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Kentucky Wildcats’ junior wide receiver Tavin Richardson stuck around after Tuesday’s practice for a little Q&A with A Sea of Blue.
The 6’3”, 215-pound wide out from South Carolina had his best game of the season during UK’s loss to Northwestern in the Music City Bowl. He reeled in five catches for 89 yards, but Richardson seemed more focused on the pass he didn’t catch.
How much do you think last year’s performance in the Music City Bowl is going to help you heading into this season?
TR: I’m not sure. I’m not in control of that, but after that game I really had a good feeling about my play in that game except for the last play of the game. So, I took that last play of the game as energy and motivation to prove to myself that I can be a better player and I can make more plays than I did last season.
So you hope to use that game as a springboard into this season?
TR: Yeah, I am.
How much of an adjustment is it for you as a receiver going from a senior quarterback like (Stephen) Johnson to some of the younger guys that are playing quarterback this season?
TR: It’s been kind of tough lately, but we still come to practice and get in work. The last few days we’ve been connecting with each other, so we’re starting to connect. When you get something new, it’s hard to start out of the gate that good. We’re starting real slow right now, but we’re picking up on it.
Have you developed a rapport with any particular quarterback since you’ve started camp?
TR: I got a good connection with all of them. You know, from summer and spring, we’re throwing with each other every day, so we got a good connection.
Football is obviously a team sport, but do you have any individual goals this year?
TR: I’m trying to be on the All-SEC team.
Is there any particular opponent you’re super excited about playing this year?
TR: There’s a lot of them. South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Georgia especially. Everybody in the SEC, for real.
It’d be kind of nice to knock off the defending SEC Champs from last year, right?
TR: Got to. We got to.
Anybody who plays college football wants to go to the NFL, right? Now, if you can’t play in the NFL what’s your dream job outside of professional football?
TR: I’m trying to work on being a college coach. I want to get into coaching.
It was pleasure taking a few minutes to talk with Tavin Richardson. Kentucky fans will be expecting big things out of Richardson this season with the departure of Garrett Johnson, however, it sounds like Richardson’s set his expectations pretty high himself.