The Galloping Ghost of Unaka: The Legend of Kim Richardson
Published 11:00 am Thursday, August 8, 2024
One of Kim Richardson’s teams had only 17 players, requiring them to play both ways.
Eddie Joe Eggers holds the ball with Tom Houghton behind him, Kim Richardson at tailback, and Roger Shaw out by himself.
Pictured left to right: Coach Bill Hyatt, Kim Richardson, and Estel Williams.
Kim Richardson was part of the 2016 Carter County Sports Hall of Fame class.
Kim Richardson (22) is affectionately known as the "Galloping Ghost of Unaka."
In three seasons, Kim Richardson (22) amassed a career rushing total of 3,807 yards.
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By C.Y. Peters
In the archives of Unaka High School sports history, few names evoke as much reverence and admiration as Kim Richardson, affectionately known as the “Galloping Ghost of Unaka,” a reference to the immortal Red Grange. Richardson’s illustrious high school football career from the 1970 through 1973 seasons remains a touchstone of athletic excellence, marked by record-breaking performances and unforgettable moments on the field.
One of the most legendary feats attributed to Richardson is his remarkable 98-yard kickoff return on a mud-soaked Goddard Field against Johnson County during his junior season. This extraordinary play, which may still stand as a record in Unaka sports, is emblematic of Richardson’s speed and agility. It wasn’t just the distance that amazed spectators but the fluidity and grace with which Richardson weaved through the opposition. This play, in a rare win over one of the bigger conference schools, contributed to his status as a local legend, but it was merely one highlight in a career filled with stellar performances.
Over three seasons, Richardson amassed a career rushing total of 3,807 yards against stiff competition. “Our schedules were pretty tough,” stated Richardson. “David Crockett and Daniel Boone were Watauga Conference games; they had so many players. Those Pennington Gap (Virginia) teams beat us about as bad as they wanted to. We made a few long runs—Coach Birchfield could design some brilliant isolation-type plays—but they were what folks today call ‘next level.’ Happy Valley and Hampton were always good. I think Don Verran did an excellent job with the Warriors. He’s a first-class example of sportsmanship. And, of course, J.C. Campbell and his brilliant sidekick, Doug Phillips, kept Hampton at the top. At the end of the day, I would give us a passing grade, but we were just so often overmatched by depth and talent. That, and I helped us lose a couple of games we should have won. We lost two in overtime, and Hampton beat us 14-12.”
His expertise earned him numerous accolades, including two All-Watauga Conference recognitions and an honorable mention all-state honor. These achievements highlighted his consistency—he averaged 168 rushing yards per game during his junior and senior seasons—and his ability to perform at a high level game after game.
One of the most memorable games in his career came against Cloudland in 1973, in which Richardson rushed for 350 yards on 22 carries, scoring four touchdowns. What made this performance even more impressive was that he accomplished these feats without playing much of the second half, as Unaka had already built a commanding 45-0 lead. “They weren’t that bad, and we weren’t that good,” said Richardson. “And there was no need to keep scoring. Everything just went our way that night. We found some lanes and saw some cutbacks. It wasn’t a particularly fun game, playing against Coach Birchfield, our head coach of the previous three seasons. Honestly, I think most of us were just glad to be done with that one.”
In another standout performance against Parrottsville, Richardson rushed for 252 yards and scored another four touchdowns. Richardson added, “They weren’t a great team, but they were very physical. They loaded up and blitzed a lot, and we took some tough blows. We were really bruised and battered after that one. Of course, Tom Houghton was a tremendous fullback. He steamrolled so many first-level tacklers, which gave us a step, an angle for making the big play.”
Richardson opined on generational comparisons, “Kids and teams were beginning to emphasize weight training. I did a little of that, but my brothers, Allen, William, and ‘Red’ (late, adopted brother, Stanley Taylor) and I lifted several hay bales, tobacco stalks, and rocks, and chopped lots of wood. I’d probably get knocked around quite a lot in today’s game. Or, maybe not.”
These games were not just wins for Unaka; they were showcases of Richardson’s extraordinary talent and ability to change the course of a game. Another game that remains etched in the memory of fans and players alike was a 1972 day game against David Crockett in which Richardson scored what appeared to be the winning touchdown on the game’s final play, but one of the referees controversially ruled that he had “dragged his knee,” nullifying the score. David Crockett got the win, but years later, ex-Marine Dave Holsclaw, a star from Hampton, and ETSU, and head coach for that David Crockett team, revealed that they had reviewed the film multiple times and confirmed that Richardson had indeed scored. This revelation added another layer to Richardson’s legend, highlighting the impact of that disputed call.
