Whether it’s Tom Brady looking for a fourth ring or Marshawn Lynch stiff-arming defenders and reporters alike, Sunday’s Super Bowl XLIX has no shortage of story lines or polarizing figures.
Yet among all the world-class athletes suiting up in Arizona, outspoken Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman might be the most intriguing personality.
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A kid from Compton, Calif., who excelled on the field and in the classroom before beginning his career at Stanford as a wide receiver, Sherman has played his way to three All-Pro teams in four seasons and talked his way into countless controversial headlines. He had a celebrated run-in with Brady in 2012, followed by his infamous post-NFC Championship game outburst last season.
He is one of the faces of the NFL — and he knows it.
According to Sherman, he’s had his personal brand of bravado since his second practice as a cornerback at Stanford.
“You can’t expect yourself to be the best and achieve your dreams if you don’t believe you’re going to be there, if you don’t believe that you have that kind of ability,” he said. “I think if you really went inside the heads of 99 percent of the corners in this league, they believe they’re the best in this game. It’s not arrogance, it’s just a necessity.”
As for Sherman’s teammates, they love what he brings to the locker room.
“Sherman’s awesome, man,” Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril said. “Before I got here, obviously the media can portray some guys to be a certain way, but Sherman is an awesome teammate. Extremely smart, everything he does is calculated. Me and him, we talk trash to each other every day, but that’s the kind of friendship we have and it’s awesome. He’s a heck of a cornerback and he backs it up every day.”
After the Seahawks defeated Peyton Manning's Broncos in last year’s Super Bowl, Sherman has to face another future Hall of Fame QB in Brady. And if last year’s 43-8 drubbing of the Broncos is any indicator, the Seahawks and their "Legion of Boom" secondary, highlighted by Sherman, should be able to corral Brady and his weapons. Expect Seattle to take that belief into Sunday night.
“We’re a confident bunch. We believe in what we do. We believe in our system. We believe in our mentality, our philosophy, and we expect to go out there and execute,” Sherman said. “Whether that’s enough to win the game or not is to be seen. But you have to be confident in these games. I’m sure they are confident and believe they are going to win the game as well. I think in order to make it this far in the NFL and make it to the final game, you have to always believe you’re going to win.”