Richard Sherman – Student of the Game (Video)
Posted on: January 24, 2014
Image from USA Today Sports Images vis cbssports.com
A lot has been said about Richard Sherman’s outburst last week. I personally didn’t have a strong opinion about it one way or another. I obviously think he could have handled it better but I didn’t give it too much thought. Yost clearly didn’t like it too much. He was manning our twitter account that night and tweeting his displeasure. What would you expect from a former WR? haha.
But a coaching friend of mine texted me last night and said, you have to watch this video of Richard Sherman…you’ll really respect him!
The video is timely because just last week Broyles and I were talking about college football vs. the NFL. It was a conversation that we were having in the context of S&C development and programs. Broyles said that he felt like the difference between college and the NFL isn’t necessarily the athleticism of the players. In fact he said that in some cases he felt like some players seemed more explosive in college. But he said that what, in his opinion, really distinguishes players in the NFL is their attention to detail and their actual knowledge of the game.
Much of what Broyles said to me last week seemed to really be echoed by what Sherman demonstrates and talks about in this video called “Richard Sherman – Student of the Game”
I know it’s not OU related but it’s football related and it’s the kind of stuff I’m sure many of you will love.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOGbwtuK_YI
43 Comments
I was late in actually watching the video of what Sherman said. I’ll be honest, I was expecting a little worse, based on the reactions I read the next morning.
That said, there is absolutely ZERO reason to call out a WR like that, publicly. NONE. If he wants to say he is the greatest CB, or even say that they shouldn’t “go at him” like that at such a key time in the game, fine. But he doesn’t need to call Crab a “sorry receiver”.
So classless? Probably.
Thug? Punk? Probably not.
Awesome video! Thanks for posting that. My opinion of RS has changed a ton since the NFCCG. He was a STEAL for SEA in the 5th round and he makes his teammates better on and off the field.
After reading through this entire thread it’s no surprise society behaves like they do. Self promotion, publicly ridiculing other players and in general acting like a thug even if you aren’t. Yet people continue to call this acceptable.
I teach middle school in a school that is very diverse. I see our students trying to emulate this type of behavior all the time in the halls, in the gym and on the court/field. Many of our students need positive role models which Sherman could be…if only these kids new his background…but they don’t and likely never will.
All they see is behavior that comes across as arrogant and angry. So that’s the behavior we get from our students. It’s unfortunate cause too many have never seen the way a Barry Sanders behaved on the field (that was painful to pat an aggie on the back). But, IMO we need more Barry Sanders and less Richard Shermans.
Agreed.
I was a trash talker as a player, I encouraged it from my players when I was a coach. IDK, I had zero problem with what he said. Watching the mic’d deal the NFL did, he went and tried to shake Crab’s hand after the game and got dissed. It is what it is. He’s been the best corner in the league for the last two years. Until someone shuts him up with their game, he can keep talking IMO.
I would love to have seen Randy Moss (in his prime) go against Richard Sherman. I think it would be a humbling experience to RS.
I don’t know, I’d say a Jerry Rice maybe. Not Moss though, he was a freak athlete, but no student of the game. All you had to do with Moss is take away the deep ball and force him towards the middle of the field.
“All you had to do with Moss is take away the deep ball”. Yeah that was easy. Ask all the NFL corners who tried and were torched.
Look, a lot has been said about him. I’ve been following him for sometime. I know he’s an excellent football player and a late bloomer in terms of his skills (to his credit he’s put in the work).
That said, I don’t like him. People have continually reminded me throughout the week that he is smart (as if I assumed he was dumb). People have also reminded me that he has struggled. All of those things I take into consideration.
Is he a thug? To me? No way. A thug is a dirty player who tries maliciously to hurt others.
Is an A-hole? Yes. He’s been doing this kind of thing for years now. He cuts people down in public. Is that cool? Would anyone here cheer that? I don’t think so. See Tom Brady (you mad bro) see Skip Bayless (I’m better than you at life!?) see Trent Williams (that punch was sweet) see attack on Darrell Revis (why!?) and finally see Crabtree.
His intelligence and his upbringing have zero to do with his behavior. We all know for the one Richard Sherman, there are dozens of considerate classy players in the NFL who are good people (who have likewise encountered struggles). Are we talking about them? No because they don’t self-promote. Some people are just A-holes. I have some brilliant friends whom I love, but I also recognize that they are a-holes.
