Before he became the NFL’s most feared lock-down corner and most bombastic trash talker, Richard Sherman was once a frustrated wide receiver at an impasse.
He didn’t want to squander his chance to earn a prestigious Stanford degree, but he could no longer tolerate playing for his head coach.
It had been a proud moment for Sherman in 2006 when he proved it was possible to go from Compton to Stanford, becoming the first Dominguez High School football player to accept a scholarship from the Cardinal in more than 20 years. Nothing could obstruct Sherman’s pursuit of that goal, not the temptation of drugs or gangs, not the burden of extra college-level classes, not even interest from nearby USC at the height of Pete Carroll’s reign.