Former Auburn-signee, Jeremy Richardson, fighting hard to get back to Auburn...

This is probably recruiting related, but I figured I'd share this story with the rest of the SECr that hasn't heard much about Jeremy. I would be extremely happy to see him in orange and blue one day, and I'm sure more Auburn fans feel the same. It's a long read, but very much worth it. Gave me chills while reading it. Enjoy.

Jeremy Richarson:

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When Springville (Ala.) High School's Jeremy Richardson signed with Auburn in 2010, expectations were high.

The 6-foot-2, 200-plus pound wideout was ranked by Rivals.com as the nation's No. 199 overall prospect and the state's top receiver prospect. Richardson possessed the rare blend of size and speed that projected him as a standout receiver on the college level

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Richardson lost his father when he was five years old, without having a chance to build a relationship. Then at fourteen years old, as Richardson began to play football and flourish, his mother Sandra Richardson's health began to deteriorate. As that winter approached, she had to be admitted to a hospital for cancer treatments. Shortly after, Richardson had lost the only parent he ever really knew.

He remembers staying up all night crying in the nights that followed his mother's passing.

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That turn of events is what prompted Minnie and Sammie Newsome, his grandparents, to take him in. But just a year later, Richardson's grandmother passed away after some years of health problems. At the time, his grandfather was all that Jeremy had left as he attempted to further his football career.

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Sadly, by the time Richardson committed to Auburn in June of 2009, he did so at the bedside of his grandfather at UAB Hospital in Birmingham. Newsome was diagnosed with cancer and Richardson thought of no better place to announce his intentions.

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As if Richardson had not experienced enough grief in his young life, he then lost his grandfather -- his father-figure and mentor -- in the months following

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"That was the roughest year ever for me. My grandfather was sick and in and out of the hospital and I was taking care of him," Richardson said. "School, football, and everything that was happening, family problems, it was pretty hard to go to school and take care of him, and deal with football."

Richardson would spend all his time helping his ailing grandfather, worrying about school and football, until it became too much. Richardson began to miss classes and football practices, only playing in about half his games during his senior season.

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Richardson admittedly "shut down" that final year at Springville, and as a result, Richardson left high school and enrolled early at East Mississippi Community College in the spring of 2010 to play football

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Eventually, Richardson would redshirt during his only season at East Mississippi and later be dismissed from the team, citing conflicting issues with the coaching staff

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He moved back to Birmingham and enrolled at Jefferson State Community College in the spring of 2011. After one successful semester, Richardson decided to re-focus himself on returning to football, ultimately at Auburn

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So Richardson made the decision to move closer to Auburn, transferring to Southern Union State Community College in Opelika.

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If able to get to Auburn:

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Richardson would have three years of eligibility starting this fall, two if he arrived in January.

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"My goal is to finally get to Auburn and work hard, earn a starting spot, help the team, and try and win another championship," Richardson said. "It's all about family at Auburn. They've been encouraging me ever since high school so I feel like I'm a part of the team even though I'm not on the team. They haven't dropped me yet so that's a blessing. Many schools, after this long, they would be like 'forget it.'"

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"Coming up, we weren't poor, but we didn't have much," Richardson said. "I just had to remember what my grandfather told me. He said, 'I want you to play football, go to school and improve your life'. I'm just trying to do what he wanted me to do. Not just for him, but for my mom and my grandmother."

With continued persistence, Richardson may only be months from living that dream.

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