DEL.ICIO.USRichard has more to tackle than Seminoles
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Here is this week’s schedule for Georgia Tech’s Darryl Richard:
• Wednesday — Lead town hall meeting for student-athletes.
Pouya Dianat/pdianat@ajc.com
Darryl Richard, a 6-4, 290-pound defensive tackle, is one of Georgia Tech’s three captains.
• Thursday — Help pick Georgia Tech’s next president.
• Saturday — Get into Florida State’s backfield.
In between he’ll practice and stay on track to earn his MBA this semester. This week’s schedule isn’t unusual.
Being active in the community comes naturally to the gregarious 6-4, 290-pound defensive tackle, one of Georgia Tech’s three captains.
“That’s what keeps me going,” he said. “I don’t see it as juggling, it’s more like my lifeline. That’s what keeps me sane.”
In the football players’ lounge Wednesday night, Richard will preside over a town hall meeting in his role as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Board.
Athletics director Dan Radakovich and other administrators will field questions about a range of topics, including marketing of non-revenue sports, class scheduling conflicts and parking. Richard is using his persuasiveness to draw a big turnout.
“If by some case of lunacy you decide that this opportunity is not important, then please [refrain] from the moaning and griping when things are not going the way you like it,” he wrote to athletes in a newsletter. “It’s your voice … use it or lose it!”
Thursday morning, Richard will help screen applicants as part of 20-member search committee charged with recommending finalists to replace ex-President Wayne Clough, who left to become secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.
Richard serves as a student representative.
“You want the people who are doing the choosing to be highly respected,” said Richard Tucker, a committee member who chairs the Board of Regents for the University System of Georgia. “Darryl just happens to influence a lot of people.”
Richard has spent two nights a week visiting campus groups, asking them what they want in a new president. He’ll relay their input and throw in his two cents: the president should appreciate the value of sports.
“Athletics is a marketing tool, a way to put your institution out there for the world to see,” Richard said. “Whether people want to believe it or not, a lot of times the first thing people associate with Georgia Tech is Buzz, and Buzz is a guy running around at athletic events. The biggest thing is I think we need a president who understands it will create great value for the institution.”
While many teammates don’t know the extent of Richard’s activities, defensive tackle Vance Walker said Richard is universally acknowledged as the smartest player.
Walker and Richard room together on the road. Walker said he’s learned a lot from Richard about everything from Presidential politics to accounting, and wishes Richard was in his classes.
Richard’s thoroughness carries over to the field and the film room.
“You ask him a question, no matter if you’re a senior or a freshman, he’s got a good answer for you,” Walker said.
Richard got his management degree, with certificates in finance and public policy, in three years. He plans to finish his MBA, focusing on corporate finance and strategies, in a year and a half.
After a likely NFL career — Richard is projected as a late-round pick — he said he might want to be a college athletics director.
Last week, Richard was named one of 10 finalists for the inaugural Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, which goes to the player who best combines football, academic and community achievements.
On the field, Richard’s seven tackles for loss are tied for third-most on the team.
The advisory board he leads gets athletes involved in an annual toy drive, Special Olympics, Habitat for Humanity and many other service projects.
In the classroom? Well, Richard admits he’s struggling. The demands of grad school caught him off guard, he said, and his GPA plummeted below 3.3.
“I’m slacking,” he said with a laugh. “That’s what a lot of people say.”
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