Cleveland Browns take Alabama running back Trent Richardson as third overall pick

NEW YORK - The Cleveland Browns selected running back Trent Richardson as the third overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

The Browns moved up from the number four pick in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings. The folks in Berea gave up a fourth, fifth and seventh round pick.

“I was their guy and they weren’t going to let it slip out of their hands,” Richardson told NewsChannel5.

“I talked to the president, the vice president, the general manager, the head coach and they’re telling me ‘Hey, ready to be a Brown?’ I said ‘Yes, sir.’ I never been so ready to be a Brown,” Richardson said.

At 5 foot 9 and 228 pounds, the University of Alabama back has been compared to Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings. Richardson has the ability to be explosive, but he will need some help from the offensive line, which has struggled to give quarterback Colt McCoy enough time to make plays.

[PHOTOS: Trent Richardson at Alabama http://5.wews.com/xiO ]

“He’s going to be an outstanding player in this league,” Browns head coach Pat Shurmur said.

Browns general manager told members of the media in Berea, “If you don’t sense the excitement in my voice, then you’re missing it.”

Richardson is the highest the Browns have ever selected a running back in the draft. He said he didn’t know that until NewsChanne5’s Mike Cairns told him.

“That’s special. That means a lot to me, my family, to all the other running backs coming in behind me. It means if I go high like this, you can do it too. And there’s a lot of faith and a lot of hope,” Richardson said.

“I’ve been running the ball for a long time and that’s why I’m in this league, so if you’re not ready to take on that work, I don’t think you need to be playing football,” Richardson said.

In an interview with ESPN Radio, Cleveland Browns Hall of Fame running back Jim Browns said he was not thrilled with the idea of drafting Richardson.

"I'm not overwhelmed with it," Brown said. "The problem is that he's ordinary. I think he's ordinary."

With the 22nd overall pick, the Cleveland selected 28-year-old quarterback out of Oklahoma State Brandon Weeden.