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Position: LS
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 210
Hometown: Virginia Beach, Va
High School: First Colonial HS
Twitter: @ChuckRichards59
In High School, Richards played TE along with long-snapper. However, at just 210 pounds, he isn't big enough to play TE in college. However, teams always need a couple of guys who can long-snap and Richards is one of them.
Former Virginia long snapper Danny Aiken now snaps for the New England Patriots. Aiken is considered one of the best long snappers in the NFL. Current Virginia LS Matt Fortin is so good he earned a scholarship heading into this season. Fortin began snapping for the Hoos when Aiken left. That means the Hoos have had 6 consecutive years of solid play from long snappers. Fortin has 2 more years of eligibility, meaning Richards will get a chance to win the starting job as a senior.
Richards is listed as the 3rd string LS, which likely means he'll never get into a game. If Fortin were unable to go, backup TE Blake Blaze is the first off the bench. Still, the punters and kickers need to practice, and that means they need somebody to snap the ball to them. Fortin and Blaze can only work with one at a time, so Richards' play in practice is important.