Trent Richardson is still a good football player. And now he’s a good professional one.
The former Heisman Trophy winner scored the game-winning touchdown in Birmingham’s 12-6 victory over the Salt Lake Stallions on Saturday.
After flaming out as the No. 3 pick of the 2012 NFL Draft, Richardson looked right at home at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala., only about an hour from where Richardson starred for the Crimson Tide. He led the Iron in rushing and receiving — he had 91 total yards — while helping the Iron rally back from a 9-0 halftime deficit. His two-yard touchdown run with 4:48 remaining in the fourth quarter gave Birmingham its first lead of the game.
Richardson, of course, is one of the most recognizable names in the Alliance of American Football, and through two weeks he’s played like it. In last week’s season opener, Richardson scored two touchdowns.
Shaheed Salmon put the Iron on the board when he recovered a fumbled punt in the end zone in the third quarter. Luis Perez completed 24 of 38 passes for 184 yards.
Salt Lake running back Joel Bouagnon ran for a game-high 70 yards and scored the game’s first touchdown with a 3-yard run in the second quarter. Stallions QB Austin Allen went 15 of 31 for 115 yards. Salt Lake held the Iron to just 216 total yards of offense yet had just 256 themselves, while also committing two turnovers and missing two field goals.
The Iron improved to 2-0 on the season, while the Stallions fell to 0-2.
In the AAF nightcap, the Arizona Hotshots rallied from a 12-0 halftime deficit to defeat the Memphis Express 20-18.
Former Texas Tech star Justin Stockton exploded for a 45-yard touchdown run for the Hotshots, who improved to 2-0 with the win at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis.
Former Rams running back Zac Stacy rushed for 101 yards while quarterback Christian Hackenberg passed for 102 yards for the Express, who fell to 0-2.