Los Alamitos' Shaquille Richardson enjoys a moment of rest at Sunday's Nike Camp. Chris Tobolski, The Register

They all wanted to impress, showcase their skills and improve their stock. All 335 participants.

That’s what the Nike Invitational Camp was about Sunday at Howard Jones Field at USC.

Los Alamitos’ Shaquille Richardson went 3-for-3, the junior defensive back grabbing attention in a big way.

Richardson received the award for “Defensive Back of the Day,” his cell phone bill likely to have more minutes on it from the list of college coaches who may come calling in the coming months.

He displayed the footwork, agility and overall athleticism that transfers to Division I programs. However, none of that is what impressed the defensive back coaches the most.

“He started off early,” said Mike Fletcher, who was one of the coaches working with the DB’s. “The kid is a natural leader. He was getting the kids fired up earlier. And he’s very coachable.

“That’s not just me saying that. The award was a consensus pick among the coaches. I purposely don’t try to learn anything about the players before I see them so I’m not biased. Shaq showed up today.”

Earning the award was no easy task, as Richardson competed with 50 of the best defensive backs in the area. Many other county players joined Richardson in hopes of expanding their reputation, including running backs Kyle Middlebrooks (Fountain Valley), Anthony Wilkerson (Tustin), Josh Quezada (La Habra), quarterback  Chase Rettig (San Clemente), and linebackers Jordan Zumwalt (Edison) and Cecil Whiteside (Newport Harbor). Offensive lineman Derek Stickney (El Dorado) and Roman Sapolu (Edison) also were some of the others who participated, but none seem to have the day Richardson did.

“At first I was nervous,” Richardson said. “I wanted to perform well. I took my first rep, then my second and I starting feeling more comfortable. You know in your head you can do it, and you have to believe you can line up against them and expect to do good.”

Richardson hasn’t had his first offer yet, but the word-of-mouth news is sure to travel quickly.

“He was phenomenal,” ESPN Rise’s Greg Biggins said. “He’s a big corner. It was a pretty good group of DB’s and in one-on-one drills he separated himself. That should help him in a loaded camp like this.”

More from the Nike Camp:

• La Habra’s Quezada all business at Nike Camp
• San Clemente’s new QB fitting in, rising up
  
• Newport Harbor’s Whiteside best of linebackers at Nike Camp
• Edison’s Zumwalt his harshest critic at Nike Camp

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