DE Jay Richardson (Oakland Raiders)

[jwinslow]

OSU Picture Archive

My favorite pic from saturday... great camera angle after JRich's sack

[Oh8ch]

I hope Jay was watching the Michigan game Saturday night so he could learn how to take out a QB without getting a penalty. Alan Branch demonstrated the technique. The idea is to accelerate as you are making contact and to come up under the QBs chin. No flag on that play. Of course, Morelli isn't worth protecting, so maybe that is what the refs were going with.

[BB73]

official.site

Jay Richardson, senior defensive end

On the defense's goals

"The defense still has a long way to go. We're moving towards our goal, but we are not there yet. Our goal is not to be as good as people thought we could be. That's not good enough for us, we want to be better."

On the young defense

"I knew we had talent. I'm impressed with how quickly the young guys picked up the defensive plays. But I knew we had the personnel to do it. I'm not surprised at how good we've played."

On playing Indiana

"They already had our attention before they beat Iowa. They are a solid team with a good freshman quarterback. Beating Iowa just shows how good they are. With the kind of year we are having it is easy to get pumped for every game. We know what's at stake if we lose. Their win against Iowa gives us more respect for them. It makes us want to play them even harder."

On Indiana's quarterback

"Their quarterback has an impressive arm, but also quick feet. He is similar to Troy (Smith) with his legs. You can tell he is making his reads faster and he's more confident."

On OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock

"He is very focused on our goals. He is an intense person with a lot of high energy. He puts a fire in us and we take that passion into the games with us. He doesn't care about getting attention, he just wants to win."

On dealing with success

"Coach Tressel talks about handling adversity and success. I think handling success is even more important. You start hearing people say how good we are, but you can't let it go to your head. We have to prove that on Saturday every week."

[osugrad21]

BN $

10/18

Jay discusses the season and his "wakeup call" that has improved his performance.

[Oneshot]

Can you divulge what the wakeup call was?

[osugrad21]

Originally Posted by Oneshot

Can you divulge what the wakeup call was?

He is in your sig pic....not the white guy.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

OHIO STATE INSIDER
Defensive end spells end for Ind.


Sunday, October 22, 2006

Dennis Manoloff
Plain Dealer Reporter

Columbus -- Buckeyes defensive end Jay Richardson was humble in assessing his performance Saturday against Indiana. He is, after all, coached by Jim Tressel.
"I guess I played pretty well," he said.
Pretty well? Hoosiers linemen assigned to block him, if they spoke the truth, would disagree. Richardson periodically seemed unstoppable, particularly in the first half, in helping the Buckeyes roll, 44-3, at Ohio Stadium.
Richardson recorded two sacks, repeatedly disrupted the rhythm of Indiana starting quarterback Kellen Lewis and foiled numerous other plays with relentless pressure from all angles. Richardson played a huge role in Ohio State holding Indiana to 165 net yards on 63 plays.
"Any time you can get to the quarterback, you've had a good game," he said.
The 6-6, 276-pound Richardson made it look easy in hounding Lewis, who finished 15-of-28 for 106 yards. Whatever move Richardson used usually worked.
"There are times where, no matter where they slide, I feel I can beat it," he said.
A fifth-year senior, Richardson had much of his fun exploiting the inexperienced left side of Indiana's line. The Hoosiers youngsters, foremost among them freshman tackle Rodger Saffold, will see No. 99 darting past them in their sleep. When Richardson stunted, they grasped at air.
"We knew they had a young left side, and we saw things on film we could take advantage of," he said. "I think we did a good job of it."
Richardson was coming off a quality performance in a victory at Michigan State. It featured two tackles for loss. His two sacks against Indiana gave him three for the season.
"My goal is to show I'm one of the better defensive ends out there," he said.
Quick six:
Buckeyes freshman tight end Jake Ballard made a grand entrance onto the stat sheet. In the second quarter of his first start, he caught a 1-yard pass from Troy Smith for a touchdown -- the first reception of his career.
It was his only catch of the day, too.
He also did not simply catch a 1-yarder. He executed a full-extension dive for it while being double-covered, thereby pushing Ohio State's lead to 28-3 with 20 seconds left in the half.
"When I envisioned my first catch, I thought maybe a 5-yarder, either for a first down or second-and-5," he said. "I never imagined it would be for a TD, and I certainly didn't think I'd be diving for it."
Ballard said it was the second time a ball had been thrown his way this season, Smith having missed a connection with him against Penn State.
"My first job is to block, and I know that," he said. "But it's fun to catch the ball."
Against the Hoosiers, Smith gave Ballard plenty of room to stretch out his 6-7, 255-yard frame. The pass appeared destined for an incompletion given the blanket coverage.
"As soon as the ball was in the air, I said, I have to catch that ball, I have to catch the ball,' " he said. "When I got up, all I wanted to do was share the moment with my teammates. It was awesome."
Ballard made the catch in front of 105,000-plus -- but not his parents, who attended his brother's game elsewhere.
"They're going to be disappointed," he said.
Ballard's TD catch was the second of three by Buckeyes tight ends Saturday. Rory Nicol caught a 23-yarder from Smith in the first quarter and a 38-yarder from Ted Ginn Jr. in the third.
"Rory and I were talking on the sidelines, wondering when the last time was that Ohio State tight ends had three touchdown catches in one game," Ballard said. "It was cool."
Ballard, the second tight end behind Nicol, started because the Buckeyes opened in a two-tight-end set after being pinned deep in their own end by a terrific Indiana punt.
Pick 'em:
The Buckeyes intercepted two passes, one by freshman defensive back Andre Amos and the other by Malcolm Jenkins, to increase their season total to 15. They have at least one interception in all eight games.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
dmanoloff@plaind.com, 216-999-4664

