FAYETTEVILLE — College is considered a second home for most athletes, but for Kevin Richardson II, Fayetteville feels a lot like the real thing.
The redshirt junior defensive back doesn’t have to go far to find reminders of his home in Jacksonville. That’s because for the Richardsons, being a Razorback has become a real family tradition.
Richardson, a criminal justice major, is one of five siblings attending the University of Arkansas this semester. His older brother Airic, 28, is a doctoral student studying history; his younger sister Sacha, 21, is a junior studying sports medicine; his younger brother Keilen, 19, is a sophomore studying business; and his younger sister Zylah, 18, is a freshman studying business.
Sacha is also an athletic trainer for Arkansas’ track program and Keilen is an equipment manager for the football team. A sixth child, Chanel, lives in Jacksonville and is raising a family.
“We’re humbly proud and I’m eager to share that story with others when I talk to them,” said Sanci Richardson, mother of the six. “It is busy, but it’s a proud thing having your children accomplishing something, or on the road to it.”
Airic paved the road to the UA for his family and was a first-generation college graduate when he obtained bachelors and masters degrees from the university. Both parents began college and never finished.
Sanci is now back in school, however, at the UA community college in Morrilton. That’s six from the same family in school at once.
The younger Kevin’s dreams of playing college football nearly took him somewhere else. Kevin was only offered football scholarships by Arkansas Tech in Russellville and Harding in Searcy.
Arkansas State also offered Kevin to walk-on, but he took a leap of faith and opted to walk-on for the Razorbacks in Coach Bret Bielema’s first year with the program.
“I guess I felt like I could accomplish what I set out to do, that I could come up here and earn a scholarship,” he said. “Most people didn’t really think I should do it. I had people reach out to me and say that I should probably take the scholarships, but it was just a dream to come play for the University of Arkansas.”
Even with the pending expense of three more kids attending college, his parents encouraged him to follow his heart.
“He deserved the opportunity to prove himself,” his father said. “I thought he was looked over a lot in high school. I felt like he was the caliber kid, caliber of player that could play on that level. I wanted to extend him that opportunity.
“That’s just something we do as parents; we teach them to follow whatever it is they believe in.”
Bielema, a former college walk-on, annually awards scholarships to walk-ons who have performed well in the program. Kevin caught his coach’s eye as a redshirt freshman in 2014 and was added to the 85-man scholarship count prior to the 2015 season. It was a thrill for the entire family.
“Considering the fact that he had full-ride scholarships elsewhere and turned them down to attend the University of Arkansas, once he did receive that scholarship, man, it was pretty much a blessing to all of us,” Kevin Richardson Sr. said.
And having family nearby was a blessing to the younger Kevin when he suffered a season-ending injury in the Razorbacks’ season-opener against Louisiana Tech earlier this year. Billed as a potential starter and key player on the defense, he tore his pectoral muscle.
“We were so happy that he had his family there to help hold him up after the injury,” his mother said. “That’s almost like a second home to us at this point. It’s comfortable and makes us feel better, especially with our youngest going up there into a nest of family.”
It’s unclear whether Kevin will receive a medical hardship and sixth season of eligibility. If he doesn’t, his final season at Arkansas will be in 2017.
Whatever the outcome, his biggest fans will be close by and cheering him on every step of the way.
“I see them on campus all the time,” he said. “I like seeing them around. It’s a fun experience.”
A version of this article originally appeared in Hawgs Illustrated