A lot has changed for Anthony Richardson, but one thing hasn’t

There was a football game in Las Vegas last week. But more importantly to many, there was the party scene.

Everybody who’s anybody was there, with a few exceptions.

“I’m on a strict schedule,” Anthony Richardson said. “When I do have free time, I try to use it wisely.”

Does he ever.

Four years ago, Richardson was throwing passes for Eastside High School. Now he’s a starting NFL quarterback. That means he could have gotten behind the velvet rope at any Super Bowl party.

Like the Players Tailgate, where chefs like Bobby Flay prepared dishes like “Bay Scallops Sophie Tangerine” and “Pork Vindaloo Keema with Mango Koochumbar.” Instead, Richardson was spotted eating chicken wings at halftime of the Florida-Auburn basketball game.

What was an A-lister like him doing in an O’Dome like this?

“Vegas is a lot. A lot of people, a lot of attention,” Richardson said. “Coming back home, it feels a little different getting love here. I’m just showing love to the basketball team. Coming back and watching the boys is pretty fun.”

He’d just polished off a plate of chicken wings that, as far as I could tell, did not have any mango koochumbar. Let’s take that as a metaphorical good sign.

Richardson may have left Gainesville, but Gainesville doesn’t seem to have left him. He’s still not a koochumbar kind of guy.

By most measures, the dreams Richardson had at Eastside have come true. He officially made it big when Indianapolis drafted him with the No. 4 pick last April.

That ended months of international speculation whether an NFL team would risk its future on such an unproven QB commodity. Florida fans certainly knew the scouting report on the comet known as AR.

Freakish potential. But would he, could he develop into a pro-caliber passer?

That jury is still out.

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Richardson’s season ended with surgery after he sprained his right shoulder in Game 5. That came after suffering a concussion in Game 2.

Richardson obviously needs to figure out how to include a bit more discretion with his running valor. The rookie struggles mixed with promising signs.

Richardson completed 59.5% of his passes, had three touchdown passes to only one interception and rushed for four TDs. Beyond the raw numbers, he showed leadership and cool beyond his years.

“The first few games let me know I can play in the league, and I can have fun doing it,” Richardson said. “I just want to be out there doing the best for my team and not worrying about what anybody else thinks.”

Well, he does care about what certain people think.

“This guy’s a legitimate passer,” Indy general manager Chris Ballard said in a post-season press conference. “I believe that.”

That assessment might surprise SEC observers who remember Richardson’s playbook struggles at UF. But he always carried himself with an old-soul poise.

He mixed that business-like approach with a child-like charm. In a typical AR encounter, a kid spotted Richardson outside The Swamp after one game and asked him to do one of his patented backflips.

Those things gave Dan Mullen and Billy Napier heart attacks, but Richardson was happy to oblige.

Being the Colts’ QB makes him the Big Man in the City. His agent posted a five-second video this week of Richardson’s first throwing session since surgery. The clip has gotten almost 2 million views.

That kind of attention that can go to a guy’s head. But Richardson seems to be handling it with the same polish he showed as the Big Man on Campus.

“He’s got a great way about him,” Ballard said. “He’s got a really humble spirit, which I appreciate. He doesn’t have any arrogance.”

Richardson knows he’s made it big, yet he hasn’t. Untold growing pains still await. So do untold detours, distractions and koochumbar-covered temptations.

“I’m going to continue to be myself and continue to know where I come from,” Richardson said. “And just be the best version of myself I can be everyday.”

Life has changed. Richardson hasn’t.

That’s the best sign that he’ll really make it big someday.

David Whitley is The Gainesville Sun's sports columnist. Contact him at dwhitley@gannett.com. Follow him on X @DavidEWhitley

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: NFL good life hasn't changed Anthony Richardson