Energy is never lacking from Cowboys defensive backs coach Kris Richard – and that’s nothing new.
"Absolutely from knee-high as far as I can remember, my parents have always been really discipline-oriented," Richard said. "We grew up in a discipline household and I think it helped formulate our mentality."
Discipline and sports were big parts of the Richard home in Carson, California, with Kris not shying away from big sports dreams early on.
"He came to me at a very young age and said he was going to be a professional athlete," said Kris's father Ken Richard. "I'm sitting here thinking, dude, you're seven years old, you're the smallest guy on the field, and you're telling me you're going to be a professional athlete. You need to have that drive and then not only have it, but then use it."
And Kris showed the drive on the youth football field, and, in fact, even brought a fiery approach to leadership at a young age.
"He's in the middle of a game, they're in the huddle and the referee throws a flag and we want to know where the flag is coming from," Kris's mother Pat Richard said. "And then the ref comes to the sideline and says I have to throw it on that guy because he's cursing out his own players. And we all look like, what's the number? And of course, there it is. Kris Richard, you're the guy."
That "enthusiasm" helped Kris eventually play college football at USC and then for a few years in the NFL, and now, he is a guy who is considered to have a great chance to become a future NFL head coach, and in fact, interviewed for three open head coaching positions in the offseason.
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"We all know who I aspire to be," Kris said. "A lot of it came from the training from my father. And when that day comes, it will be business as usual."
"Just calling me and telling me, 'Mom, I'm going to get an interview,'" Pat said. "At your age? They're interviewing you now? There's no doubt. It's just when."
"It's a very proud moment," Ken said. "You come out here and you see other folks who look up to him and others calling his name and thanking him for what he does. It's just a very proud moment as a parent."
A proud moment for the Richards watching their son coach in person in Oxnard, as Kris lives out his dream – and provides energy – for the Dallas Cowboys daily.
