Paul Richardson tantalized Colorado fans throughout the offseason with promising updates about his recovery from a torn ACL in April.
He delivered a more somber message on Wednesday.
Richardson told the media that he has decided to redshirt this season after consulting with coaches, family and doctors. That was what most people thought he should do after he suffered the injury during the Buffaloes' camp in early April, but Richardson's optimistic updates gave Colorado fans a glimmer of hope.
After realizing he would miss at least the first two games after being ruled out by the coaching staff earlier in the week, Richardson decided to shut it down.
"Just basically working out and knowing I would have to miss two or three games to begin with, I just didn't want to start off like that," Richardson told reporters, including Tom Kensler of the Denver Post.
While the loss of Richardson was anticipated, it doesn't soften the sting.
He enrolled at Colorado after his quick dismissal from the UCLA football program in 2010 -- along with now-Washington defensive end Josh Shirley and Arizona receiver Shaq Richardson, his cousin -- Richardson became one of the Buffaloes' most dependable targets.
He caught 34 passes for 514 yards and 6 touchdowns as a freshman and added 39 receptions for 555 yards and 3 TDs in nine games as a sophomore, including an 11-reception, 284-yard performance against Cal.
With Richardson sidelined, the Buffaloes will turn to sophomore Tyler McCulloch, who had 10 receptions for 96 yards last season, and redshirt freshman Nelson Spruce.
Even though his corps is thin, Embree wouldn't have changed his decision.
“I wasn’t fired up about Paul rushing back,” Embree told Kensler. “When we as a staff had this conversation back in June, I went around asking the coaches what they would want to happen if he was available. Then I posed the question as if it were your son and what would you want? The answer changed. I look at all these kids like they are my own kids. I know if that was my son, I would want him to get healthy-healthy.”
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