South Charlotte Today

Demani Richardson, a rookie safety for the Carolina Panthers, made a significant impact in his third NFL start against the Arizona Cardinals. With just over three minutes left in regulation and the Panthers leading by three points, Richardson intercepted a pass from Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. This crucial play prevented the Cardinals from potentially tying or taking the lead.

Richardson described his thought process during the interception: "I knew Kyler wanted to go there, so I came down," he said. "So, picked it, make sure my feet were in, and I could have stayed in, but I was too happy, so I just ran and celebrated."

Despite forcing overtime with their efforts later on, the Panthers eventually secured victory. Reflecting on his performance, Richardson expressed satisfaction with both his interception and the team's win: "I'm glad I got the pick, but I'm more happy that we got to win," he noted. However, he acknowledged areas for improvement: "I thank God for that for the play that I made. I thank God for the situation, but yeah stuff to improve on."

Panthers head coach Dave Canales highlighted Richardson's potential while also pointing out areas needing development: "To watch Demani just continue to work at his game... he's got so much he needs to work on," Canales stated. He emphasized communication and accountability as key focus areas for Richardson.

In his first three starts of this season—unexpected given his undrafted status—Richardson has played every defensive snap and recorded 32 tackles along with two passes defended and an interception.

Reflecting on what lies ahead, Richardson aims to deepen his understanding of team dynamics: "I feel like I can grow... knowing other people's jobs," he explained. His commitment extends beyond instinctual play; it involves technique and discipline: "It's about playing with technique... doing your job first."

Teammate Adam Thielen praised Richardson's instincts: "He's just always been a guy that's around the ball," Thielen observed.

Richardson remains focused on executing fundamental responsibilities before making plays when opportunities arise: "It's more about just doing your job first... So it's never about going out of your way to make a play."

With such dedication early in his career journey within professional football ranks like those seen last Sunday against Arizona—it appears likely that more opportunities will come knocking soon enough again too!