One week after silencing Rey Maualuga and the Cincinnati Bengals, Trent Richardson is about to face another critic who's been slow to climb aboard his band wagon.
The Cleveland Browns running back will meet with Hall of Fame legend Jim Brown before Sunday's home date with the Buffalo Bills.
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Brown generated controversy by calling Richardson an "ordinary back" after the Browns made him the No. 3 overall draft pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
"Just to meet (Brown) is an honor," Richardson told The Plain Dealer. "He's always been an icon. He's always been somebody that you want to have a season like, a career like. To meet him and be on the same field means a lot."
When Richardson visited NFL Network this summer, he told me his goal was to be the best running back in team history.
He's been watching highlights of Jim Brown since high school, and told the newspaper the man's presence Sunday makes a difference: "Just going into the game and knowing he's going to be there now, it raises the stakes up higher."
It's another step in a season of reconciliation for Jim Brown, whose salty relationship with team president Mike Holmgren has distanced him from the organization in recent years.
For so long after his playing career, Brown remained a presence at games, roaming the sideline as a reminder of what this team once stood for. It makes sense for Brown to return to the fold and it makes sense for him to pass the torch to the next in line. The past is valuable, but this team must find its hope in what comes next.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