[BB73]

official.site

Point Of Arrival

Jay Richardson is determined to make his final season with the Buckeyes a memorable one


Oct. 21, 2006 By Ashley Heilman


Some say history has a knack for repeating itself - as if the world is riding on a karmic carousel. There may be ups and downs along the way, but once the trip has completed a full rotation, the finish will always coincide with the starting point. Jay Richardson, a redshirt senior defensive end for the Buckeyes, can only hope to find truth within this idiom. Rewinding his journey back to a specific point in time, Richardson holds a memory he would like to see reoccur in his immediate future.

A certain Ohio State football game took place Jan. 3, 2003 in Tempe, Ariz. The threat was the opposing team known as the Miami Hurricanes, the reigning national champions who were hungry to add another trophy to their collection. Fast forward to the outcome; any Buckeye fan can tell you how this battle ended. After two heart-pounding overtime sessions, Ohio State won its first national championship title since 1968. The sweet smell of victory must have been in the air.
This image is still so fresh in the mind of Richardson, that he could probably remember which players wore eye-black smeared under each eye that day.
Standing on the sideline as a freshman defensive end, Richardson spent his first year as a member of the Ohio State football team watching his idols tear up the field, hoping to someday achieve their greatness. Players he respected like Will Smith and Darrion Scott dominated opponents for a 14-0 undefeated season in 2002, leading to their infamous conquest at the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Now, four seasons later with an additional 31 pounds of chiseled muscle added to his physique, Richardson is the one making the tackles. Matured and in the middle of his senior year, he is looking to recreate a perfect season once again by bringing his Ohio State career full circle.


"I want to focus on being as prepared as possible so there are no regrets," Richardson said. "I want to be able to say before any game that I am prepared mentally and physically. If it means watching a lot of film, practicing well and studying opponents with my team, then I'll get it done. Friday night, before I go to bed, I want to be able to say I'm as prepared as I can possibly be.

Richardson envisions his feet moving to the tempo on the turf, ready to stalk his opponents as he rushes past the line of scrimmage. Play by play, his mind runs through countless mental scripts the night before a game. After half a decade of practice with the Buckeyes, it is only natural for the motions to become repetition.

Before his collegiate experience, he also played football through middle and high school in his hometown of Dublin, Ohio, a suburb on the northwest edge of Columbus. After adding the tally of his past years with the Dublin Scioto Irish, it is apparent football has been a huge part in the life of this hometown player. Regardless of the infinite times he has stepped on the gridiron, Richardson still loves to experience the intense emotion that encompasses a football game.

"Sometimes I get so much into the game that I forget all of it," Richardson laughed at his realization. "But the best plays are instinctive. I don't want to be thinking when I go out there. That is why I prepare, so on Saturday, I can just run around and make plays. That is where it's got to be."

As one of the few returning seniors peppered among a young, but talented defense, Richardson abruptly found himself in a role he was not expecting at the beginning of the 2006 season. His previous experience transformed him to one of the new "advice gurus" for the team, as he stepped up to fill the hole left by those who graduated. Usually he was the one asking for counsel. The young Buckeyes had a different plan for him.

