North Carolina Central legend Davius Richard is back in HBCU football — but this time as a coach.
Roughly a year-and-a-half after playing his last game for the maroon and gray, Richard is now assuming the role of quarterback coach. It’s something that he wanted to do anyway, but not this soon.
After finishing his career with an HBCU national title and a trophy case full of accolades, Richard turned his attention to the 2024 NFL Draft with hopes of becoming the first quarterback selected from a historically black college since 2006. But a goal-line run in the HBCU Legacy Bowl — an all-star game designed to showcase the best talent to NFL scouts — ended up dislocating his right ankle and ultimately ending his playing career.
“Obviously, it forced me to medically retire due to the damage, but I look at it on the bright side. I feel God and I try not to question God as much as possible,” Richard said via CBS17. “I just trust his plan and his plan led me back to [N.C. Central], and at the end of the day, it may have been tragic, but it turned into something new.”
Davius Richard’s tenure at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) solidified his status as one of the premier quarterbacks in HBCU football history. Over his collegiate career, he amassed nearly 9,000 passing yards and 73 touchdowns, surpassing records previously held by NCCU legend Earl “Air” Harvey. Complementing his aerial prowess, Richard rushed for over 2,500 yards and 44 touchdowns, ranking third all-time in MEAC history for rushing touchdowns among all players.
In 2022, Richard led NCCU to its first MEAC title since 2016 and a victory over Jackson State in the Celebration Bowl, earning the game’s Offensive MVP honors. His 2023 season was equally impressive, culminating in a shared Deacon Jones Trophy as Black College Football Player of the Year.
Academically, Richard excelled with a 3.59 GPA in Business Administration, receiving the FCS ADA Scholar-Athlete of the Year award and becoming NCCU’s first National Scholar-Athlete finalist for the Campbell Trophy
Though he never made it to an NFL camp, Richard did sign with the Houston Roughnecks of the United Football League before being released in February.
“I’ll transition with the same mentality I had as a player by keeping my head down, working and putting in countless hours behind the scene and bringing that same mentality as a coach,” Richard said. “So as far as being the best quarterback in the nation, I’m going to try to be the best quarterback coach in the nation.”
