It’s Playtime No Longer for Richard : Chargers: What fun? First-round pick endures trials of his NFL education as well as the pressure of the team’s 1-6 record.
A funny thing happened to first-round draft choice Stanley Richard on the way to earning a starting spot in the Chargers defense: The fun went out of the game.
The ninth player picked in last spring’s draft, Richard immediately was installed at free safety by Coach Dan Henning. The 6-foot-2, 197-pound rookie has made some big plays--and has blown some--and has come in for his share of criticism as part of a secondary that ranks 23rd in the National Football League against the pass. Richard, who is second on the all-time University of Texas interception list with 13, has one interception as a pro (against Kansas City).
The Chargers and Richard figure to be tested Sunday at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium by Bernie Kosar and the Cleveland Browns, who use a short-pass, safety-first look under first-year Coach Bill Belichick.
But Richard, who turns 24 Monday, said he’ll have had some fun the day before. And when what is expected to be a long career finally draws to a close, Richard said he expects to be able to bask in his accomplishments.
“Coming out of college you think about the fun, the excitement, the enthusiasm,” he said Wednesday. “Then it shifts from a fun game on a Saturday afternoon to a job with outside pressures. It kind of got me thinking away from the fun of the game. It’s really tough to have fun when you’re not winning. Coming from Texas I got used to winning a lot of games. This (1-6 record) is something I haven’t experienced in a long time.”
Richard said much of his pressure has been self-imposed, and it’s been there from the day Chargers selected him. Pressure? General Manager Bobby Beathard proclaimed after the draft, “Outside of the Rocket (Ismail) we thought Stanley was one of the top two players in the draft. He’s a great player, I don’t like to say great, but he is great.”
Maybe someday. At the moment, he is progressing. “He’s in the process,” veteran cornerback Gill Byrd said. “He’s making some big plays. He’s still thinking a lot--he can’t go out and just be all-out, which is hampering him. He’ll be a great player if he applies himself and never believes he’s arrived.”
Chargers secondary coach Jim Mora said Richard is “coming along nicely, he’s right about where we thought he’d be,” and that he only needs more game experience to react more instinctively.
“That’s nothing he can really work on,” Mora said. “He’s a smart player, a big-play type player. He’s very versatile. He just needs to gain experience.”
Richard said he has asked peers for critiques and been told he is on schedule, but he is aware of the burden of coming in as a high draft choice and being expected to make an immediate impact.
“I know in the future I will be the player I need to be, and the player I intend to be,” he said. “But right now there is no time for the future. In our situation you just can’t wait for a rookie to develop, you need him to make an impact. I don’t think I’m making enough plays to feel comfortable with myself. To be the best, to separate yourself from the rest, (just) to make one or two great plays a game is not enough. I need to make three or four.”
Richard said that most rookies who are immediate hits go to winning teams where they are surrounded by strong personnel. The atmosphere here, he said, has been a little unsettling.
“In college it’s like you put on the school colors and play for the old home team,” he said. “Then you come here and have to deal with the media talking about the losing, talking about coaching changes, guys losing jobs. It’s hard to contribute to a losing cause.”
Last year the Chargers beat the Browns in Cleveland, 24-14, and bedeviled Kosar into three interceptions. With a new concept, Kosar hasn’t been intercepted all season and has a streak of 191 attempts without being intercepted. He figures to put some heat on the Charger secondary, but Richard said he has a renewed attitude for Sunday.
“I’m going out there to develop myself and have fun,” he said. “At one point I was concerned with doing things to make other people happy, (but) I just can’t worry about pressures from the organization. I need to worry about my personal feelings. I just know I’m going to develop into a great player.
“I’m going out there to do my job, and try and do a little bit more.”
Slaughter speaks out: Kosar’s No. 1 receiver, former San Diego State star Webster Slaughter, was unhappy after getting only two passes, both late in the game, in last week’s 42-17 loss to Washington, and had some provocative quotes in the newspapers this week.
Slaughter pointed out that only five of his team-leading 23 receptions have come in the first half, and he wants to figure more in Belichick’s game plan.
“He knows how I feel,” Slaughter told the Cleveland press. “I didn’t even get a look (Sunday) until 1:10 was left in the game. The coaches were concerned about Darrell Green covering me, but I beat him for four quarters and I don’t get the ball. It’s ridiculous as far as I’m concerned. All you’ve got to do is look how many balls I get in the first half, and you’ll understand what I’m talking about.”
By phone, Kosar tried to deflect controversy Wednesday. “There’s been some stuff in the papers this week,” Kosar said. “Web’s a good receiver and a very competitive guy. We’ve lost a few in a row and I think he wants to do more to help the team win.”
Slaughter has two touchdowns and is averaging 14.3 yards per catch, with a long of 62 yards.
Fill the Murph: Another SDSU alumnus, rookie Pio Sagapolutele, returns to town this weekend as a backup defensive tackle. “It’ll be nice to see people in that stadium,” he said. “We didn’t get that many fans while I was playing for San Diego State. I like that Diamond Vision on their scoreboard. Whenever I made a nice play I would enjoy seeing it replayed.”
Mack questionable: It appears the Chargers will catch the Browns without leading rusher Kevin Mack, who suffered a leg injury Sunday. He’s listed as questionable. If Mack, who has rushed for 241 yards, can’t play, the Browns’ rushing leader becomes former Giant star Joe Morris, who was invited to try out by Belichick, a Giants assistant coach for 12 years. Morris has gained 137 yards. . . . Tight end Derrick Walker had to leave practice Wednesday after straining a knee during noncontact warm-up drills. His status for Sunday is unknown. . . . Tight end Arthur Cox, who missed the Rams game because of a strained foot, took part in full contact drills Wednesday and is expected back in his starting position Sunday.