Feature Photo By: Tahir Springs – Richmond works on finishing an essay during 7th period. He’s enrolled in many college and AP classes.
Although Zavier Richmond carries many aspects of your average football player, there’s much more to him than just his athletic side. Standing at 5’10 and weighing 185 pounds with plenty of muscle, off of first impression, many think that all he cares about is football and staying in shape for it. But, it’s quite the opposite for Richmond.
Richmond first earned a varsity spot for Rangeview’s football team during his freshman year, but didn’t get into the regular rotation until his Sophomore year. For most kids that play football, this would be much of an accomplishment. Yet for Richmond, it’s nothing more than something he’s able to say he’s done. In fact, the more people talk about football to him, the more he loses interest in the sport.
Richmond explains saying, “I’m starting to lose passion in playing the sport because people keep overwhelming me with their comments on football and how they want me to progress, but that’s not what I want to do with my future.”
Instead, Richmond is counting on his academics to get him where he wants to be in the future. Aware of the fact that getting recruited could get him a full-ride scholarship in college, or even a partial one, he expresses that is the least of his worries.
Richmond says, ”I know it can help me but I don’t want anything to do with football while I’m in college. I’ve already been accepted into Boulder because I completed their Pre-Collegiate summer program this summer, so I already got college planned out.”
He plans to use college in helping him chase his other passion; drawing.
More specifically, he says, “I want to own my own business in the comic book industry because I want to bring a new feeling [to it],” Richmond continues, “Drawing is my motivation because when I draw superheroes it lets me show my creative side and it inspires me to have stories like theirs.”
For those who know Zavier, hearing him say he wants a superhero story isn’t far-fetched. From the field, to the classroom, to just chilling with his friends, you’ll get the same nice, caring gentleman at all times.
Close friend Rayvon Fisher says, “Zavier is a great friend. He is always there when you need him and he’d never leave you behind. His heart is bigger than his muscles. You won’t find a friend like him anywhere.”
When following Richmond around school, you’re able to see how many of his friends gravitate to his positivity and joyful moods. Although if you follow him a little longer, you’ll see it doesn’t stop there and instead it goes straight into the classrooms.
Current English teacher Ms. Rutherford says, “He’s always been thoughtful and dedicated and he always cares about about his education.”
Zavier has no problem with being the good kid in all types of situations.
Assistant football coach Abdelromen Mohammed Nijub says, “He’s an amazing kid that follows the coaches rules and follows the team rules and he’s a good kid to have around.”
As for now, Richmond says he’s only focused on the present and enjoying the last of his high school years. But as for the future, who knows, maybe one day kids could be reading comic books created by him.
