San Francisco cornerback Richard Sherman, at age 31, turned in a Pro Bowl season.
He looked like the Sherman who was the key cog in Seattle’s Legion of Boom defense and added some swagger to a young 49ers defense on its way to Super Bowl LIV.
Sherman and the 49ers will have a major challenge when they face the Chiefs and their prolific passing attack Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.
“I’m going to go out there and try to play some dominating ball,” Sherman said.
The road back from his unceremonious departure from Seattle and a torn Achilles tendon was bumpy and full of challenges.
“That was the fork in the road,” Sherman said. “I could use it to flip the switch and help it re-ignite me.”
Sherman was a fifth-round pick in the 2011 draft. He played seven seasons for the Seahawks and was named to three All-Pro teams and made four Pro Bowls. He was released in March 2018.
“There is pain,” Sherman said. “There is sadness. There is hurt. But it’s how you react, how you respond to that that really defines your career and really defines who you are as a person.
“That’s what I’ve tried to do. I’ve tried to take the things that have been slights, have been pain, that have sadness, doubts, depression and I’ve poured them into my tank and used them to push my fire and fuel it even more.”
Sherman also wanted to make a statement by negotiating his own contract.
“I just wanted guys to understand what they are getting themselves into,” Sherman said. “They give the power to the agents, and they don’t even know the contracts that they are signing. They don’t know the incentives, (the media policy), they don’t know the language of the deal.
“They don’t know anything but the dollar amount and how much they are supposed to be making or what comes into a deal like what voids you deal. What makes you lose money. What allows you to make more money. I think that I wanted to just wake players up and have them take more control. Have more accountability of their future.”
Sherman eventually moved on and was solid in 2018.
In 2019, he recorded three interceptions and 11 passes defensed to go with 61 tackles. He returned to Pro Bowl status and could finally put Seattle in his rearview mirror.
“Right now, the relationship that I’m in, I’m so happy and thankful for the people I have with me,” Sherman said. “They came at me in at a time when I was really down and out. They didn’t give up on me. You know, there is something about that you can just appreciate genuinely.”
Sherman helped Seattle reach back-to-back Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl XLVIII and losing Super Bowl XLIX.
“I still love them, too, but the hurt and the scar is still there,” Sherman said. “The love I have right now, I’m really focused on the present, and that’s all my attention can take right now.
“I think that’s one of the attributes of a successful person is the ability to move forward.”
Sherman is ready for the challenge of facing the Chiefs and the fleet of speedy receivers.
“I think they are very fast,” Sherman said of the Chiefs’ receivers. “They are dynamic. They are big-time playmakers. It’s going to be very difficult to stop.”
Sherman and his secondary mates are expecting a busy day.
“Find a way to contain those big-play receivers,” Sherman said about the key to the game. “Keep it a low-scoring game and give our offense the ball.”
Sherman said Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones is the player he loves to play against.
“Julio because he’s just a tremendous talent,” Sherman said. “It’s always a dogfight because of his physical attributes. But he’s also heady and a smart player. Very crafty.
“He’s a great guy off the field. I just enjoy the challenge of it. It’s just one of the great matchups that I’ve had.”
Sherman is high on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who he said has some qualities of Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Tony Romo.
“His mobility can have a tremendous effect on the coverage,” Sherman said. “Obviously, when he gets out of the pocket, the play breaks down and becomes a second play. You have to find his receivers and hang tight because they have the whole field at their disposal. You have to be aware of that for sure.”
Sherman is enjoying the revival of his career and watching his young team turn into a title contender.
“I think guys started to understand what they were capable of,” Sherman said. “That’s the biggest part about confidence is seeing yourself doing it. Believing in yourself first and then seeing the fruits of your labor.
“Seeing it come to fruition. Once you see it come to fruition, you begin to think much bigger. You aspired to much more than since you can already see. That’s what it was. We never put a top on it, on how great we can be.”
They are a humble bunch.
“It was just a daily grind,” Sherman said. “It wasn’t like guys saying we’ve arrived. We made it. It’s daily. It was us trying to get better. Trying to perfect technique. It’s 53 guys trying to get better each day. When you have that, you’re going to get better until the end. We got better in practice today.”
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