Demani Richardson '23
An unexpected gift for the 12th Man: 26 returns for '23
By Olin Buchanan
Presents do not always come in gift boxes. Sometimes, they come in 280 characters or less.
Case in point: Demani Richardson, a starter since the first football game of his freshman year, gifted Texas A&M another season with him at safety. On New Year's Day of 2023, Richardson announced via Twitter his intention to forego the NFL Draft and return for a “super senior” season at Texas A&M.
As valued gifts typically are, it came as a big surprise and was well received.
“People were surprised,” Richardson recalled while sitting back in a chair inside the Bright-Slocum Center for Texas A&M Football at the Graham Athletic Complex. “People were telling me thank you all the time. They would come up to me in stores or gas stations and be like, 'Are you Demani? Thank you for coming back!' like I am giving them something.”
Richardson said his decision was based on what was best for A&M and his future.
“I appreciate them feeling like I gave them a gift,” he added.
Richardson quickly showed a knack for being in the right place at the right time after his arrival from Waxahachie High School as a Top 100 national prospect in 2019.
"I really appreciate everything A&M has done for me, the 12th Man and how loyal they are."
In the first game of the 2020 season, Richardson deflected a Vanderbilt pass that Leon O'Neal intercepted to quell a fourth quarter threat in a 17-12 victory. In 2021, he had a key goal line interception to deny Alabama a touchdown in a 41-38 victory. In 2022, he returned fumbles for touchdowns in victories over Arkansas and LSU.
For Richardson, it was easy to give A&M another season because he had already received so much.
“Ever since I got here it has felt like family,” Richardson said. “The coaches, community, 12th Man, teammates — you just feel like a family here. Having that and having them behind me made me want to come back.”
Of course, there were other factors in Richardson's decision to postpone a professional football career. He played with nagging injuries in 2022 that he felt compromised his level of play.
During the 2023 season, the fifth-year starter rarely left the field while helping land A&M among the nation's best in total defense.
As Richardson prepares to take the next step, NFL franchises will surely be interested in a 215-pound, 6-foot-1, physical safety.
“Demani is just a great young man first and foremost,” Texas A&M Director of Athletics Ross Bjork said. “A lot of times you see an 18-year-old bloom over a five-year period, but Demani has always been the same. He is mature beyond his years. I think what he realized was, 'Maybe I can help my value in the future, but also if that does not work out, look at what I am benefitting for being here at A&M.'”
A&M has benefitted from Richardson's return, too. Every football program would reap reward from a skillful player with experience, leadership qualities and an unrelenting hunger to give everything he has to a fan base that has meant so much to him.
“I really appreciate everything A&M has done for me, the 12th Man and how loyal they are,” Richardson said.