Bo Richter knows his football journey is unique.
Richter didn’t play the sport until his junior year at Naperville North, with the exception of some peewee football when he was little. He was a basketball and lacrosse player before his destiny changed.
“All my friends played football, and I was doing the summer workouts for football just to get in better shape, and bigger, faster, stronger never hurt for any sport,” Richter said. “You couldn’t really abandon the guys you worked out with all summer. I ended up playing and then loving it.”
Seven years later, the 6-foot-1, 248-pound Richter is an Air Force graduate and a rookie linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings. He is the seventh former Naperville North graduate to play in an NFL game, joining linebacker Dave Garnett, wide receiver Justin McCareins, running back Chris Brown, safety Glenn Earl and tight ends James O’Shaughnessy and Matt LaCosse.
Naperville North coach Sean Drendel was one of Garnett’s teammates, and the other six played for him. Drendel hasn’t forgotten Richter’s first season in the program.
“He was a little bit of a fish out of water but a tremendous athlete with hard work, determination and intelligence,” Drendel said. “It’s kind of funny. You kind of see that some kids have that ‘it’ characteristic, and we knew he had a shot.”
Richter was a late bloomer who didn’t get on the field in his first three years at Air Force. He got some playing time his fourth year and finally started in his fifth, recording 45 tackles, including 19.5 for loss and 10 sacks, along with three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries to earn All-Mountain West Conference honors.
The Vikings signed Richter as a free agent just minutes after the NFL draft ended on April 27. He made the practice squad and was elevated to the game-day roster three times in the first seven weeks, after which the Vikings had to sign him to the active roster.
Richter made his NFL debut in Week 3, when he made two tackles in the Vikings’ 34-7 win against the Houston Texans on Sept. 22. He has since appeared in four more games.
“I’m the type of guy who will set my goals high, but if you had told me a year ago that this is where I was going to be right now, I’d tell you that’s crazy,” Richter said. “But I always knew that when I did get my opportunity on the field, that I was confident in my talents that I could go perform at the highest level.”
Lining up against the Texans was a dream come true for Richter, who still approached it like he does every game.
“The stage is big in college,” he said. “Obviously, it’s to a different extent here in the NFL, but I didn’t feel the nerves any different than college. It’s just going out there and a lot of people screaming and you’re playing the game. It was definitely surreal to reflect and look back on, but when I’m out there I don’t feel extra nervous.”
Richter feels grateful when reflecting on his time at Naperville North, both on and off the field.
“Naperville North prepared me academically excellently for college, especially in a curriculum as rigorous as Air Force,” he said. “It was supposed to be super hard, and I didn’t feel like the workload was that much different than high school.
“A lot of guys end up not making it because their grades fall off or they can’t manage their time. Once I got there, I was amply prepared to be an adult about the whole situation. Coach Drendel and his staff did a great job, and the school prepared me for all that.”
Richter, who has a degree in business management, returned home to watch the Huskies beat Sandburg in the regular-season finale on Oct. 25 and had lunch with Drendel the following day.
“One of the things he said that resonated with me was you only get so many opportunities and you better be ready for those opportunities,” Drendel said. “Every opportunity he’s gotten, he’s made good on it.”
Richter is a nephew of Kent Graham, who quarterbacked Wheaton North to a state championship in 1986 and played 11 seasons in the NFL.
“He’s been a great resource for me for sure,” Richter said. “He helped me a lot when I was signing my agent during the draft prep.”
While Richter is laser-focused on getting better each day, he is also preparing for a flood of ticket requests ahead of the Vikings’ game against the Bears at Soldier Field on Nov. 24. NFL players don’t receive free tickets to road games.
“I will definitely have to pull some strings if I want to make the supply,” Richter said. “There certainly will be a lot of people coming.”
Count Drendel among those who will be cheering for Richter.
“We’re excited to see him prosper,” Drendel said. “It’s just a credit to who he is as a person and his upbringing. He’s taken advantage of the God-given ability and done a great job to make his way to the NFL.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.