Trent Richardson finally wins over his biggest skeptic

I was going to write “Trent Richardson finally wins over his biggest critic,” but a more accurate descriptor of Jim Brown’s comments regarding the Browns’ rookie RB has open skepticism. That appears to have changed following Richardson’s performance on the field.

Via the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

The former great Browns running back met with the current Browns starter. They posed for photographs, exchanged telephone numbers and shared stories of battle wounds. Brown declared the future is bright for his Browns, particularly with the no-longer ordinary Richardson leading the way.

"That's my partner, man," Brown said. "He's done everything I thought he should do. He never took anything I said the wrong way. He's interested in his family. He's interested in this team. And he's willing to make sacrifices because really, he's hurt more than you think he is right now."

Richardson ran for a career-high 122 yards on 24 carries with a rib cartilage injury that makes it painful to move. Brown said he's never had an identical injury, but he remembers how any pain in his midsection made it particularly difficult to move, even more painful to be tackled. Brown was impressed with not only Richardson's resilience against the Chargers, but the exceptional ability he has shown in his first eight NFL games.

I hate to use a religious analogy, but everyone who saw Richardson carve up SEC defenses in his three seasons at Alabama knew Brown was just another Doubting Thomas who had to put his finger in the wounds of the savior before he truly believed.

Jim Brown has never been at a loss for words. When reporters ask him questions, he gives answers. Sometimes those answers have made sense and rung true. But at other times he’s left people shaking their heads and wondering if he suffers dain bramage.

At least for now, Brown is a believer in Trent Richardson. Just like we’ve always been,

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