"It was weird coming into this year, because I came from trying to help out and just being one of the guys to all the sudden - I am `the guy,'" Richardson said. "The young guys make me want to go out there and step up my game, so they have something to model themselves after. They need someone to watch on the field so they know what to do when it's their turn to get in the game. It is a role I've definitely accepted and embraced."

Defensive coordinator Jim Heacock has watched Richardson evolve from recruit to seasoned athlete. He is use to the fact that linemen often fly under the radar when it comes to publicity, while explosive plays and touchdowns usually crowd the spotlight. Knowing that the senior has been a great asset to the team, Heacock wants to give Richardson the credit he deserves for his consistency on the field.

"People might say Jay hasn't played a lot during his time here, but he has - especially during these last two seasons," Heacock said. "He has made a lot of positive plays and has dominated this year. From every aspect he is a great leader for the line and the whole defense. I know he works hard and has his sight set on his goals."

There is one person who can fully appreciate the effort Richardson gives to reach his dreams. Deborah Johnson, who is president of the Ohio State football parents' organization, proudly supports No. 99. Johnson, who is an Ohio State alum herself, plays the role of personal cheerleader for Richardson. He happens to be her favorite player on the team and also is her oldest son.

"My mother has been my complete inspiration and support," Richardson said. "Watching her go through sacrifices and challenges makes it easier for me to sacrifice things on days when I don't want to. She has been my total support and I love her to death."


Reciprocated back to her son are the same feelings of love and support. When asked to describe her thoughts of Richardson's collegiate experience, her warm tone resonates with pride.

"It's been great to watch the whole thing evolve," Johnson said. "He's right where he wants to be. I just savor every minute of it. Here he is, in his senior year and it goes by in two seconds."

With his final chapter rapidly coming to a close, Richardson plans to squeeze the life out of every second he has left as a Buckeye. While his time at The Ohio State University might be dwindling, the lessons he has learned will continue to flourish. It is apparent that Richardson has reached his point of arrival.
"My journey has been a roller coaster," Richardson said. "This year, I told myself it was my last chance to get it right. I took the time to refocus myself and do all the little things in life everyone always talks about - which actually turn out to be the big things. It changes your life. Now, it's my senior year and it means so much. Coming in as a boy and leaving as a man, I am able to see my hard work pay off."

[BuckEyeDr]

Another great game by Jay. Glad to see he is making the most of his last year in OSU gear!

[jwinslow]

OSU Picture Archive

Ohio State's Jay Richardson sacks Indiana quarterback Kellen Lewis. (Jason Molyet)

[Buckskin86]

Richardson, defense key to OSU win
BY JIM NAVEAU - Oct. 29, 2006


COLUMBUS ? Any Ohio State player looking ahead past the next game on the Buckeyes? schedule could find himself in trouble with coach Jim Tressel.
But looking back ? especially when there might be an incentive there to play well in the present ? is perfectly acceptable. It?s even encouraged.
Ohio State?s 44-0 domination of Minnesota on Saturday at Ohio Stadium was the latest example.
A year ago, even though Ohio State won 45-31, it allowed Minnesota to roll up 578 yards, the second-highest total ever allowed by an OSU defense. And it surrendered a career-best 396 yards to the Gophers? quarterback Bryan Cupito.
In the week leading up to Saturday?s game, Ohio State?s defensive players found reminders of those unpleasant numbers taped to their lockers.
If their pride was hurt, so be it. At least that?s the message cornerback Malcolm Jenkins drew from the daily reminders.
?To come out and shut them out like we did today is a pride thing,? Jenkins said.
Ohio State, tied for No. 1 in the country in points per game allowed coming into the game, got its first shutout in three years, intercepted Cupito three times and sacked him four times. Minnesota?s total offensive output of 182 yards was less than one-third of what it got a year ago in the Metrodome.
Defensive end Jay Richardson said making up for last season was definitely on his mind on Saturday.
?That was a really big thing for us, coming into today?s game. We were all obviously upset about last year?s game and how many yards they had. We wanted to come back and get a big win,? he said.
Statistically, Richardson didn?t have a big game. There was just a single assisted tackle and two pass breakups next to his name on the stat sheet.
But he was there on the play on which any hope Minnesota had of being competitive disappeared.
Three plays into the second half, Richardson put a huge rush on Cupito. The Minnesota quarterback got the ball off, but he threw it right to OSU?s Antonio Smith. Three more plays and OSU was up 24-0 and the only question remaining was regarding the margin of victory.
Richardson ? in his first year as a starter ? has three sacks and seven tackles for losses this season.
His last three games have been as good a stretch of football as he has played in college. And it couldn?t have come at a better time for Ohio State.
Senior defensive tackle David Patterson returned Saturday after missing the Indiana and Michigan State games following arthroscopic knee surgery. But OSU was without its best defensive lineman, Quinn Pitcock, on Saturday because of a concussion he suffered last week against Indiana.
With those two spending time on the sideline, Richardson took more responsibility on his shoulders.
?I think I started out well and have been picking it up these last few weeks. With Dave down and Quinn down I had to pick it up a little bit and try to pick up the slack a little bit for those guys.? Richardson said.
?I?m probably doing everything better this year. I?m a senior, that?s what I expect from myself, that?s what the coaches expect from me. I want to have three even better games the next three weeks than these last three.?
That sounds like looking ahead. But it?s probably the kind of looking forward that would be OK with Tressel.

