Golden Richards
John Golden Richards
Position: FL-SE
Ht/Wt: 6-1, 178 lbs
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
Born: December 31, 1950 in Salt Lake City, Utah
Died: February 23, 2024 (73-054)
High School: Granite HS
Transfer Out: Hawaii
Draft: Dallas Cowboys in Round 2 of the 1973 NFL Draft
Relatives: Brother Sterling Richards
Years at BYU: 1970-71
1x All-WAC
22
83
Rushing
| Season | School | Att | Yd | Yd/Att | TD | Lng |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | BYU | 6 | 20 | 3.3 | 0 | 8 |
| 1972 | Hawaii | 5 | 10 | 2.0 | 0 | |
| Hawaii | 5 | 10 | 2.0 | 0 | ||
| BYU | 6 | 20 | 3.3 | 0 | 8 |
Receiving
| Season | School | Rec | Yd | Avg | TD | Lng |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | BYU | 37 | 512 | 13.8 | 1 | 0 |
| 1971 | BYU | 14 | 287 | 20.5 | 1 | 22 |
| 1972 | Hawaii | 23 | 414 | 18.0 | 5 | |
| Hawaii | 23 | 414 | 18.0 | 5 | ||
| BYU | 51 | 799 | 15.7 | 2 | 22 |
Kick Returns
| Season | School | No | Yd | Avg | TD | Lng |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | BYU | 4 | 78 | 19.5 | 0 | 31 |
| 1971 | BYU | 20 | 389 | 19.5 | 0 | 41 |
| 1972 | Hawaii | 9 | 192 | 21.3 | 0 | |
| Hawaii | 9 | 192 | 21.3 | 0 | ||
| BYU | 24 | 467 | 19.5 | 0 | 41 |
Punt Returns
| Season | School | No | Yd | Avg | TD | Lng |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | BYU | 2 | -5 | -2.5 | 0 | |
| 1971 | BYU | 30 | 601 | 20.0 | 4 | 87 |
| 1972 | Hawaii | 13 | 78 | 6.0 | 0 | |
| Hawaii | 13 | 78 | 6.0 | 0 | ||
| BYU | 32 | 596 | 18.6 | 4 | 87 |
Defense
| Season | Tackles | Pass Defense | Fumbles | Blk | Sfty | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tot | Solo | Ast | Sk | TFL | PD | INT | Yds | TD | FF | FR | TD | |||
| 1971 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | 6 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Scoring
| Season | Touchdowns | PAT | FGM | Sfty | Pts | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rush | Rec | Kick | Punt | Fumb | Int | Oth | Total | 2PM | XPM | ||||
| 1970 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 1971 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 |
| Career | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 |
Participation
| Season | School | Class | No | Pos | Games | Starts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | BYU | SO | 22 | SE | 9 | 0 |
| 1971 | BYU | JR | 22 | FL | 10 | 0 |
| 1972 | Hawaii | SR | 83 | WR | 0 | 0 |
| Hawaii | 0 | 0 | ||||
| BYU | 19 | 0 |
Roster History
| Season | Class | No | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | SO | 22 | SE |
| 1971 | JR | 22 | FL |
Rushing
| Date | Site | Opponent | Result | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 1971 | A | WYO | W 35-17 | 4 | 11 | 2.8 | 8 |
| Oct 23, 1971 | A | TLSA | W 25-7 | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 6 |
| Nov 20, 1971 | H | UTAH | L 15-17 | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 3 |
Receiving
| Date | Site | Opponent | Result | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Lng |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 1970 | A | WMU | L 17-35 | 2 | 32 | 16.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 26, 1970 | H | UTEP | L 0-17 | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 3, 1970 | A | SDSU | L 11-31 | 3 | 31 | 10.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 10, 1970 | A | ARIZ | L 17-24 | 6 | 114 | 19.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 17, 1970 | H | ASU | L 3-27 | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 24, 1970 | H | USU | W 27-20 | 5 | 57 | 11.4 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 31, 1970 | H | WYO | W 23-3 | 3 | 99 | 33.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 7, 1970 | A | CSU | L 9-26 | 3 | 23 | 7.7 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 14, 1970 | A | UNM | L 8-51 | 11 | 119 | 10.8 | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 18, 1971 | H | CSU | W 54-14 | 1 | 22 | 22.0 | 0 | 22 |
