Reliving College Football with Don Paul Richards

Former college football players tend to get a lot of flak for wanting to relive their glory days, their misty-eyed recollections of that perfect pass or the touchdown that they just barely made met with laughter or derision. But is remembering the joy of youthful sporting really all that bad? Don Paul Richards, a former quarterback for McNeese State University in Louisiana, believes that reflecting on his football greatness in the 1980s actually helps him professionally today, instilling a sense of confidence and allowing for meditation on leadership, cooperation, and decision-making skills.

Don Paul Richards played football through high school and college, receiving a number of awards along the way. He’s earned countless varsity letters; All-Area, All-District, and All-Conference honors; the Kiwanis Key award; and a full ride football scholarship. While Don Paul Richards certainly loves to remember his record-setting passes during his senior year of college, he says mostly he likes to think back on his football days as a reminder of the importance of being a team player.

As a District Manager at Certified Waste Management, Inc., Don Paul Richards deals with a diverse team of coworkers, and is often tasked with making important decisions under pressure. Thinking about what he learned as McNeese State University’s starting quarterback helps Don Paul Richards act as a manager who is easy to work with, utterly responsible, and quick thinking and collected under pressure. That last one is probably the most important for Don Paul Richards, who is Certified Waste Management Inc.’s resident expert on dealing with high risk, high stakes waste management situations. So maybe the glory days aren’t so far gone after all. For a professional leader like Don Paul Richards, reliving that football greatness is just one way to be a more effective teammate in the office.