Richard Sherman is now being absolved of this flippant adolescent behavior because there are racists on twitter. Is it right that there are racists on twitter? No. But that has nothing to do with him. That is a separate issue that we can also address, but independent of this one.
Trash talking is also fine, but when it goes beyond the field to being a poor sport then it has gone too far. And when you take it into interviews (which he has done multiple times) then you are just basically a coward. That is not the mark of a man or a professional in my book.
I dunno. I actually have more respect for Sherman after watching what he said to Bayless.
Bayless also an a-hole, but that’s what he gets paid to be.
Exactly. Why did Sherman have to attack Bayless personally? Bayless is employed to give his opinion, and he’s controversial because that’s what sells. Sherman was sucked into Bayless’ elementary behavior, and never addressed Skip’s questions. I can’t stand Bayless, but Sherman didn’t do himself any favors in that exchange.
Very well said BJ. I’ve been annoyed at how this has become a racial issue. There is a lot racism out there and especially covert racism, which is sad but true. That being said, the backlash against Sherman, to me at least, is justified giving the way he had to personally attack a player, not just after the game “in the heat of the moment”, but in the locker room, and then in the press conference. He has also has a history of being the worst sport in the game and extremely volatile for years now. Like you said, with Brady, Trent Williams, Bayless, Crabtree, and Revis. That is why there is backlash. I am not “judging a book by it’s cover,” either. I didn’t see him take his helmet of and say “oh what a thug!” I am judging the Autobiographical book from Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 that the author has aired in public and with the media. I think it is a shame that such a great player and a man who has overcome so much in his life is setting this example for youth. The NFL is full of players who have come from dire circumstances and who have made it and set a positive example with heart, character, and perseverance. Why is it that we are talking about Richard Sherman? Sherman needs accountable for his actions and for him to flip it around by acting like a victim of unwarranted criticism because he is Black and from Compton is ridiculous.Yes he is intellectually intelligent, but hopefully he will show some more emotional intelligence and treat others with respect and dignity.
Excellent perspective!
I’m a Denver Bronco fan and season ticket holder, and I’ve been listening to everything that has been said in the media (because I honestly did want to give him the benefit of the doubt), but there is too much of a track record for me to change my opinion.
I don’t necessarily think his comments after the 49 game were terrible, because I think anytime you stick a microphone in someone’s face after an emotional moment, you’re bound to get a controversial statement (which is exactly why they do it). However, Sherman’s behavior his entire career has been marked with trash talk.
I don’t mind on-the-field trash talk, but Sherman has taken it off the field too many times. What’s sad is that the kid is talented, and if he shut his mouth, he would have so many more fans, and much more respect.
How educated his is has nothing to do with this situation. His race has nothing to do with this situation. His actions (now and in the past) have everything to do with this situation.
Sorry, I have no respect for Sherman. I don’t care how good he is, how smart, etc. Trash talking happens on the field, I get that, that’s fine. But there is a time and place for everything and he aired out all his dirty laundry on TV, trashing a fellow player and saying he’s the best instead of focusing on the win and what his team did. I was just as disgusted when Trent Williams punched him, especially since Trent is a Sooner.
I honestly laughed and thought it was sort of funny and almost cheered him on when he did what he did, I am sure it could have been handled better but still….that was probably the biggest game of his career so far, he made the biggest play of maybe his whole career and people wont him to show little or no emotion. As some of the braniacs have said, he just has the dog in him. Trash talk is a part of football. Sometimes it can be classless. But I never felt Sherman was one of those guys, He is just different than a lot of other guys. But he backs up his talk. The dude is VERY smart. And he comes from the worst neighborhood in the country probably….and he went to Stanford….STANFORD, He walked over to Crabtree and said good game good game and Crabtree shoved him off….and yet nobody seems to mention the trash Crabtree talked on twitter or that he pushed Sherman. whether he was being sarcastic or whatever isn’t even the point. If somebody pushed me on the field I got fired up. Respect to sherman and I may be the only one but he is one of my favorite NFL players.
