An ex-Chicago Bears cornerback who won a Super Bowl with the team in 1985 was busted on Wednesday in connection with a fatal shooting in Phoenix.
Police said that a day earlier, Michael Richardson shot and killed 47-year-old Ronald Like at an intersection. The death was ruled a homicide.
The 59-year-old star was charged with second-degree murder, possession of a weapon by a prohibited person, and possession of a dangerous drug for sale.
Richardson, of Compton, California, started as a standout All-American at the Arizona University before being drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1985. He was the cornerback for the club’s strong defense and later was named a second-team All-Pro.
“I’m L.A. Mike and I play it cool, they don’t sneak by me because I’m no fool,” Richardson chanted in the Bears' “Super Bowl Shuffle” hymn.
Three years after his last NFL season, Richardson had been convicted in 1989 of drug charges and sentenced to four years in jail. In 2010, he had accumulated 21 convictions related to drug selling and possession.
