Richard Sherman - don’t you open your mouth about his headband, cause it’s the best

Richard Sherman- possibly known as the cornerstone of the “Legion of Boom” Seahawks defense of 2013 through 2016. Now, Richard Sherman is beginning a resurgence in his career, helping the San Francisco 49ers to return to the Super Bowl after five years of mediocrity and frustration, and returning to being a shut-down corner in San Francisco.

Richard Sherman is a loud, energetic, fun character who hails from Compton, California. His father worked as a trash truck driver when he was young, and as of 2016, still drove trash trucks, despite his son being in the NBL. Richard Sherman had immense talent and was taught by his parents to be a hard worker. Richard Sherman showed his hard work when he was able to graduate from High School as salutatorian in his class, earning a 4.2 GPA at Dominguez High School. Sherman received multiple college offer letters from prestigious schools, but chose to attend Stanford University, where he became one out of few students in the program’s history that received scholarship money for both his athletic and academic ability.

At Stanford, Sherman quickly earned a reputation for his hard-working nature and became a great wide receiver his first two seasons there. He caught 84 passes, for 1,340 yards and 7 touchdowns, and he led the team in receiving yards. Unfortunately, the team would go a miserable 1-11 and 4-8 during those two years. Sherman would suffer a season ending knee injury in his Junior year of college, and he decided to redshirt, so that he could still play his Junior and Senior year. That was when Sherman made the switch to defense. Sherman played cornerback, and this separated him from average players, and made him an all-pro player. During his Junior and Senior years, Sherman made 113 tackles, 23 pass breakups, and 6 interceptions, and the team posted a program best 12-1 record. He appeared in the 2011 NFL Combine, but scouts were unimpressed. They believed that although Sherman was athletic and possessed impressive football IQ, he didn’t stand out in any other way compared to other cornerbacks in that draft class. He ended up being drafted in the 5th round with the 154th pick in the 2011 Draft by the Seattle Seahawks, the 25th cornerback to be selected. Richard Sherman immediately began making an impact on the team.

In his rookie year, Sherman began his journey to becoming a household name. He recorded 55 tackles, 14 pass deflections, 4 interceptions, and one forced fumble. Sherman. He was selected to the all-rookie team, and only improved from there.

In 2012, he ended up with 64 tackles, 24 pass deflections, 8 interceptions, and a touchdown. He showed so much potential and showed incredible talent and a very strong work ethic on the playing field. In 2013, he continued to improve and develop, and even led the team to the playoffs. Unfortunately, the team would lose in the first round.

2014 may be the most memorable year in Richard Sherman’s NFL career thus far. In 2014, Richard Sherman became known as a lockdown cornerback, and was able to lead Seattle very far in the playoffs. He was also named a pro-bowler and was considered by many NFL analysts to be the best cornerback in football during that season. During the NFC Championship against the San Francisco 49ers, the team’s archrivals, Richard Sherman was able to break up a pass intended for Michael Crabtree late in the game, a play that would help to send the Seahawks to the Super Bowl. After the game, Richard Sherman went viral, and was seen after the game ranting about being “The best corner in the game," and saying, “Don’t you ever open your mouth about me!” The Seahawks advanced to the Super Bowl and defeated the Denver Broncos in blowout fashion, 43 to 8. Sherman brought the first ever Lombardi trophy to Seattle, and the defense that he led has since been called the “Legion of Boom” defense.

Richard Sherman regressed for the next couple of years, but recently had a renaissance in his career. He signed with the San Francisco 49ers back in 2018, and many people believed that he would just be a second or third cornerback, and that he would continue to drop. But he didn’t. Richard Sherman returned to shutting down opposing wide receivers and became known as one of the top cornerbacks in the league once again. He helped to lead San Francisco to the Super Bowl, and although they lost to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 54, they will continue to be a threat in the NFL for years to come.

Richard Sherman, the talented, talkative personality from Compton, has surely made his mark on football’s history. The headband wearing, fun to watch cornerback will always be remembered as one of the greatest athletes of all time to wear that beautiful green and black headband on the field every game.