Trent Richardson's latest release elicited a variety of reactions.
Disappointment. Pity. Laughter. Disdain for what knee injuries can do to great athletes.
Mentions were climbed into, and screenshots of blatantly missed running lanes were again shared.
But a striking profile of Richardson in 2016, shown on ESPN's E:60, reminded us that Richardson is both human and also determined, even if the odds are stacked against him.
"A lot of people come back from where I came from," Richardson said. "For me to keep fighting, people got to understand I'm not giving up."
Richardson wasn't participating in Ravens practice due to a knee injury -- stop me if you've (unfortunately) heard that before -- and was cut so the Ravens could sign a receiver for practicing needs. A return to the Ravens, once healthy, isn't out of the question, and is enough motivation to keep Richardson working. But it also sounds like being put through the waiver wire ringer in the last year-plus gave Richardson a new sense of awareness.
"It's hard telling my family I just got released again," Richardson said. "I wish I was on the field. I'm not giving up. I'm not going to let it discourage me."
E:60 detailed how Richardson's family reportedly spent $1.6 million of his money, prompting him to re-evaluate his life and clean house. Major changes like that offer a bit of hope that maybe, once healthy, a renewed Richardson could recapture at least flashes of what helped him score 11 touchdowns in his rookie season of 2012. But as Marc Sessler wrote upon Richardson's release, the safer bet is that Richardson never plays another snap in the NFL.
