TRich leaves behind a legacy

Former Jets fullback Tony Richardson had hoped to continue his NFL career, but understands he may wind up retiring after 16 seasons. The Jets didn’t ask him back, choosing to go exclusively with second-year fullback John Conner, and Richardson hasn’t signed elsewhere. 

But if he has played his last game, at least Richardson can take comfort in helping former, current and future NFL players by participating in negotiations for the league’s new 10-year collective bargaining agreement. 

“For me personally, this is about leaving a legacy,” Richardson said. “I wanted to make sure that players had it better than when I came into the NFL. At the end of the day, it was about the past, present and future.” 

Conner is grateful to have learned under Richardson for a year.

“I still feel his spirit,” Conner said. “I learned a lot from TRich, sitting behind him, picking his brain. It’s an opportunity for me now to step up and take what I’ve learned and use it.”