The Story of a Rocket and a Record No More

ROD RICHARSON (LEFT) LED THE FAIR PARK INDIANS TO THE 1980 LHSAA STATE OUTDOOR TITLE

Tech Hall of Fame coach Gary Stanley remember Fair Park's "Rocket" Rod Richardson and the 1980 LHSAA State Outdoor Track and Field Championships, but it's not quite the same reason as most of the other spectators who were in LSU's Bernie Moore Stadium on that Louisiana Saturday night.

"It was my first year as head coach at Bonnabel High School," Stanley said. "It came down to the 4x400. The only way we lose the state championship is if Fair Park wins. Rod Richardson got the baton on the anchor leg in seventh place and won the damn thing."

Most, who were in attendance that day, remember what Richardson did earlier in the meet in the Class 4A 100 meters. "Rocket" lived up to the nickname as he blazed down the LSU track in a state record time of 10.20. It was the first year of fully automatic timing--or F.A.T., and it took longer than normal for the time to be posted on the scoreboard.

Saturday, Brother Martin's Easton Royal overcame a shaky start and flew past the other competitors in the Class 5A 100 meters. It did not take long for Royal's time of 10.17 to be posted and when it was there was a collective "OOoooo" from the stands.

Royal had broken Richardson's 46-year old state composite record.

"Coming out here, I knew the record was mine," Royal said. "This year has been all about redemption, so I had it on my mind today."

Near the end of he meet, Royal would put an exclamation mark on his state meet performance with a win in the 200 meters with a time of 20.84, close to Jonathan Wade's state meet composite record of 20.58.

"Finally!," Richardson posted on Facebook on Monday. "I have enjoyed holding the state record in the 100-meter dash since May of 1980. It's been a great source of pride for me and my family, but I am happy to pass the baton to Easton Royal. I wish him nothing but the best and I look forward to watching him flourish."

A GORGEOUS LOUISIANA SATURDAY NIGHT

Unlike the weather this past weekend at the state championships, the weather in Baton Rouge o May 3rd, 1980 was, according to Richardson, "gorgeous."

Everything seemed to be set up just right for the Fair Park Indians under the direction of head coach Joe Guillory, who only had four athletes on the trip. For Richardson, who was the only one of the Indians to qualify for the state meet during the previous two years, it was special to have three teammates with him.

One of those teammates, Dennis Timmons, was in the finals of the 100 meters until he jumped the gun on the first attempt to start the race.

"I heard that second gun go off and as we were walking back to the start line, I saw officials walking to Dennis' blocks and picked them up," Richardson said. "That was upsetting because I was really confident that he was going to get second in that race."

Richardson had to quickly block out the events which occurred with his teammate and his friend and focus on the task at hand. When the gun went off on the restart, the "Rocket" was go for launch.

"It was a great start," Richardson said. "The best start of my life. And then I just ran. I was thrilled with the win and the record. The previous two meets, I was runner-up. To get the W was special."

Little did Richardson know at the time that it would be recognized as the gold standard for sprinting in Louisiana for the next 46 years.

Guillory was thrilled for Richardson's win and record, but his excitement was tempered by the disqualification of Simmons and the potential negative impact on Fair Park's bid for a state championship.

"He was happy for me, but I could tell that he was also looking at the big picture," Richardson said. 

Richardson's memory of what transpired in the 4x400--the final event of the meet--isn't as exaggerated as Stanley recalls.

"I don't quite remember it like that," Richardson said when asked about his anchor leg exploits. "We weren't quite that far behind. We were a strong fifth going into the third leg, and I was like 'what's going on guys' because we had never lost a race that year. Carl Young ran a fantastic third leg."

Richardson remembered that the two teams in front of him had the two best quarter milers in Louisiana. One was McKinley's Fleming Rivite, who won the 400 meters earlier in the meet with a 47.9. The other anchor leg was from O.P. Walker and had finished as runner-up to Rivite. 

"I remember being concerned on the back stretch because they were not coming back to me," Richardson said.

