Anthony Richardson has announced he will not be using the nickname “AR-15” as part of his personal branding, saying he does not wish to be associated with mass shootings.

Richardson, Florida’s starting quarterback for the 2022 season, made the announcement via his personal website. The website’s landing page displays the following note:

After discussions with my family and much thought, I have decided to no longer use the nickname “AR-15” and the current apparel line logo, which features a scope reticle, as part of my branding. While a nickname is only a nickname and “AR-15” was simply a representation of my initials combined with my jersey number, it is important to me that my name and brand are no longer associated with the assault rifle that has been used in mass shootings, which I do not condone in any way or form. My representatives and I are currently working on rebranding, which includes the creation of a new logo and transitioning to simply using “AR” and my name, Anthony Richardson.

Richardson wore No. 2 in 2020, his first season at Florida. He changed to No. 15 for 2021 and took advantage of NIL opportunities selling merchandise using his “AR-15” nickname.

The “AR” in the AR-15 gun stands for ArmaLite Rifle for the gun’s original manufacturer, ArmaLite, Inc.