the Baltimore Ravens on a no-risk deal, has set his sights sky-high for the rest of his career.

Speaking to Chris Miller of Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic (via Clifton Brown of CSNMidAtlantic.com), Richardson said his NFL career would end with him "putting on a yellow jacket" that is reserved for players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

Continuing on the thought of getting a bust in Canton, Ohio, Richardson added that his plaque could say "people wrote him off, he came back and did some amazing things. He always had the pedigree. He just had to get back to the guy that we know."

While those are grand aspirations, Richardson was honest about his standing in the NFL heading into his first minicamp with the Ravens: 

"

This is a good chance of being my last ride when it comes to proving myself in the NFL. I know myself that I’m not done in the NFL, don’t want to be done. I got a taste of what that felt like. To tell my kids that their father didn’t have a job, it was big for me. I’m here, I’m going to be here for awhile.

"

For all the criticism Richardson rightly took from 2012 to 2014, he is at least getting himself in better shape to bolster his chances of succeeding, per the Ravens' official Twitter account:

In 46 career games, Richardson ran for 2,032 yards, 17 touchdowns and averaged 3.3 yards per carry. The Browns took him ahead of star players such as Luke Kuechly, Stephon Gilmore and Chandler Jones in the 2012 draft. 

Richardson's return to the NFL does not come with any guarantees. He's competing for a job in a loaded Baltimore backfield that already includes Justin Forsett, Javorius Allen and Terrance West. 

Even if Richardson doesn't end up achieving his goal of making it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he looks and sounds more motivated now than at any point in the past. He's only 25 years old and should be in the prime of his career, allowing him to stand toe-to-toe with any of the other Ravens running backs he's competing with to earn a spot on the 53-man roster.