Jets' Sheldon Richardson wants to 'set a good example' after offseason incidents
New York Jets defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson was involved in two serious incidents this past offseason, but now he wants to put those mistakes behind him and prove those who have doubted his character wrong.
"I want to set a good example," Richardson said to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. "I made a few mistakes. I’m not a bad person. I just made two bad choices in my life."
Richardson was suspended for the first four games games of the season for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse in early July. Later that month, Richardson was arrested after he was clocked driving 143 mph with a 12-year-old relative and a legally registered handgun in the car.
"Everybody is not going to love you," said Richardson. "You love me or hate me. They tried to assassinate my character when I got in trouble back-to-back ... I’m still going to be me. I’m still going to enjoy my life."
Richardson's court case is yet to be resolved, but when it does, he will be subject to possible discipline by the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell. The 24-year-old is confident he will not be suspended, but the prospect of missing further games appears unacceptable to him.
"I'm pretty sure I'll have a strong case for not getting suspended," Richardson said. "If a fine comes with it ... I’m willing to accept anything, really. But, most definitely, as far as missing games, I really don’t want to do that."
While there have been many outside critics of Richardson and his behavior, he said the deepest wounds have been inflicted by those closest to him.
"My little cousins, nieces and nephews are telling me, 'Come on, Sheldon. You're the one in the family. You're letting us down,'" Richardson said. "I don't consider myself a hero, but some kids do look at me that way. It got to me a little bit."
The Jets will soon have to make a decision on Richardson's future with the team as he will enter the last year of his contract in 2016, but complicating the matter is the play of fellow defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson.
Wilkerson is in the last year of his contract with the team, and while the franchise tag is a possibility, it will only delay the inevitable decision as to whether the Jets want to commit to him or Richardson long-term.
"We both understand the situation," Richardson said. "It's his hometown. If he gets it and I don't - I got one more year left. You never know what happens after that. I wouldn’t mind him staying in his own hometown. If I get the boot, then so (be it) ... but you never know. Mo's having a Pro Bowl season right now. His resume is going to be a little bit cleaner than mine."