GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The final on-field event at Gators Pro Day on Thursday was the one everyone came to see: quarterback
Anthony Richardson throwing the football.
The University Athletic Association prepared for the program's most-anticipated Pro Day since Tim Tebow's 13 years ago by issuing more than 80 media credentials. The
NFL Network,
SEC Network,
NFL Films,
ESPN and the
New York Times requested passes, and all 32 NFL teams visited town, including head coaches Frank Reich (Carolina), Pete Carroll (Seattle) and Doug Pederson (Jacksonville).
When it was time for Richardson to throw, his biggest fan stood near the end of one of the sidelines. LaShawnda Cleare, Richardson's mother, watched as her 20-year-son launched 62 passes with Reich and Carroll standing nearby, paying close attention.
"A lot has been going on,'' Cleare said. "I'm trying to enjoy it."
She should.
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In the last six-plus months, Richardson has gone from a promising young quarterback making his first career start at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to the potential No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, which has a total value of $41 million and a signing bonus of $27 million. While Richardson has plenty of competition to become the top overall pick – Alabama's Bryce Young and Ohio State's CJ Stroud are among the quarterback group – he arrived at Florida's Condron Family Indoor Practice Facility with a specific goal.
"I was just trying to showcase my arm talent,'' he said afterward. "I almost broke the ceiling."
The throw that caused the most reaction was a deep pass that bounced off one of the roof's rafters and dropped to the turf. Richardson broke out laughing at the moment.
"I haven't done that before,'' said Richardson, who did watch Kentucky quarterback Will Levis, another potential first-round pick, do it at Kentucky's pro day. "I decided to one-up him. Put a hole through the thing."
Richardson's stock soared in the draft after an impressive performance last month at the NFL Combine. He went from a developmental pick near the end of the first round to the potential No. 1 overall pick because of his enormous athletic ability and arm strength. The 6-foot-4, 244-pound Richardson ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash at the combine, unprecedented for a quarterback of his size.
Richardson's 40 at the combine was the fourth fastest by a quarterback since 2000 and 12th-fasted among all players weighing 244 pounds or more in the last 23 years. Richardson did not run the 40 on Thursday.
Gators head coach
Billy Napier is not surprised by Richardson's rapid rise among NFL scouting personnel despite an up-and-down season in his only year as Florida's starting quarterback.
"Anthony kind of bet on himself to some degree," Napier said Thursday. "He knew what teams needed quarterbacks. He went through an exhaustive process and made a decision, which is going to prove to be a smart decision. We all know what this guy's capable of."
Richardson's demeanor was more relaxed on Thursday compared to the NFL Combine. He was home in front of a supportive group of family, friends and advisors. Many of his former UF teammates stopped by to watch too.
As he spoke with ESPN's Todd McShay following his performance, Richardson's little brother, Corey Carter, played catch on camera for a feature that
NFL Films is producing. Carter is 13 and a student at Fort Clarke Middle School.
Richardson has often spoken about how he helped care for Corey when their mom was busy working when he was growing up and developing into a top college prospect while playing at Eastside High in Gainesville.
"I didn't really have much growing up,'' Richardson said Thursday.
They had each other. Corey plays football, basketball and runs track. He also plays piano. Corey is grateful he had an older brother to watch his back.
On Thursday, he was just a little brother eager to see big brother do his thing on a national stage.
"When we're out together, we really just play around,'' Corey said. "It's very exciting for me because I get to watch him learn more and grow more in football. I look up to him as a role model."
Richardson didn't disappoint his family or the NFL scouts in attendance. He appeared in the best shape of his life from his pre-draft workout schedule. He showed zip on his passes, was accurate whether throwing short or deep and even hit the roof.
Who knows how high Richardson's ceiling will reach in the future, but he is determined to continue to make his mark on the field despite his limited experience. The Panthers have the first overall pick, and Richardson spent Wednesday night having dinner with Reich and team officials.
He showed up Thursday morning ready to show why they should consider him as the top pick.
"I'm a workhouse," Richardson said. "I'm going to work to be the greatest."
When the festivities finally finished Thursday, Richardson's mom and his support team headed home at 2:30 in the afternoon. They will know where Richardson's new home will be in a few weeks.
He signed with the Gators in December 2019 and joined the team for a few practices before the Gators left for the Orange Bowl. He then waited his turn to shine. That time has arrived.
"I was just talking about it the other day with my friends; how old we're getting,'' Richardson said. "It seems like we just graduated high school, and now we're all living our lives and going to different careers."
In Richardson's case, one that will make him an instant multi-millionaire and potentially a No. 1 overall draft pick.
That's worth doing a backflip, which is exactly what Richardson did at the end of his throwing session.
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