He was also one of the top high school basketball players in Canada and played at the collegiate level with St. Francis Xavier University.
He led the St. Patrick's Fighting Irish basketball team to Nova Scotia provincial titles three years in a row.
[4] On March 11, 2006, the St. Francis Xavier X-Men won the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) championship game against the Cape Breton Capers.
[8] In February 2009, Richards and two other members of the St. Francis Xavier University men's basketball team were charged with assault causing bodily harm.
[10] In the following month of March, Richards and the two other players facing charges were not allowed to play in the 2009 Subway Atlantic University Sport Final 6 Men's Basketball Championship held at the Halifax Metro Centre.
However, in the AUS championship game, they suffered a defeat to Dalhousie Tigers, all while missing their leading scorer, Tyler Richards, who was sidelined due to assault charges stemming from the incident that occurred on February 21.
The regular season began in November 2013, however, Richards faced an indefinite suspension in December 2013 due to an assault charge.
Richards was released from the Rainmen on December 27, 2013, after he was arrested and charged with drug trafficking and weapons-related offences in a separate criminal investigation.