Baltimore Ravens

Trent Richardson admits it's 'very easy to get lazy in the NFL'

Published Mar. 25, 2016 12:31 p.m. ET

Cameron DaSilva

Trent Richardson has been a bust in the NFL. There's just no way around it. As the No. 3 overall pick in 2012, the former Alabama running back has endured a fall from stardom since his rookie year.

There are several factors that played into Richardson's demise, including his suddenly disappearing vision at the line of scrimmage. But it was most likely a lack of work ethic that caused him to wind up jobless.

In his latest comeback attempt, however, Richardson hopes to change that narrative with the Baltimore Ravens. He has an "unofficial agreement" in place with the Ravens, an opportunity he won't likely pass up. Richardson vows that it will be different this time around.

Matt Zenitz of AL.com talked with the running back, who detailed what went wrong in the past: laziness.

"It's very easy to get lazy in the NFL -- not having everything scheduled and not having everything like at Alabama where it was so structured," Richardson said. "We had study hall or we had to get a workout in in between classes and had five classes a day. It was just so structured. In the NFL, everything's on your own."

It's obvious his dedication was a problem after getting settled into the NFL. As a rookie, he rushed for 950 yards and 11 touchdowns. Since then, he's tallied 1,082 yards and six touchdowns, and sat out the entire 2015 season as a free agent.

His weight became a problem, having a huge impact on his speed and quickness -- both of which were big parts of his game early on. Remember, he ran a 4.48-second 40-yard dash at his pro day before the 2012 draft.

Richardson is working hard to curb that issue, though. After weighing in at 238 pounds at his initial visit with the Ravens, Richardson was concerned.

"I didn't think I was working out," Richardson said. "They were like, 'You ready to go work out?' I'm like, 'Work out?' That was right before the workout and I got weighed right before that. I was like, 'Oh my God.' And I jumped on the scale and I was like, 'Oh my God. I've been doing so good...'"

Since then, he's slimmed down significantly, kind of like how Eddie Lacy has. Richardson weighed in at 218 pounds on Thursday, according to Zenitz, which is 10 pounds lighter than he was at his pro day four years ago.

"I feel good. I feel like the old high school Trent," he said.

Richardson still has a long way to go before he gets back to his old form during his days with the Crimson Tide. He isn't even officially in the NFL just yet. But his progress is a good sign as he hopes to make his second comeback attempt a success.