Trash talking is something I love about sports in general. It makes it more interesting and entertaining. I don’t lose respect for anyone for trash talking. It will always be in sports and should be. I also do believe Sherman said good game to Crabtree. What I have a problem with is his timing of it all. No need to go up to Crabtree and say “good game” after making the biggest play of the game against him. Obviously a player will be pissed off he just lost the opportunity to go play in the Super Bowl and wouldn’t want to hear anything the dude that defended him on the big play have to say. Instead he should have celebrated with his teammates like I would have done and most players would have done. To make this a racial thing is ridiculous. There will always be a small group of people taking it too far and say horrible things. But that’s life. The issue most people have is his attitude after winning. Not because he is a “thug”. He is a great corner. No question about it. But I can’t wait for Ryan Broyles to get healthy and shut the “best corner in the game” up. Boomer!!! 🙂
Agree Yost, I was a corner and you do have to have an “attitude” because you are usually playing on an island. At the same time, you have to be smart about when and where you use that attitude. Never seen Peterson run to a camera and call out defenders for not tackling well.
Gotta disagree with you Yost. Trash talking is a plague that has infected competitive sports. It’s exhausting playing pick up basketball nowadays, or when I played HS football and basketball and you always have some jerk talking to you, personally attacking you, insulting you, trying to “get in your head.” There’s no reason for it, but youth have been given the example that the pro’s do it and the “badass” players do it. It’s classless and exhausting. It’s not accepted anywhere else in life, and life is extremely competitive. If somebody were to talk trash at work for working quicker or doing higher quality work than his coworker, or at school for having a higher test score, or for getting a girl somebody else wanted but they were rejected, that person would be considered an arrogant a-hole. It may have always been in sports, but to a much lower degree, and was never truly accepted or recognized until Muhammad Ali came around with his dehumanizing personal insults to Joe Frazier, calling him an Uncle Tom, an idiot, and an ape, amongst other things. Since that time it has been more accepted and it has gotten worse. I am not so naive to think it will disappear from sports and competition, but it certainly shouldn’t be accepted or condoned, in my opinion. Winning with class is of the utmost importance. If you beat your opponent through skill and hard work, let that stand on it’s own. It hurts to lose, and anyone who has tried their best and come up short knows that. There is no reason to personally attack someone and make them feel worse, that show’s a lack of character.
I see your point Drew, but I disagree to an extent. Some players feel like talking trash helps their game. There’s no scientific evidence that it does, or doesn’t, but there is evidence that a trash talker can get into another players head and affect their game. There are far more players (in any sport) that don’t trash talk, and it’s usually just one or two guys that do it and encourage others to join them.
However, trash talk, in some form or another, has been around since sports/competition began. It’s part of any competition.
What hasn’t always been around is the “me first” attitude. That’s been a more recent development, and far more harmful to teams.
Good points Keith. I think you’re right that a lot of players think that talking trash helps their game, and they could be correct, but I still don’t think that makes it right. But we have seen in sports that right and wrong don’t really matter to many athletes if they feel they can get a competitive edge by doing or taking something
I agree that Sherman took things too far but I felt like this video put him in a broader context. I know you understand because you defend Dez at every turn because y’all are friends and you know the REAL Dez. I don’t know the real Sherman and I didn’t care for his outburst but I also think there is a lot more to him than that.
Sherman Fan here. Also a 2008 OU Grad who came to OU from WA State. Seeing Super K post the Student of the Game Video caused me to post my first comment on this site. Why? In support of his keeping things in perspective as a non-Seattle fan. I feel like the reaction has been overblown. OK, Sherman’s interview wasn’t the most couth, but go look at Larry Bird or dozens of other highly respected athletes’ trash talking: it is (perhaps unfortunately) part of the ‘mental’ game of sports, and it was before Sherman and will be after him. Yes, there are players out there who never talk trash, but to pretend that all your own personal favorite players always take the high road and don’t engage in it is just being silly. Yeah, Sherman messed up, so to speak, but basically the only thing he is guilty of is saying something on camera that most players say only off camera. The most clever thing to do in the world? No. A reason to hate him or his team? Also no. Sherman had just made an incredibly awesome play to win the NFC Championship game. Remember, if he deflects that ball to the ground, SF is driving and has 3 more downs to win it. He purposefully tipped that ball to his LB! Here is a decent article looking at a really excellent football play:
http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2014/1/21/5330188/richard-sherman-michael-crabtree-play-interview-super-bowl-2014
There are a ton of people who are ‘suddenly’ Denver fans based on his comments, but for anyone who loves defensive football (me) it is pretty cool to root for a team like Seattle whose DB’s are some of the most talented players on the field. Just one OU grad’s opinion!
