Oilers receiver Richardson prepping, hoping for NFL chance

University of Findlay wide receiver Marlin Richardson has always been one for the spectacle. Whether it's a one-handed snag on the sideline in the G-MAC championship against Tiffin — where the Oilers won their first conference title of any kind since 1997 — or a game-tying touchdown on fourth-down against Ashland, he's got a knack for turning it up a notch when it matters most. Now, he's looking to take that spectacle to the next stage. On Jan. 27, Richardson took to Twitter to announce that he'd be declaring for the NFL draft. "I've felt like my last couple of years here — where I had two really strong seasons — and I feel like I'm the type of player that can play at the next level, or at least give it a shot," Richardson said. "I feel like I have a lot of good football left in me and I wanted to see how far I can take this." It's easy to see why he thinks that, too. Since making the switch from corner to wide receiver in 2019, Richardson has racked up 1,505 yards receiving with 14 touchdowns. In the spring 2021 season, Richardson racked up 408 yards receiving with six touchdowns on 23 receptions in six games on the way to a second-team All-GMAC finish. He did one better in the fall, going for 804 yards, four touchdowns and 49 receptions in 12 games. Eventually, he was named to the first-team All-GMAC team. But saying you're declaring for the draft and actually doing something with it are two completely different things. Richardson has, though. "I participated in the pro day at Youngstown State on March 24 and I thought I had a pretty good day. Other than that, I've been putting highlights out there, getting my name buzzing and my name around," he said. "The pro day went really well and there were a lot of great guys out there that showed their talents. I felt like I had a good day, a strong day there and to do it in front of scouts, that's all I could ask for. "Even if it was just one scout or every scout, just being able to do that in front of them and try to get my name out there, that's I could I ask for." Luckily for him — and everyone else showcasing their talents at YSU — it was more than one scout. And he got some advice from some of them. "I had a couple words with the Cleveland Browns and the Chicago Bears. I asked them how they thought my workout went and they said it went pretty solid," Richardson said. "I asked the Bears scout what I could improve on or does he recommend me doing moving forward, and he told me to add on a little more weight. "I don't see that as a big problem because I was actually trying to shed a couple of pounds so I could perform a little better, move a little better." Richardson got some advice from a former teammate as well. A teammate of his that's made it to the next level — Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver, Jason Moore. "He basically told me to trust what I'm doing, keep working and stay motivated. He kept telling me to stay motivated and true to myself. No matter what happens, he told me to give it a 100 percent and live with those results," the Warren native said. "Whatever comes, it'll come and let it happen. If I get my opportunity, I'll take full advantage of it. If not, I'm gonna put my head down and get back to work to try and get my name out there. "It's a blessing to play for any team in the NFL, whether it's the best or the worst team. So any team who gives me an opportunity, I'll be very grateful." And he'll have to wait a few more weeks to find out if he'll get that opportunity.