Aug. 11, 2011
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- An NFL Stadium. Wearing the silver and blue of the three-time World Champions.
A legendary coach on the sideline. A future Hall of Fame quarterback there beside the legend.
The opener. The bright lights. The big time.
The end zone.
Twice.
In front of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, former Fayetteville State running back Richard Medlin made his NFL debut on Thursday night with the New England Patriots, scoring twice as the Pats downed the Jacksonville Jaguars 47-12 in the preseason opener for both teams.
Medlin, the 2008 CIAA Special Teams Player of the Year and the 2011 Fayetteville State Male Athlete of the Year, finished the game with 14 rushes for 54 yards, the second-most in both categories on the evening. (Fellow rookie Stevan Ridley, whom the Pats drafted out of LSU in the third round in April, led the team with 64 yards on 16 carries.)
Despite being one of several backs in the Patriots' camp, Medlin played much of the fourth quarter, capping scoring drives twice in the period. His first NFL touchdown came on his first NFL carry with 10:23 to go in the game, finishing a 12-play, 80-yard drive.
Medlin got a lot of work after that. On the Patriots' next possession, he ran the ball on six straight plays, making up all of the 31 yards on the series before scoring again for 2 yards out with 7:39 to go. Medlin set up the touchdown after a career-long rush of 17 yards on third-and-3 from the Jacksonville 24.
On the next drive, Medlin was again the focal point of a Patriots' offense looking to run down the clock. The former Bronco rushed seven more times consecutively before the 2-minute warning, after which rookie quarterback and third-round selection Ryan Mallett took a knee to close out the game.
Medlin signed a nondrafted free agent contract with the Patriots a couple of days after the NFL lockout was lifted. New England plays again on Aug. 18 at Tampa Bay.
Medlin was a constant for the Broncos during his career. A dynamic kickoff and punt returner, Medlin was the Broncos' leading kick returner in 2010 while being the featured back in the offense. In 2008, Medlin was brilliant, returning three kicks for touchdowns and amassing 500 yards on 12 kick returns for an incredible average of 41.7 yards per return. Medlin's long return that season was for 89 yards.
But Medlin was capable and durable runner as well. He led the Broncos in rushing in 2010 with 772 yards on a 5.4 average per carry, scoring five touchdowns. He was also second on the team in total receptions, most of them coming out of the backfield, with 26.
Medlin was a key cog in a Broncos' offense that helped Fayetteville State earn its third CIAA championship in 2009. Medlin rushed for 667 yards and a team-high 10 touchdowns.
