LeGarrette Blount still believes in Trent Richardson.
There's a comparison to be made in there somewhere. Both are big-bodied running backs with high expectations, although Richardson was a first-round pick, and Blount was seen as damaged goods coming out of college.
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Regardless, Blount, now a Super Bowl champion, appeared Tuesday on NFL Network's NFL AM and broke down his thoughts on the free-falling Richardson, now the victim of an anonymous hit-and-run report about his weight issues.
"I mean, he's still a young buck, man. He's still young," Blount said. "I feel like he's a real good running back ... but I feel like when I watch him play, I just think he has to be a little bit more decisive. He's a bigger kid than what most people think, and he's strong: look at his legs, you know what I'm saying? Just look at how he's built. As long as he just find that little crease and know that this is not Alabama, and you don't have the big, open holes like you had at Alabama, and you find those little creases, and you get downhill, and get into 'em, he'll be a problem on the second and third level for a lot of teams."
If anything, Blount is a shining example of value perception, and how one coach and system can turn a fledgling career around.
If Richardson is not re-signed by the Colts, there's little doubt that other NFL teams will be lining up to try and do the same with the No. 3 pick in the 2012 draft.
Remember, Blount was once the running back many warned to stay away from. During his *NFL AM *appearance, he was asked what kind of advice he'd give the college version of himself, a man who once decked an opposing player postgame.
"I'd tell him to keep his calm, man," Blount said. "There's a lot of games left to be played, and there's a lot of money to be made."
The same can be said for Richardson, too.
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