Trent Richardson is likely finished with what has been a sad NFL career since being drafted No. 3 overall in 2012 by the Cleveland Browns. Now comes the gut punch. He told ESPN’s Shelley Smith on “E:60” that his family and friends spent $1.6 million in a 10-month period last year.
And they did it without his permission.
He told Smith that he discovered his family and friends had been using his financial information to open Netflix and Hulu accounts as well as using his name to acquire bottles of expensive alcoholic beverages at clubs.
“I finally just looked at my bank statement, and I was just like, ‘Where did this come from? Where did that come from?’”Richardson said. “And my guy was sitting there telling me, ‘Man, we was telling you.’ I know he was telling me, but that’s just like telling a kid to stop running in the hall. They’re going to still do it when you turn your back or you leave.”
Richardson admits he was “blinded by my heart” and says he thought “everybody was for me.”
It’s a tough and expensive lesson to learn for a guy former head coach at Alabama, Nick Saban, praised as “such a good guy” and “such a good person” who “wants to please everyone.”
It’s only been a few days since Richardson was cut by the Baltimore Ravens. After his rookie season with the Browns, he was traded to the Indianapolis Colts for a first-round pick but failed to make an impact. He was eventually released and failed to land a roster spot with the Oakland Raiders the following summer.
Richardson was gung-ho about his chances with the Ravens this year after losing a bunch of weight and getting himself into shape for the upcoming NFL season. Unfortunately he needed knee surgery this offseason.
Richardson likely doesn’t have any more chances left to make an NFL roster, despite his Hall of Fame aspirations. But thankfully he told Smith he isn’t broke and still has enough money to support himself and his family.