Former McNeese defensive back Colby Richardson reaches dream of getting signed by an NFL team

Lake Charles, LA (KPLC) - Former McNeese and LSU defensive back Colby Richardson had always dreamed of being signed by an NFL team, and this past week that dream became a reality as the Carolina Panthers signed the corner to an undrafted free agency deal.

“It was a beautiful experience you know I’m really still soaking it in, and I still have a lot of fight left to do to make the team, but just getting here and getting to this point, was just a blessing and a dream come true,” said Richardson “It just amazes me with what I’ve been through throughout my whole time since I’ve been playing football since I was 4, dreaming of this day, and it’s finally here and just getting to celebrate with my family and let them actually take a lot of the energy in you know, just to smile and be actually happy and jump around with them was something I’ll never forget.”

Richardson spent five years with the McNeese Cowboys, and he raved about the university being a stepping stone that got him to the point he is at now.

“Graduating from McNeese, and solidifying that to still have the blue and gold in me, it was just an easy transition throughout, you know, just graduating from the program and them understanding my aspirations of what I wanted to do in life and my dreams of what I had planned since I was a young kid makes that relationship so special,” said Richardson.

After his fifth year at McNeese, Richardson decided to take his talents to a new level as he decided to transfer to Louisiana State University. When Colby got to Baton Rouge, his main goal was to get into the weight room to prepare his body for SEC teams. Over the 2022 summer, the Tigers training staff helped Richardson gain around 25 pounds of clean weight which helped him get the attention of head coach Brian Kelly.

By the time the fall rolled around Colby was getting first-team snaps for one of the best teams in the entire country, and he gave all the credit for his success in the fall to the teams conditioning staff.

“I just asked them what I need to do to develop, what I need to do to compete with these guys on this level, and then they gave me the blueprint,” said Richardson. “I was just trying to make the biggest impact that I could and Coach Flint and Coach Freights, the nutrition guys, that was what made a big impact within my weight training to get me prepared for the season.”

In just a couple week’s time, Richardson will have his first opportunity at showing his talents on an NFL field as rookie minicamp is set to start in the middle of May.

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