University of Missouri Athletics

Richards, from St. Louis, was a standout offensive lineman both at Mizzou from 1977 to 1980, and in the National Football League. He started four games at right tackle as a true freshman in 1977 and went on to start 40 consecutive games. He was all-Big Eight Conference as a junior and a senior. In 1980, he was co-captain and received second-team all-America honors and played in the Senior and Hula Bowls. He was drafted in the first round of the 1981 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys and was starting by his second year. He was troubled by injuries throughout his time with the Cowboys but played on two teams that won NFC East championships. He played for the Seattle Seahawks in 1987. Following his seven-year pro career, he worked 13 years for the Central Intelligence Agency where he served on the security staffs of four CIA directors, along with serving a tour of duty in Tel Aviv, Israel, where his duties included both personnel and physical security, and liaison and security coordination in Gaza and the West Bank between the Israeli and Palestinian governments. Richards has been the football color analyst on the Tiger Radio Network since 2012. He has also worked for Harris-Stowe College in St. Louis, for the MU College of Arts and Science and the MU athletic department. He was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.