“Dave and I had a little fun with that one. Of course, I never saw the film, and he certainly didn’t have to tell me, but I was glad that he ‘fessed up.” And I never stopped reminding him. He moved just up the ‘holler’ from us. He was so generous and classy, and a cherished friend. We love and miss him.”
Throughout his junior and senior seasons, Richardson averaged 168 rushing yards per game, and scored 11 touchdowns each year, winning the conference scoring title his senior season. His consistency and ability to find the end zone made him a nightmare for opposing defenses and a reliable leader for his team. Richardson’s success was not just a personal triumph but a testament to the hard work and dedication of his teammates, including standout players like Dennis Wilson, Roger Shaw, Tom Houghton, Ronnie Caldwell, Rick Collins, and Eddie Joe Eggers. On the defensive side, Estel Williams and Gary Hyder were pivotal in ensuring that Unaka remained a formidable force. “Dennis could throw the ball a mile, and with accuracy; this allowed us a bit of time to execute the running plays.”
Richardson’s single-season rushing records of 1,886 yards in his junior year and 1,650 yards his senior season still stand as benchmarks at Unaka. These records reflect his exceptional ability to perform under pressure and his unwavering commitment to his team.
After high school, Richardson followed the family lead and joined the military. “There was little choice,” he said. “Our six sisters were Marines. Also, our two aunts, Katherine (Mrs. J. Rufus Reed) and Lena (O’Lena Buckles-Proffit), were WWII-era Marines; as was their little brother, and family and local hero, cousin Hugh Buckles’ father, Lawrence Buckles, who fought throughout the ‘Island Hopping Campaign,’ and then in our next war against North Korea and several of their closest Communist friends. I haven’t adequate words for him, for our aunts; for my cousin Troy Buckles; all of them Marines. And, our late-cousin Norman Buckles, an Army vet, who suffered the psycho-emotional effects of the Vietnam Conflict.
Richardson continued, “So, yeah, I did a couple years; got to march on some of those foreign lands; studied Field Artillery/Fire Direction Control and its various means of destruction. And, while stateside for a single season I got to play more football. Good times.”
“I must fairly confess, however, that I shunned the Naval Academy. I didn’t feel that I’d be good enough; and despite all the family and recruiter’s claims to the contrary, I certainly didn’t feel smart enough. And thus, I wasn’t.”
After the two-year military stint, Richardson attended East Tennessee State University. “They’d shown enough interest before, and seemed pleased enough to have me. Besides, I’d gotten bigger, at 157, so, what could possibly go wrong? And, things went quite well, until midway through spring training when X-rays confirmed Caudal Regression Syndrome. I got away with it with little effect as a youth and young adult. But the continual contact, all that twisting, the collisions, and so on took a toll. I limped through that freshman season. And that was the end of it.”
His induction into the Carter County Sports Hall of Fame in 2016 was a fitting recognition of his contributions to Unaka sports and his lasting impact on the community. Kim Richardson’s legacy lives on, with a few of those records still intact, inspiring future generations of athletes to strive for greatness and to play with heart and integrity.
“As for the individual single season and single game statistics, I wouldn’t know. I think most of that is archived elsewhere. I do know that that word—‘record’—was never used during our time on The Hill. None of us knew. None of us cared. I was the third-string running back heading into my junior season, but the two ahead of me were injured just before opening night, and it went from there.”
“It’s human nature, I suppose, to look to the past to gauge the here and now. We looked back in awe of the great Ed Bare. Twenty-two touchdowns in a single season, for crying out loud! Roger Dale Taylor, and of course, Henry Wayne Ensor, whom Coach Goddard often alluded to his greatness were heroes. And I think Carl Ray Nidiffer actually played pro ball in Canada. Also, the Lowe brothers—Raymond, Shona, and the legendary ‘Big Dal.’ And of course, many others, remarkable players, all. We looked back, and up to them, and tried to fit the bill. There were a few disappointments, a couple heartbreakers, but we gave it a go.”
Richardson’s story is not just one of personal achievement but a celebration of the spirit of high school sports and the enduring bond between a community and its heroes.
