Begins his second season in the AFL...Is expected to move up the depth chart at the center position...A highly decorated offensive lineman at Texas Tech University...No other player accumulated more career starts (40) on the line...Signed as a free agent on November 30, 2004.
2005: Played in 3 games as a backup center in his rookie season...Added an assisted tackle on defense...Started the campaign on IR missing the first 7 contests...Appeared in his 1st career AFL game as backup center and posted no stats (at Las Vegas 3/28)...Saw action in his 2nd career game as backup center and on the DL with no stats (at Chicago 4/10)...Returned to IR missing the next 6 games...Played the season finale on both sides of the ball registering his 1st career assisted tackle (vs Georgia 5/21). POSTSEASON: Credited with a solo tackle in 1st career playoff game (at Colorado 5/29).
OTHER PRO EXPERIENCE: Signed by the Indianapolis Colts to their practice squad on September 29, 2003.
COLLEGE: Played four seasons (1999-02) at Texas Tech University...Started more career games (40) than any offensive lineman in school history...Named to the All-Big 12 first team by the Dallas Morning News and Kansas City Star his senior year...Second-team All-Big 12 his junior year...Anchored a line that enabled Kliff Kingsbury to establish himself as a top quarterback...Did not commit a penalty or allow a sack his senior year...Started in the 2002 Tangerine Bowl, a 55-15 Red Raider win over Clemson...Started 11 games in each of his last three seasons...Made 7 stars in 1999 becoming the first true freshman to start under head coach Spike Dykes.
PERSONAL: Born Rex Richards on October 17, 1980 in Midland, Texas...Attended Lee High School in Midland helping team to Class 5A Division II state championship with 15-1 record earning first-team all-state honors...Team finished 10th in USA Today final national rankings...A SuperPrep top 50 southwest selection...A top 60 recruit in Texas by National Recruiting Center...Holds a purple belt in the martial art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu...Competed in the Fight World 3 competition winning his match in a mere 57 seconds...Was victorious in his first professional MMA Cage Fight winning in the Renegades Extreme Fighting competition in a first round knockout with knee strikes...Was a student assistant at Texas Tech last season...He and his wife Jenifer live in Lubbock.