| Oct 1, 1971 | H | UNM | L 0-14 | 2 | 24 | 12.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 9, 1971 | A | USU | L 7-29 | 2 | 41 | 20.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 30, 1971 | A | UTEP | W 16-0 | 2 | 18 | 9.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 6, 1971 | A | ASU | L 13-38 | 4 | 94 | 23.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 13, 1971 | H | ARIZ | L 14-27 | 3 | 88 | 29.3 | 1 | 0 |
Kick Returns
| Date | Site | Opponent | Result | No | Yds | Avg | Lng |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 1970 | A | WMU | L 17-35 | 1 | 16 | 16.0 | 16 |
| Oct 3, 1970 | A | SDSU | L 11-31 | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 9 |
| Oct 10, 1970 | A | ARIZ | L 17-24 | 1 | 31 | 31.0 | 31 |
| Oct 17, 1970 | H | ASU | L 3-27 | 1 | 22 | 22.0 | 22 |
| Sep 10, 1971 | A | UNT | W 41-13 | 2 | 28 | 14.0 | |
| Oct 9, 1971 | A | USU | L 7-29 | 3 | 55 | 18.3 | |
| Oct 16, 1971 | A | WYO | W 35-17 | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 13 |
| Oct 23, 1971 | A | TLSA | W 25-7 | 2 | 29 | 14.5 | |
| Oct 30, 1971 | A | UTEP | W 16-0 | 1 | 41 | 41.0 | 41 |
| Nov 6, 1971 | A | ASU | L 13-38 | 5 | 98 | 19.6 | |
| Nov 13, 1971 | H | ARIZ | L 14-27 | 3 | 48 | 16.0 | |
| Nov 20, 1971 | H | UTAH | L 15-17 | 3 | 77 | 25.7 |
Punt Returns
| Date | Site | Opponent | Result | No | Yds | Avg | TD | Lng |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 1970 | A | WMU | L 17-35 | 2 | -5 | -2.5 | 0 | |
| Sep 10, 1971 | A | UNT | W 41-13 | 5 | 219 | 43.8 | 2 | 87 |
| Sep 18, 1971 | H | CSU | W 54-14 | 3 | 86 | 28.7 | 1 | 58 |
| Oct 9, 1971 | A | USU | L 7-29 | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 | 8 |
| Oct 16, 1971 | A | WYO | W 35-17 | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | 0 | |
| Oct 23, 1971 | A | TLSA | W 25-7 | 2 | 31 | 15.5 | 0 | |
| Oct 30, 1971 | A | UTEP | W 16-0 | 4 | 65 | 16.3 | 0 | |
| Nov 6, 1971 | A | ASU | L 13-38 | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 0 | 11 |
| Nov 13, 1971 | H | ARIZ | L 14-27 | 7 | 51 | 7.3 | 0 | |
| Nov 20, 1971 | H | UTAH | L 15-17 | 5 | 126 | 25.2 | 1 | 73 |
Defense
| Date | Site | Opponent | Result | Tkl | PBU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 18, 1971 | H | CSU | W 54-14 | 1 | 0 |
| Oct 9, 1971 | A | USU | L 7-29 | 1 | 0 |
| Oct 16, 1971 | A | WYO | W 35-17 | 4 | 1 |
| Nov 20, 1971 | H | UTAH | L 15-17 | 1 | 2 |
Participation
| Date | Site | Opponent | Result | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 1970 | A | WMU | L 17-35 | 0 |
| Sep 26, 1970 | H | UTEP | L 0-17 | 0 |
| Oct 3, 1970 | A | SDSU | L 11-31 | 0 |
| Oct 10, 1970 | A | ARIZ | L 17-24 | 0 |
| Oct 17, 1970 | H | ASU | L 3-27 | 0 |
| Oct 24, 1970 | H | USU | W 27-20 | 0 |
| Oct 31, 1970 | H | WYO | W 23-3 | 0 |
| Nov 7, 1970 | A | CSU | L 9-26 | 0 |
| Nov 14, 1970 | A | UNM | L 8-51 | 0 |
| Sep 10, 1971 | A | UNT | W 41-13 | 0 |
| Sep 18, 1971 | H | CSU | W 54-14 | 0 |
| Oct 1, 1971 | H | UNM | L 0-14 | 0 |
| Oct 9, 1971 | A | USU | L 7-29 | 0 |
