Richard Sherman Still Talking, Taunting This Morning
Richard Sherman was at it again this morning, the day after he helped the Seattle Seahawks win the NFC Championships and celebrated by ranting in a TV interview about an opposing player.
"Don't you ever talk about me!" Sherman told Fox Sports' Erin Andrews Sunday night. "Crabtree! Don't you open your mouth about the best, or I'm gonna shut it for you real quick."
Sherman wrote an op-ed for Sports Illustrated this morning in which he explained the beef with San Francisco 49ers player Michael Crabtree, calling him a "subpar" player who had said something offensive to Sherman off the field this past summer. Sherman's gained a reputation as an outspoken and articulate player.
"Erin Andrews interviewed me after the game and I yelled what was obvious: If you put a subpar player across from a great one, most of the time you're going to get one result," Sherman wrote. "It was loud, it was in the moment, and it was just a small part of the person I am."
So what's the deal with Richard Sherman? Here's what you don't know about the Stanford grad and Superbowl-bound cornerback.
Age: 25
Education: Sherman got straight A's and took Advanced Placement classes at Dominguez High School in Compton, Calif., and chose to accept a football scholarship at Stanford University in part because of its academic reputation, according to a profile by the San Jose Mercury News.
College: At Stanford, Sherman played for Jim Harbaugh, who would later coach his rival team the San Francisco 49ers. He graduated in 2010 with a degree in Communications.
NFL Draft: Sherman was the 154th overall pick and was chosen by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round. He was the 24th cornerback drafted.
On His Superbowl Opponents: Sherman penned an article called "The NFL's Smartest QB's" for Sports Illustrated in which he praised Denver Broncos' quarterback Peyton Manning as the smartest QB in the game. Of course, he also got a few digs in.
"When we played Peyton in the preseason, I found a new appreciation for the way he makes adjustments at the line of scrimmage; he controls the protections, and if he sees the blitz coming he slides it. The thing that sets him apart is that he'll change it to a run play if you don't have enough players in the box, and they'll get five or six yards because you're not ready for it. Nobody else has both the authority to do that within their offense and the understanding to know when it's appropriate.
His arm, however, is another story. His passes will be accurate and on time, but he throws ducks.
Notable Feuds: Sherman's not afraid of running his mouth about opponents, coaches, or commentators. Here are some of his most famous squabbles.
1) Twitter Fight with Darrelle Revis:
@Revis24 don't need ya name… Ur name will be irrelevant once u step back on the field bruh. Get ya picks up!
- Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) February 20, 2013
2) Taunting New England Patriots QB Tom Brady: In October 2012, after the Seahawks beat the Patriots, Sherman tweeted a photo of Brady and him from the game with the caption "U Mad Bro?"
3) Burning Bridges with Former Coaches: Also in October 2012, Sherman spoke called his former Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh a "bully." The comment launched a war of words between the pair.
4) On-Camera Fight with ESPN First Take's Skip Bayless (quotes collected by USA TODAY): Sherman and Bayless began arguing on air on ESPN's First Take, and Sherman launched into a take-down.
"Whenever you refer to me, whenever you speak to me, whenever you address me, address me as All-Pro Stanford graduate because those are some accomplishments you will aspire to but never accomplish. You have never accomplished anything…I think you think more of yourself than you can prove…In my 24 years of life, I'm better at life than you…I'm intelligent enough and capable enough to understand that you are ignorant, pompous, egotistical, cretin. I'm going to crush you on here because I'm tired of hearing about it."
5) Threatening the NFL Over Possible Suspension After Positive Test for Banned Substance: Sherman had his suspension overturned when he proved there was a problem with how the league took his urine sample, but not before he threatened to sue them.
"I can't get back playing regardless. I can just sue the league, and that's probably what I'm going to do if they suspend me,'" Sherman said.