USA TODAY International Edition
Sherman easily most compelling voice at LIV
MIAMI – Richard Sherman, the Muhammad Ali of Super Bowl LIV, was at a loss for words.
How weird is that?
The loquacious 49ers’ cornerback always has a thought, opinion, retort, reply, instinct or handy harangue regarding just about anything. That’s why the cameras and notebooks are usually in heavy supply for Sherman, whose skill as a crafty defender is accentuated by his proficiency as one of the NFL’s deepest thinkers.
Yet there was Sherman the other night, pretty much stumped by a lob of a question.
Someone asked him to, in the spirit of Ali, declare a marquee name for the looming matchup against the Chiefs. If Ali could come up with “The Thrilla in Manila” and “The Rumble in the Jungle,” then surely Sherman can serve up a signature rhyme.
“That’s a great question,” Sherman said. “Ah, man!”
Of all people, Sherman was stuck as he pondered a snappy comeback line.
Finally, the ninth- year veteran gave himself a break. He said, “Give me until the end of this interview and I’ll have something.”
No matter.
Sherman, 31, a thoughtful man brimming with confidence while carrying a strong entertainment gene, offered so much more – as expected.
I asked him about Jim Harbaugh, his former coach at Stanford who made him switch positions ( Sherman went to Stanford as a receiver) and generally tried to break him. When Sherman starred with the Seahawks as the face of the Legion of Boom, he had a special incentive for beating the 49ers.
“I wanted to put him out of the league,” Sherman said.
Funny that Harbaugh, who previously coached the 49ers, has had some rough sledding at Michigan while Sherman – who went to two Super Bowls with the Seahawks – has had a remarkable comeback that ranks as one of the reasons that San Francisco is playing for the NFL crown.
“They may put me in the dictionary next to ‘ irony’ at some point after this story is written,” said Sherman, who entered the NFL in 2011 as a fifth- round pick. “At the end of the day, I’m a football player. I’m here to help my team win. Whether it’s the San Francisco 49ers, or whoever I’m playing with. Jed ( York, 49ers CEO) had a funny story about when I was coming out because they had a higher draft grade on me than most teams, and Harbaugh came and took me off the draft board, and he was really upset about that.”
The “best” of Sherman at one of these Super Bowl media sessions is typically full of wisdom, humor, pointed messages, often wrapped in irreverence. A sampling:
❚ On whether he took satisfaction that the Seahawks – the team that dumped him as he rehabbed from a torn Achilles tendon – lost in the NFC divisional playoffs, which thwarted a possible NFC title game rematch against the 49ers: “My petty factor is pretty up there, but I honestly didn’t feel it in that game.”
❚ On 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s grueling pregame ritual of running the stadium stairs: “It’s unique. Him running up and down those stairs before the game and still having enough energy to scream and run and all the stuff that he does, I’m not sure how he does it, but I’m pretty sure he takes some kind of energy shot.”
❚ On the media’s coverage of the apparent conflict between the NFL’s pledge for player safety and desire for a 17- game regular season: “You guys are just playing puppets to the system. You can’t be a proponent for player safety and want 17 games. ( The NFL) wants guys to risk their lives … put it on the line for one more game. Now player safety has a number on it. ‘ We ( the NFL) only care about player safety up until this dollar amount.’ ”
Sherman’s sentiments about an issue that continues to percolate during labor talks between owners and players carry some serious weight, especially given that he’s on the executive board for the NFL players association.
❚ On the limited opportunities for African Americans to land head coaching jobs in the NFL: “They’re the ‘ majority’ ( of players) in our league. For them not to get jobs is kind of odd, because ‘ minorities’ in our league are getting jobs. … Majority of white coaches, majority of black players. It’s odd, and I think it needs to be addressed.”
❚ On the message he sent in negotiating his three- year, $ 39 million free agent contract with the 49ers in 2018 without using an agent: “I want it to wake players up and have them take more control, more accountability for their future. … If you’re letting people negotiate your contract without you having any ( knowledge), then you’re letting people manage your money … run your life without any ( knowledge). It just doesn’t really make for a constructive lifestyle.”
❚ On the biggest message to convey to younger teammates about playing in the Super Bowl: “This is a football game. The rules are the same. Obviously, there are a lot more cameras, a lot more media, a lot more attention on the game, but at the end of the day you look at the field and there’s 22 people going at it. The field is the same width and length. You’ve got to execute the same way.”
❚ On the impact that his friend Kobe Bryant had on him: “There’s a certain mentality you have to have when you just won’t take no for an answer. He showed me that there is mind over matter.”
Sherman seems to almost always have an answer except, it seems, when asked to put a title on LIV. Agree with him or not, he makes you think … or sometimes laugh along with him. The Super Bowl stage was made for Sherman, and there’s little doubt that he is hellbent on seizing the moment.