Not everyone finds their path to Harding right off of the bat. Senior Davis Richardson would be the first to tell you that coming to Searcy, Arkansas, was not in his original plan. A promising high school catcher from the talent-rich area of Atlanta, Richardson’s biggest goal for as long as he could remember was to play college baseball at its highest level.
After committing to the College of Charleston out of high school, intent on fulfilling those dreams of playing DI baseball, Richardson found himself on the outside looking in, both on the field and in the classroom.
“When I was 10 years old my dream was to play DI baseball, so I jumped at the first opportunity I had out of high school when I got that offer from Charleston,” Richardson said. “And I don’t think it was a mistake. I think my time there was huge and was a big part of my personal development that God was calling me to. But it was also a source of pride, which is something I’ve always struggled with.”
While his passion for baseball was unquestioned, Richardson had another passion as well: architecture. His desire to build and create is something he said has been instilled in him for years.
“I think one of the coolest things that God gave us the opportunity to do is to create,” Richardson said. “He is the ultimate creator, and he has made us in his image and given us the ability to create beautiful things. I think that he’s given us just a fraction of that, and it’s a really cool way that we can reflect a little bit of his glory.”
But the College of Charleston was not able to provide an outlet for Richardson’s passion for architecture and his aspiration to study it. He quickly found himself stuck with a major in “preservation of historical buildings.” He was also stuck down the depth chart of catchers for the Cougars.
Frustrated by his classes and unable to see playing time in his future, Richardson decided to explore other options and was determined to make things work in both areas on the second go-round. He drew interest from Ivy League schools like the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University, as well as bigger DI schools like the University of Cincinnati, all while searching for the right blend of athletics and academics. Unbeknownst to him, another school lacking an architecture program would prove to be the perfect fit.
“For whatever reason, I just really felt like I needed to reach out to Harding,” Richardson said. “But when I realized they didn’t have architecture, I figured they were off of the list. That’s when they told me about the interior design program.”
Although initially hesitant to major in interior design, Richardson ultimately decided to swallow his pride and follow the pull he felt towards Harding.
“I think God was really trying to teach me a little bit of a lesson in humility and saying, ‘It’s not about being a DI baseball player — it’s about doing what you love and doing it in a place that’s right, with people that you care about.”
Following that call has proved to be a wise choice. Since he enrolled in the spring of 2013, Richardson has had unquestioned success behind the plate for the Bisons baseball team. A career .307 hitter with a .988 fielding percentage and 15 homeruns to his credit, he was named First Team All-Great American Conference (GAC) in 2015, as well as the 2015 GAC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Along the way, he has developed close relationships with his teammates and coaches, whom he says have made his playing experience better than it could have been anywhere else.
“I’m really glad I came to Harding and didn’t let (pride) get in the way,” Richardson said. “My teammates are family to me. It wasn’t that way in Charleston. I had some great teammates, but it wasn’t a family. (Harding) is a very special place. You hear that a lot, but it really is. The baseball team has been very special to me and something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Equally as important as his success on the diamond has been his time in the interior design program. A 4.0 student throughout college, Richardson said having a chance to further his understanding of design while also playing baseball at a place like Harding has opened his eyes to seeing God in his passion for architecture.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned (from both baseball and interior design) is attention to detail,” Richardson said. “A famous architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe had a saying that ‘God is in the details.’ I firmly believe in that — especially in architecture — because I believe that it is in those details that structures and buildings really come to life.”
Although his baseball career will come to an end this spring, Richardson’s journey towards becoming an architect will continue this fall at the University of Texas School of Architecture, where he will pursue his graduate degree over the next four years. Richardson said he is amazed when he remembers that none of it would have been possible without coming to a DII school that lacked an architecture program.
“I think some people have a really cool testimony, but it was never a drastic moment for me where God said, ‘You need to go to Harding, play baseball and study architecture,'” Richardson said. “But when I look back, one of the coolest things has been seeing how circumstances and opportunities have come about, that God has then used to mold me.”