http://www.limaohio.com/story.php?IDnum=31472

[Alex Boone fan]

What's Jay's chances of making it in the NFL? Which round?

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

HIO STATE FOOTBALL Team mom figure gives Buckeyes hugs, support
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
JAMES D . DECAMP DISPATCH Deborah and Glen Johnson, in their Dublin home, are the unofficial "Mother and Stepfather" of the Ohio State football team.
After their game Saturday at Illinois, every Ohio State player will walk out of the locker room and into the arms of Debbie Johnson.
Win or lose, starter or benchwarmer, it doesn?t matter. Johnson, the mother of Buckeyes defensive end Jay Richardson, will be fulfilling her role as "team mom."
It?s part of her personal "No Child Left Behind" policy.
"One of my major joys is giving them a big hug, particularly when they don?t play or don?t have the best game," said Johnson, of Dublin. "I try to stay there until the last player comes out. People can?t wait for the star players like Troy (Smith), but then other players come out and the crowd doesn?t say anything.
"And sometimes, they won?t have their own parents there, so I say at least I can give them a hug."
Johnson is president of the Ohio State football parents organization, but the title doesn?t properly describe her importance to the team.
For the five years Richardson has been a Buckeye, Johnson has not only cheered her 105 boys on but also fed and comforted them.
The players appreciate her greatly.
"She is an incredible lady," long snapper Drew Norman said. "There?s been a couple games where my parents have been to watch my brother play (and missed Drew?s game), and just that hug after a game, it makes it seem very family like, and it?s like, ?Hey, someone is definitely paying attention,? so it is really nice."
Johnson is a 1979 OSU graduate, and she was thrilled when Jay chose the Buckeyes out of Dublin Scioto High School.
An outgoing, energetic person (she?s a motivational speaker by trade), Johnson was surprised to find there was no organization for OSU football parents. With Vern Mangold, father of former center Nick, they formed a group.
The organization?s duties range from the fun ? tailgate parties ? to the trivial, such as sending out-of-town parents newspaper clips or photos of their son.
But Johnson?s knack is to nurture. During Jay?s freshman season when he was redshirting and not making road trips, Johnson would have players over to the house on game days.
Her husband, Glen, is an accomplished cook, by all accounts.
"My freshman year for away games when I redshirted, a lot of guys, we didn?t have anything to do," said safety Brandon Mitchell, an Atlanta native. "We?d go over there and watch the game and eat and everything and it was a good time. I?m very grateful for it."
Last month, defensive tackle David Patterson was facing arthroscopic knee surgery. His mother, Leesa, had come down to be with him, and she soon got a call from Johnson.
"She said, ?Can you bring him by? I just want to pray for him,? " Patterson said. "We just went over there and hung out for a while. She just prayed for my knee to be all right.
"She just really makes an effort to know all the guys and what?s going on in your life. Jay just has a wonderful family."
Jay knows it, and he doesn?t mind sharing his mom.
"It?s no problem, I?ve had her for 22 years," Richardson said. "They all call her ?Mom? and I think it?s just really good to keep that family atmosphere around our team."
Jay and his mother have joked about what might happen if he makes it to the NFL next season. Johnson apparently has her eye on becoming the next Wilma McNabb, the mother of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb.
"She tells me, ?You better go to the NFL, so I can do one of those Chunky Soup commercials,? " Richardson said.
The way he?s playing this season, he has a chance. He is capping a career marked by inconsistency with a fine senior year, starting every game and posting seven tackles for loss, including three sacks, and four tipped passes.
Should he play in the pros next season, Johnson likely will be outside NFL locker rooms, giving her boys some lovin?.
"I just want them to smile and feel good about themselves," Johnson said.
Norman said, "She?s wearing a smile and she?s just energy all the time. She?s just the most lovable, huggable woman there is."
kgordon@dispatch.com

