Tony Richardson, Legend
Tony Richardson, New York Jets Legend, embodies each tenet of the NFL's Salute to Service campaign to honor, empower and connect service members, veterans, and their families. Tony HONORS the sacrifices made by his father, Ben Richardson, a US Army Sergeant Major, Vietnam Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient and Drill Sergeant, and his sister, Shon Richardson, who served as a Master Sergeant for 28 years with 4 deployments, by volunteering his time consistently to support and meet with military personnel. During Fleet Week, Tony has coached military Flag Football Teams and flown out to a Navy Ship to spend the night on board, have dinner, interact with the soldiers, and hold "football chalk talks." Tony has also packed meals with AmeriCorps on September 11 alongside Roger Goodell and other NFL staff. Tony has served in the Honorary Commander Program, whose goal is to CONNECT the local community with the armed services, expose the community to their missions, promote public awareness of the missions, policies, and programs of the United States Air Force, and foster an understanding of the Department of Defense. Through this program, Tony was paired with US Army 2nd Brigade ROTC at the Joint Base McGuire Dix in Lakehurst, New Jersey. The intent is to create one-on-one opportunities to inform and educate local community leaders about the missions of the installation and the United States Military. Tony has partnered with the USO and toured Okinawa to EMPOWER service members who are deployed. Additionally, Tony has worked with MVP: Merging Combat Veterans and Athletes, which empowers combat veterans and former professional athletes by connecting them after the uniform comes off, providing them with a new team to assist with transition, promote personal development, and show them they are never alone.