Richardson out for year; torn ACL

Junior wide receiver Paul Richardson was injured in Monday's practice, and was latter diagnosed with a torn knee ligament that will keep him off the field for the entire 2012 season.

This is a huge loss for the Buffs nearly a week before the Colorado football spring game.

According to the CUBuffs website Richardson tore the ACL in his knee when he was "simply planting and trying to make a turn in a non-contact special teams drill."

Richardson was a dynamic threat for the offense last year. Despite missing four games with a sprained knee in 2011 he was still the third leading receiver on the Buffaloes roster, with 39 catches and a total of 555 yards.



The fluke injury hurts the Buffaloes who are very inexperienced on the offensive side of the ball. Richardson was assuming a role as a leader on the team, in the locker room and on the field.

"Obviously, it's a blow to our team, but it's a part of the game," head coach Jon Embree said. "It's an opportunity for others to step up and try to lessen his loss. I thought at first he just rolled his ankle, and it turned out to be this [torn ACL]. It's a shame because he's worked real hard and was doing a great job both on and off the field, leading by example and improving on all the things he needed to work on." (via CUBuffs.com)

Richardson will use a redshirt year and come back with two years of eligibility in 2013.

[Information and quotes from CUBuffs.com]