| Oct 16, 1971 | A | WYO | W 35-17 | 0 |
| Oct 23, 1971 | A | TLSA | W 25-7 | 0 |
| Oct 30, 1971 | A | UTEP | W 16-0 | 0 |
| Nov 6, 1971 | A | ASU | L 13-38 | 0 |
| Nov 13, 1971 | H | ARIZ | L 14-27 | 0 |
| Nov 20, 1971 | H | UTAH | L 15-17 | 0 |
Rushing
| Season | Team | Lg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 |
| 1974 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 2 | -2 | -1.0 | 0 |
| 1975 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 0 |
| NFL | 5 | 15 | 3.0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Season | Team | Lg | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 6 | 91 | 15.2 | 1 |
| 1974 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 26 | 467 | 18.0 | 5 |
| 1975 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 21 | 451 | 21.5 | 4 |
| 1976 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 19 | 414 | 21.8 | 3 |
| 1977 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 17 | 225 | 13.2 | 3 |
| 1978 | Chicago Bears | NFL | 27 | 379 | 14.0 | 0 |
| 1978 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 |
| 1979 | Chicago Bears | NFL | 5 | 107 | 21.4 | 1 |
| NFL | 122 | 2136 | 17.5 | 17 |
Kick Returns
| Season | Team | Lg | No | Yds | Avg | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 3 | 44 | 14.7 | 0 |
| NFL | 3 | 44 | 14.7 | 0 |
Punt Returns
| Season | Team | Lg | No | Yds | Avg | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 21 | 139 | 6.6 | 0 |
| 1974 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 13 | 74 | 5.7 | 0 |
| 1975 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 28 | 288 | 10.3 | 1 |
| NFL | 62 | 501 | 8.1 | 1 |
Participation
| Season | Team | Lg | G | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 12 | 0 |
| 1974 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 14 | 13 |
| 1975 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 14 | 13 |
| 1976 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 11 | 9 |
| 1977 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 14 | 13 |
| 1978 | Chicago Bears | NFL | 15 | 14 |
| 1978 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 1 | 0 |
| 1979 | Chicago Bears | NFL | 5 | 5 |
| NFL | 86 | 67 |
Receiving
| Season | Team | Lg | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 4 | 66 | 16.5 | 1 |
| 1977 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 5 | 84 | 16.8 | 2 |
| NFL | 9 | 150 | 16.7 | 3 |
Punt Returns
| Season | Team | Lg | No | Yds | Avg | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 3 | 66 | 22.0 | 1 |
| 1975 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 6 | 35 | 5.8 | 0 |
| NFL | 9 | 101 | 11.2 | 1 |
Participation
| Season | Team | Lg | G | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 2 | 0 |
| 1975 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 3 | 3 |
| 1976 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 1 | 1 |
| 1977 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | 3 | 1 |
| NFL | 9 | 5 |
| Date | Team | League | Transaction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 5, 1973 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | Signed contract |
| Sep 6, 1978 | Chicago Bears | NFL | Traded from DAL to CHI |
| Apr 21, 1980 | Chicago Bears | NFL | Released |
| May 8, 1980 | Denver Broncos | NFL | Signed contract |
| Aug 19, 1980 | Denver Broncos | NFL | Placed on injured reserve |
| Season | Award |
|---|---|
| 1971 | 1st Team All-WAC Returner |
- 1971 - Missed Kansas State game due to sprained ankle.