Over the next 250 meters, he would reel them in to give his team.

"What a heck of a race," Richardson said.

Since 1980 only two other Caddo Parish teams have won the event. Captain Shreve (3:19.05) did it in 20212, and C.E. Byrd (3:17.25) held off Catholic High (3:17.26), who had won the event the previous four years in a row.

"I vividly remember a reporter asking me what was different about this year," Richardson said. Without hesitation I told him Carl Young, Dennis Timmons, and Kenny Hill. We were four guys who all got to high school at the same time. We put in the work every day. We had a really good core group and loved each other. It was truly a brotherhood."

THE ROCKET GOES TO COLLEGE STATION

Richardson took his speed to Texas A&M, where he became a dominant force in collegiate sprinting during the early 1980s. He won NCAA Indoor titles in the 60-yard dash in 1982 with a 6.07, and the 55-meters in 1984 with a time of 6.14. In 1985, he ran a 6.17 to finish second to Sam Grady (6.12).

Richardson helped establish Texas A&M as a national powerhouse under legendary coach Ted Nelson.

Outdoors, Richardson earned All-American honors in the 100 meters in 1983. He ran a 10.25 for fourth place at the 1983 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Houston, Texas. The following year, he ran a 10.30 at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Los Angeles and advanced to the semifinals.

In recognition of his accomplishments, Richardson was inducted into the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994.

HANGING UP THE SPIKES AND BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL CAREER

After his decorated sprinting career ended, Richardson built a successful second career in journalism, becoming a respected news media executive and mentor for young journalists.

THE 10.20 RECORD DEBATE

While he LHSAA has always recognized Richard's 10.20, that was not always the case for at least one national publication--Track & Field News magazine, which tabbed itself as "The Bible of the Sport."

When questioned, the answer given centered on how the results from that 1980 LHSAA State Championship were reported. It was turned in as a 10.2, not 10.20. Turning in a time without a hundredth of a second was standard practice where F.A.T. was not available.

If the hundreth was present, it indicated the meet was F.A.T.

Evangel's Jonathan Wade ran a 10.21 in the 2002 LHSAA State Championships. There were some, who witnessed both Richardson's 10.20 and Wade's 10.21, who believed that Richardson's time was not fully automatic and that Wade should have held the record.

Before he passed away in 2021, I asked Stewart Blue, a long-time member of the LSU Track & Field Officials Association, about the debate. Blue indicated that he was working the timing system that night in 1980 and that it was, in fact, fully automatic. 

Stanley agrees.

"It was FAT," Stanley said. 

The LHSAA has never waivered and Richardson's record has been recognized at every LHSAA State Outdoor Championships by The Voice of Track & Field in Louisiana--Mike Boyer--for the last 46 years.

Despite moving away from North Louisiana, Richardson, who now lives in Kansas City, Missouri, has been made aware of the doubters.

"Honestly, it's one of the most disappointing aspects of my career," Richardson said. "I might have understood it if I never ran that fast after that night, but I ran faster the very next year."

Royal's 100 meter performance on Saturday not only broke the record, but it ended the ownership debate over the title of fastest man in Louisiana high school history. 

PASSING THE BATON TO EASTON ROYAL

The University of Texas football commit, Royal ran fast times all year. His slowest time in the 100 meters was the week before the LHSAA State Meet when he ran a 10.47. Other times in the 100 meters this season included a 10.26, 10.20, 10.18, and a 10.24. 

Like Richardson, Royal also showed out on the anchor leg of a relay after his record breaking 100 meter race. He passed no fewer than six teams after getting the baton in the 41.32. He made quick work of it before crossing the line to give his team a time of 41.32 and a gold medal. 

Richardson saw video footage of Royal's 100 meter record-breaking race on social media. 

"I'm very proud of him," Richardson said. "I think he is a nice young man. To run that time in those conditions--a wet track--that's tough. I wish nothing but the best for him."

Contact Jerry Byrd at milesplitlaeditor@gmail.com