CB #25 RICHARD SHERMAN
January 18th, 2015
It’s the NFC championship game, and the winners go on to play the super bowl in Glendale Arizona.
The crowd is discouraged at Century Link Field, home to the Seahawks, After their offense has sputtered and failed to get much going through 3 quarters. And now Green Bay is trying to nail the coffin shut with a steady does of their big bruiser running backs, Eddie Lacy and James Starks.
Aaron Rodgers hands the ball to Starks on an inside run, and he bounces it outside after a missed tackle by Earl Thomas.
Sherman fights off his block by WR Jordy Nelson, and gets the angle on Starks to force him out of bounds.
His offense needing a turnover, Sherman takes a swat at the ball, just as safety Kam Chanceller arrives in support, smashing the side of his helmet directly into the cornerback's arm, tearing ligaments in his elbow.
Sherman writhes in pain on the sideline for a moment, then, composes himself, pops up, and jogs back on the field.
He knows his arm is seriously injured, but there's no way he's coming off the field in this moment.
Sherman plays the rest of the game with a sprained elbow, blanketing #1 WR Jordy Nelson. Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, despite throwing four interceptions, rallies the team to 15 unanswered points, and has his team in the lead with 26 seconds to go in the 4th quarter.
On 3rd and 10, Green Bay needs a 1st down. Coach Pete Carroll sends an all out blitz, trusting Sherman to matchup man to man with Nelson in the slot position.
Under Pressure, Rodgers goes to his favorite target, Nelson, and Sherman has him tackled immediately short of the 1st down.
Sherman's tackle forces Green Bay to kick a game-tieing field goal instead, making the score 22-22, and the contest moves to overtime.
Sherman won't have to take the field again, because the Seahawks win the coin toss, and Russell Wilson orchestrates a 77 yard drive capped off by a touchdown pass to WR Jermaine Kearse, sending them to face the New England Patriots in the super bowl.
The Seahawks 16-point halftime comeback was the largest ever in a conference championship game.
On December 17th 2019, Sherman was selected to his 5th Pro Bowl, starting 15 games for the 49ers, registering 61 combined tackles, 11 Passes defensed, 3 interceptions, and a 31 yard interception returned for a touchdown. He also had an interception in each of their two playoff games leading up to the super bowl.
The bottom line is, Richard Sherman has the grit and determination that I like to see when I watch sports. He is my favorite player on the field this Sunday, and I know he's going to give it 110 percent.
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