The quest of Davius Richard to become the first HBCU quarterback picked in the NFL Draft since 2006 appeared to hit a snag in February.
The North Carolina Central quarterback suffered a lower-leg injury in the HBCU Legacy Bowl while attempting a quarterback sneak near the endzone. Richard had to leave the game and didn’t return. There was online speculation that the injury would keep him out for months, but reports from Richard’s camp say it is not nearly that severe.
The most important group of people for Richard to prove his health to are NFL scouts. Richard, in an interview with NFL Network, says that teams have still been reaching out to inquire about him.
“They’ve still been reaching out,” Richard said. “For the most part, they’ve really just been trying to see the status of recovery as far as the timetable and things of that nature – how far along am I within that recovery stage? But I just look at the positive side. That they’re still interested, they’re still worked about it like ‘when is it going to happen? When am I going to be back’ in order to make it into a camp.”
Richard’s legs have always been a big part of his game. He rushed for better than 2,000 yards and finished with 44 rushing touchdowns – good for third all-time in MEAC history amongst all players. However, Richard grew as a passer in his time at the Durham, NC HBCU. He threw for just under 9,000 yards and 73 touchdowns, breaking several school record held by legendary quarterback Earl “Air” Harvey that had stood for over 35 years.
Davius Richard planned on using his pre-NFL Draft time as a chance to show off what he can do with his arm. The injury may have slowed him down slightly, but it appears that NFL teams are still interested in the dual-threat quarterback.