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

The rich get Richardson

Productive play of senior defensive end a bonus for Buckeyes


Saturday, November 11, 2006

Doug Lesmerises

Plain Dealer Reporter

Columbus- As president of the football team's parents association, Deborah Johnson is the official Ohio State team hugger. But when the mother of Buck eyes senior defensive end Jay Richardson saw OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock after the Texas game earlier this year, she wasn't looking to go in for the squeeze.
Any sign from her son's position coach would do.
"Coach Heacock does not give out praise just to please you," Johnson said. "If he tells you that Jay did well, you want to fall on the floor. After the Texas game, he walked up to me and said, 'Your boy had a great game.' I thought, 'Why can't I get this on tape? I can't remember the last time I saw Coach Heacock smile.' "
That wasn't the last time a coach or teammate had something nice to say about Richardson this season. Even Heacock couldn't help himself when Richardson totaled eight tackles, including four tackles for loss, in games against Michigan State and Indiana.
"At Michigan State, he came out and really was the dominant player we always thought he could be," Heacock said. "He's anxious to prove himself his senior year. Jay has given us a lot of good reps - I don't want to make it sound like he hasn't played good football for us. He has. . . . But he's stepped up now a little bit, and he's a lot more dominant and a lot more confident."
Richardson's fifth year on campus has been his most productive, filling coach Jim Tressel's demand that seniors go out playing their best ball. Questions about his potential have given way to new prodding from his younger brother Joshua.
"He's always like, 'Why weren't you dominating like this before?' " Richardson said. "He's crazy. But I don't know what it is. I think it's being a senior and knowing you've got one more shot, you get a sense of urgency that I've really got to do something big."
Five seniors start for the No. 1 scoring defense in the country, including defensive tackles and captains Quinn Pitcock and David Patterson, both expected to be the leaders of the defense this year. But Richardson, safety Brandon Mitchell and cornerback Antonio Smith are having their best seasons when no one would have been surprised if they hadn't kept their starting jobs. As much as young players such as sophomore linebacker James Laurinaitis, sophomore defensive end Vernon Gholston and freshman nickelback Donald Washington have plugged holes, the seniors have shaped the No. 1 team in the country by grasping final chances.
"It just comes together differently for different people," said Patterson, one of Richardson's best friends on the team. "This year, with him playing more and being the guy when he's out there, he doesn't have to worry about messing up or making mistakes. He knows he's the guy. He knows when he's out there, he's going to make plays."
Richardson plays defensive end over the tight end, sliding to the left side or right side, switching places with Gholston before each snap after the offense lines up. That means he often faces double teams and isn't in a position to pile up big stats. He has a career-high 21 tackles and three sacks, but the effectiveness of the defensive line is best measured in Ohio State's 19 interceptions, with quarterbacks who are getting hit or in a hurry making bad throws.
"He has speed, and he's a power guy," said OSU left tackle Alex Boone, who frequently battles Richardson in practice. "He'll hit you with a bull rush one play and the next play come right around you."
At 6-6 and 276 pounds, Richardson always had the raw talent. As a sophomore, Richardson started the first six games of the season before breaking his foot in practice and slipping down the depth chart. He saw regular action last season, but not as a starter, and when talking about the few players returning to a defense missing nine starters, Richardson's name wasn't at the top of the list. Then he turned down a cookie from his mother over the summer, and she knew he was more serious about eating right and working out than he'd ever been before, intent on climbing his way back up that list.
"He said, 'Mom, no way is anybody starting in front of me,' " Johnson said.
After redshirting during Ohio State's 2002 national championship season, Richardson now has a chance to earn his share of a title. He's not a star, but he's better than ever, which is all Ohio State needed and all Richardson wanted.
"I had to wait my turn, but this year I got my shot," Richardson said. "Now here we are as a team, and I helped make that happen. Nothing can take the place of that."
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
dlesmerises@plaind.com, 216-999-4479

[Alex Boone fan]

I love Jay. He is the truest of all Buckeyes and what a more magnificant way to go out for Jay would be to win the National Championship. Very classy guy and Mom too