Please don’t compare Larry Bird to this guy. I agree it’s been overblown some, but Larry did almost all of his talking on the court. I don’t care what Sherman says while he is on the field, during a game. I don’t remember Larry ever calling a guy “sorry” after a game was over.
I’ve always been floored by his dedication to his game and improvement. You can quote his tirade and all, but at the end of the day, the man lets his play speak for himself
Not intended to threadjack, but I also suggest you watch him call out Skip Bayless (who I think is a douchecanoe)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6x-O3kb1sI)
He’s a fine player. Tops in the league at his position. But he does NOT let his play speak for itself. I believe that is what everyone is taking exception with.
As far as my view of Bayless. Please see below.
The opinions on both sides are justified IMO. My argument is that the man has been doing this for a while so it’s not like he just started pumping his egotistical stuff. It is his style of play and it’s who he is. Drawing opponents to his charade is part of his strategy (he’s said this multiple times) and Fox SHOULD have known what was going to happen especially after the butt slap /choke. Now when he blows up everyone acts surprised? Look, I am not supporting what he did, but it’s also being blown way out of proportion. At least he’ll be the target next year, and hopefully get more punches from silverback
I don’t see how Fox should have known it was going to happen. Lots of mouthy players on the field that get interviewed after and don’t start talking trash about their opponents.
A Fox affiliate had interviewed him just before his rant with Andrews and there was just as much drama. Dude has also been known to go on tirades in post game comments so it was clear they were fishing for ratings.
Or they were just looking to talk to the guy who just made a huge play to seal the win? None of this defends trashing an opponent after the game, which is the whole point.
Plausible. Should he have made the comments on Crabtree? IMO- No. But I am not surprised at it either. Agree to disagree.
Agree to disagree is probably the best thing to say in this post Indy. I don’t think Super K intended for this to turn into a polarizing conversation. I believe the point was to show the intense film work it takes to be an exceptional pro athlete. Unfortunately this particular player tends to bring out a lot of opposing views, I can’t wait for this post to go away so we can get back to the thing we all love to talk about, our beloved SOONERS!
No worries at all man. You make some pretty good points. I’m glad to get back to talking the Sooners, lol.
“I am better at life than you”……..What a classic!
I admire anyone who takes issue with Skip Bayless……who is a complete embarrassment to my fan base.
I see what you’re saying here, but the man absolutely does not let his play speak for itself…he shamelessly self promotes. My dad always told me that if you have to brag on yourself, you’re more than likely doing something wrong.
So…..Sherman letting his play speak for itself is kinda like Mack Brown saying “I’ll answer this one for Chris”?
HAHA!! Yeah, pretty much…HA!
Kind of interesting to hear what he said before and after the interview. Dude was fired up the whole time, thats for sure.
“Helluva game, helluva game”
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000316756/article/sherman-crabtree-micd-during-nfc-championship
I think Richard Sherman is a great NFL football player with a fierce mentality which makes him the winner he is. Don’t really understand all the backlash on his rant even though I would not have ranted that way myself. However, why should the camera crew have rushed up to this particular person when it was obvious how fired up he was? Perhaps they could’ve interviewed marshawn or the linebacker who intercepted the pass and then interview Sherman much later? I don’t care what he said; I’ll be cheering on the Seahawks, Sherman, and especially his teammate, Derrick Coleman, come Super Bowl Sunday.
I put a lot of this on Pete. Don’t like him, never have, never will so I apologize to anyone who worships him. He encouraged or allowed cheating at USC getting them in hot water (and yes I believe he knew what was going on) and I think he breeds arrogance wherever he is encouraging his players to say or do anything to anyone as long as it produces a win. I could cheer for the Seahawks if he wasn’t part of it. I really wish he would go get on a boat with J. Johnson and head out to sea. Just my rant for the evening….think I’ll have a beer now.
I love watching football film study! Since you Brainiacs do such a great job here could we possible see some film study pieces like this maybe in the slow season. And I would understand if it is not Sooner film.
I think he’s entertaining and funny as hell. If he played for Dallas I’ll bet cowboy fans would have zero problem with him.
He’s a genius as far as I’m concerned. He wants people to talk about him and is a great self promoter. At least he has the game to back up his mouth…which admittedly can be a tad excessive at times, but like I said I find it entertaining.