Byran Richmond looks to continue Kat tradition at safety
10/1/2007 1:00:00 AM | Football
By Jason Barfield, Sports Information
Byran
Richmond almost never became a Bearkat. A standout safety from Humble
High School, Richmond was set on attending Texas State-San Marcos. He
made his visit to San Marcos and before he left gave his verbal
commitment to the coaching staff.
The next
day, everything changed. When Richmond returned to school he was
informed by one of his coaches that Manny Matsakis, the head coach of
the Bobcats had been fired. In swooped Sam Houston State and the rest
is history.
“Sam Houston State had really been on me hard, and they were the first
to call me after the coach up there had been fired,” Richmond said.
“When I came in for my visit, it was over the Christmas holidays. There
weren't very many people in town and I really liked it.”
Little did Richmond know the player who was showing him around would
end up being a major influence in his life. Senior safety Paul Donelson
was Richmond's host along with Andrew Higham. Donelson took the
freshman under his wing so to speak and began grooming him for life as
a Bearkat.
“I am so glad that I came in under him,” Richmond said. “I came in
early in the summer and got to mingle with those guys. We played 7-on-7
all summer. I became close with Paul. I could tell he was a leader and
some of the things he did then I could see in myself now.”
Little did either player realize it at the time, but both of their
careers have mirrored each other to this point in their careers.
When Donelson was a freshman in 2001 he saw some playing time, but
mostly learned the game from senior Keith Davis, who now plays for the
Dallas Cowboys. Davis and the 2001 Bearkats advanced to the NCAA I-AA
quarterfinals and Donelson went along for the ride.
After missing out on the playoffs the next two seasons, Donelson was a
leader on the 2004 defense that helped take the Kats one step farther
in the postseason, falling to Montana in the semifinals. Just like
Donelson when he was a freshman, Richmond was there soaking it all in,
and getting a ring in the process.
“Byran was a big part of that team and got quite a bit of playing
time,” said Donelson, who is now the defensive coordinator at New
Waverly High School. “I think the biggest thing Byran got from us was
just a chance to see our work ethic in practice and how we carried that
intensity over to games.”
Donelson said practice work ethic was the biggest thing he learned from
Davis, but this lineage of strong safeties didn't start with Davis.
“When I was a freshman, K. D. used to tell us stories about Jaquail
Young who played the position before him,” Donelson said. “He could hit
like you wouldn't believe. But K. D. said you can't go looking for that
big hit. You have to trust your play and it will come to you. That is
one of the things I used to tell the younger guys.”
Now that he is a senior, Richmond hopes his last ride with the Bearkats is a lot like Donelson's run in 2004.
“We have such a good team, we have a chance to win a lot of games,”
Richmond said. “I got to go to the playoffs my freshman year. I think
we have a great chance to get back.”
The similarities don't end with just the postseason runs in their
careers. Both had to suffer through tough early season heartbreakers as
well.
In 2004 the Bearkats traveled to Southwest Missouri State and after
scoring the apparent game-winning touchdown in the final minute of the
game, the defense gave it right back with just two seconds left to play.
After the game Donelson put the loss on the defense and said it would
never happen again. It never did. Three years later, Richmond can now
relate.
Three weeks ago in Fargo, N.D., the Bearkats capped off a ferocious
rally to take the lead over North Dakota State with 26 seconds left to
play. With a defensive stop standing between the Bearkats and an upset
of the No. 4 Bison, North Dakota State broke the Kats' hearts, scoring
a touchdown with just seven seconds left to play.
Just like the Southwest Missouri State became the rallying cry for the
2004 defense, the same has become true for this year's squad.
“Even though I wasn't on the field for that last play, I felt
responsible,” Richmond said. “I missed a coverage earlier in the game
that could have ended a drive. They might not have had time at the end
had I made it.”
Richmond said he is not alone. The defense has been talking about the
end of the North Dakota State game, using it as a rallying cry, similar
to with Donelson and the 2004 defense did.
“That first Tuesday after the North Dakota State game we had a hard
practice,” Richmond said. “Toward the end, everyone was dragging a
little, and then (Carlton) Cobey started yelling '26 seconds, 26
seconds' and everyone picked it up. We finished with a good practice.”
Donelson knows exactly how Richmond feels. After getting back from
Fargo, Richmond got a phone call from his one-time recruiting host.
“He just told me, ?You have to get those boys together,'” Richmond said.
Donelson said he has no doubt his prot?g?e will be able to get the job done.
“He is a natural leader,” Donelson said. “I saw that in him as a
freshman. He has now waited for his turn to lead that defense and that
is what he is doing. I see a lot of me in the way he plays.”
