Why LB AJ Richardson, a Norfolk State transfer, will always be himself

By Noah Fleischman

When Norfolk State transfer linebacker AJ Richardson arrived at NC State for the spring semester, he wanted to pick No. 15 on his trip to the equipment room. It was the same jersey number he donned at both Kings Mountain (N.C.) High and Norfolk State, but it wasn’t going to just be handed to him. 

Instead of getting the initial number he desired, NC State issued No. 41 to the newcomer. If he wanted to wear his usual integer with the Wolfpack, Richardson needed to prove it. In a way, that’s been what has motivated the defender through his entire football career to this point. 

Another challenge? Richardson was up for it.Fast forward to game week with NC State’s season opener against East Carolina fast approaching on Thursday night (7 p.m., ACC Network), Richardson walked into the lobby of the Close-King Indoor Practice Facility in his new number: 15

Richardson, an FCS transfer, found a way to earn his longtime double-digit number that he was eager to continue wearing at NC State. It came through the linebacker just being himself. It may sound cliche, but that’s the approach Richardson took to win over both the coaching staff and his teammates along the way. 

“I came in with confidence — just being me and being myself. We are who we are for a reason. We got here for a reason, so don’t stop there,” said Richardson, a junior that sounds more like a veteran coach as he talks. “Just come in and be confident and build relationships with people first. As a leader, you have to build relationships with people in order to lead them to respect you. Everything’s earned, nothing is given.”

The Kings Mountain, N.C., native quickly emerged as one of the defense’s more-vocal leaders this offseason. He was, after all, a freshman captain at Norfolk State — something Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren said he’d never seen in his three decades as a college football coach.

If you spend just five minutes around Richardson, it’s apparent why he earned the respect of his Spartan teammates just a year removed from high school. He knows how to command a room — just under a dozen media members is nothing for him — and he uses that to his advantage. 

As he navigated assimilating to NC State’s culture in the winter and spring, Richardson didn’t sit quietly. Instead, he took the forward approach of looking to establish himself as a leader within the veteran-laden defense. But to do that, ironically, he used his voice with the Wolfpack offense first. 

Richardson’s class schedule led him to doing the first half of the Wolfpack’s offseason weight room routine with the offense. That didn’t scare him, rather it led Richardson to speak up even more. And once he returned to the defense, he only continued using his confident leadership style with his peers. 

NC State Director of Strength and Conditioning Dantonio “Thunder” Burnette, a former All-ACC Wolfpack linebacker, was amazed at what he saw. 

“He’s a natural leader. It oozes off him,” Burnette told TheWolfpacker.com earlier this summer. “He’s well-respected by both sides of the ball. … It lets us know that we have some of the right guys in the room.”

Just because Richardson has moved up a level to play at NC State, that doesn’t mean he has altered his approach. Instead, he has remained the same person and has used the exact traits that allowed him to have this opportunity with the Wolfpack. 

“I won’t change for anybody or anything,” Richardson said. “I stand on my morals. I stand for what I believe in. Just being myself, I’m big on that. I’m just going to be who I am: a great person that’s kind to everybody and treats people as you want to be treated.”

Richardson’s ability to lead from the front has been a positive for the Wolfpack defense, which already boasts two captains in the linebacker room — graduate Caden Fordham and redshirt senior Sean Brown. Add the MEAC’s top tackler from the 2024 campaign, who made 100 total takedowns for a middling Norfolk State program, to the stable of those that will hold their teammates accountable.

“He’s a leader. He is a true alpha, very fun-spirited kid. He loves everything about being on a team,” Doeren said of Richardson. “He’s a guy that will say what he needs to say and says it the right way. He has command. He definitely has a presence about him.”

While Richardson had the Wolfpack’s respect rather quickly, he had to also prove it on the field. He missed the spring practice schedule due to injury, so when fall camp opened at the end of July, Richardson was eager to jump into the mix with his teammates. 

Although he could have been viewed as being behind the curve since he didn’t have those 15 spring practices worth of reps, Richardson didn’t feel that way. Instead, he watched every one of those sessions as if he were healthy. Richardson’s mind served as the field, and he saw himself doing everything defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot put his position group through. 

As Richardson put it: “I didn’t focus on what I could not do, I focused on what I could do.”

“Whether I’m in or I’m not, I’m in regardless,” Richardson said. “If I’m on the sideline, I’m getting mental reps. Those are just like game reps. We always say separation is in the preparation, so my preparation has been top tier. That translates to the field as well.”

Richardson is expected to see time behind Fordham at middle linebacker. He’s experienced with a long resume from Norfolk State, which includes being an FCS Freshman All-American, while he also led the Spartans in tackles through his first two seasons with 169 total stops to his credit. 

The defender has a knack for finding the ball and making a stop. He is more than excited to showcase that same skill set every week with the Wolfpack. In a way, this is a full-circle moment for the linebacker that grew up watching college football in his home state. Finally, Richardson is ready to suit up for a founding member of the ACC. 

“It’s nothing short of a blessing,” Richardson said. “I can’t complain about anything. I won’t complain about anything. Being able to be back in North Carolina is a big blessing. I’m excited to play in Carter-Finley Stadium on Thursday.”