Some people have football in their blood from birth.
Ridge Point's John Paul Richardson is one of those people.
His father, Bucky, was a folk-hero as the QB of Texas A&M back in the early 1990s. He bounced around the NFL for a few years, but his legacy was laid in Aggieland as a rough-and-tumble, signal-caller who made big plays and won ball games.
JP Richardson is a chip off the old block.
"I catch him watching his old highlights on Youtube sometimes," JP laughed. "I don't look at it as trying to live up to what my dad did. I think of it as an advantage. He coached me in Little League and that's where I really developed the love of the game. I matured quickly and understood the game really early. I take the advice he gives me to heart. He's been there-done that. I'm all ears when he talks."
The 6-foot receiver is a two-time, first-team, all-district selection for the Panthers entering his senior season with new coach Rick Lafavers after the departure of Brett Sniffin.
"We've been family friends with coach (Lafavers) for a long time," he said. "His son Austin is one of my best friends and plays center for us. He's always checked in on me when I was coming up. Coach Lafavers also coached with Coach (Brett) Sniffin for a few years, so it will be a seamless transition. The language might be a little different but a lot will be the same."
Richardson's recruiting process started slow, but he has piled up over a dozen offers as a result of his play. He is still wide-open in his recruiting.
"I just had to stick with the path. Everyone's path is different and I love that my hard work is paying off," he said. "I'm taking my time with everything and I hope to get on some campuses during the summer."
"I think I can play anywhere in the country. That's just my mindset. I just want it more. I'd like to play early, but I'm looking for a college-town atmosphere with good academics."
One recent offer struck a chord with Richardson.
"I grew up playing with Jackson Sumlin in Little League," he said. "We were really close to the Sumlins and (Arizona) Coach (Kevin) Sumlin called me with a scholarship offer. That was a pretty cool phone call."
He also holds offers from the likes of Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Utah State, Houston, Tulane, Tulsa, Georgia Tech and Kansas just to name a few.
Football is relationship business and JP Richardson understands that, so on the COVID-19break he linked up with one of his most influential friends in the game.
"Aaron Allen took me under his wing when I was a freshman," he said. "He's been one of the most influential people in my high school career. He gave me a lot of opportunities to make a lot of plays early in my career. We just got done working out and throwing together."
Allen now plays at Louisiana Tech.
Richardson has some unfinished business at Ridge Point, before moving on to the college game.
"I'm looking for a big senior year," he said. "We've lost some heartbreakers in the playoffs ever since I've been here. I'd love to have some of those games back like against Cy-Fair and Katy. My goal is that our team gets past the second round of the postseason and we will see what happens from there."
