Prior to his recent contract with the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL), Richard Sherman was an oldie with the Seattle Seahawks as he played with the franchise for seven years before moving on to join the 49ers. Thanks to his legendary and articulated skills with the ball, he holds the record as one of the players in the league with most interceptions and defended passes. Richard has featured in five Pro Bowls and has been voted to First-team All-Pro three times. His strict upbringing paved a way for him to become a known name in the league, where only the brave and courageous thrive.
Sherman’s Upbringing In The City of Angels
Richard Kevin Sherman was born in Compton California on March 30, 1998. He was raised in Los Angeles by his parents, Beverly and Kevin Sherman. His mom has a big heart and has extended it to caring for the mentally disabled kids living in County Los Angeles, while his father drives trash trucks.
Richard is one of three children born to his parents. His siblings are Branton and Krystina. The footballer has publicly acknowledged the fact that his father was one of his coaches when he was young. Also, he said that his parents were strict disciplinarians but at the same time, knew how to love and care for him.
His Days of Amateur Football
Before joining the NFL, Richard Sherman was a college football extraordinaire during his days as a student-athlete. In college, he initially played for Stanford Cardinal of Stanford University as a wide receiver before opting to play as a cornerback.
In his freshman year, he was selected by Sporting News to their Freshman All-American Team, having posted 3 receiving touchdowns and 34 receptions for 581 receiving yards.
He then sustained a knee injury that ruled him out of the 2008 season and afterward, he started playing as a cornerback. In his final two seasons with the Cardinal, Sherman registered 112 tackles and 6 interceptions. After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from the university, he entered the 2011 NBA draft and was selected by the Seattle Seahawks as the 154th overall during the fifth round of the draft.
Winning The Lombardi Trophy With The ‘Hawks
In his rookie season with the Seahawks, Richard Sherman played 16 games and started 10. He finished the season with 55 combined tackles, 4 interceptions, 14 pass deflections, and 1 force fumble. As a result, he was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. After making his first career sack in the 2012 season, as well as being named to the First-team All-Pro, the proficient cornerback went on to form a group known as the Legion of Boom (LOB) alongside other players in the Seahawks defensive backfield including Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Brandon Browner, and Byron Maxwell.
The group led the Seahawks to Super Bowl XLVIII victory in 2013, as the team had the best defense in the NFL that season. Following his performance, Sherman won the NFL Interceptions Leader Award, having ended the season with 8 interceptions, 48 tackles, 16 pass deflections, and 1 touchdown. In that same season, Richard Sherman was named to his first career Pro Bowl selection. Consecutively, he was a part of the All-star game from 2013 to 2016.
In the next season, Seattle Seahawks made it to the Super Bowl XLIX but were defeated 28-24 by New England Patriots. After playing for the Seahawks for three more seasons, Sherman was released by the franchise before the beginning of the 2018 season.
Richard Sherman Earned His 5th Pro Bowl Selection With The 49ers
A day after being released by the Seahawks, Richard Sherman joined the San Francisco 49ers. In his first game against the Minnesota Vikings, he recovered a fumble and posted 2 tackles. He then moved on to record 1 sack and 7 tackles in the Week 8th game against the Arizona Cardinals. At the end of his first season with the 49ers, the famed athlete recorded 37 tackles, 4 pass deflections, 1 sack, and 1 fumble recovery.
In the 2019 season, he recorded his first touchdown and interception with the team in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers which they won 31-17. After recording his third interception of the season in the Week 8th game against the Carolina Panthers, Richard Sherman was named to his fifth Pro Bowl selection. He was last selected to the Pro Bowl team in 2016 while with the Seattle Seahawks.
On February 2nd, 2020, Sherman came close to lifting a second Lombardi Trophy but his team was defeated 31-20 by the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV.
Details of The Cornerback’s Career Earnings
Most athletes are proud of their income as they are largely well-paid for their efforts. This is the case for Richard Sherman who has gathered ample experience as an American footballer.
His first deal as a professional which was with the Seattle Seahawks was quite sizeable, as he pocketed $2.22 million and a signing bonus of $182,424. After the deal ended, Richard signed a contract extension with the team worth $56 million with $40 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $11 million.
The Seahawks decided to release him after the second deal elapsed and a day later, he got a spot with the San Francisco 49ers, signing a three-year contract worth $39 million. Since his contract with the 49ers has been established, his salary is estimated at $9 million annually.
The cornerback earns from endorsement deals with many brands including Beats by Dre, Nike, BODYARMOR, T-Mobile, and Oberto. It has been variously estimated that he is worth $40 million.
The Sportsman Is Married To His Longtime Girlfriend
Richard Sherman’s relationships have been largely kept off the spotlight and so was his romance with his then-girlfriend Ashley Moss. The two are said to have dated for a very long time before announcing their engagement in June 2015. It was quite a big surprise for his fans.
Four months before their engagement, they welcomed their first child, a baby boy named Rayden Sherman (born on February 5th, 2015). The next year, specifically on April 16th, 2016, the couple expanded their family once more with the arrival of a baby girl christened Avery. They eventually took their forever vows on March 28th, 2018.
The two exchanged vows in the presence of family and friends at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Canta in the Dominican Republic. The wedding was graced by the NFL player’s former teammates at the Seahawks, including Ricardo Lockette, Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, and Brandon Browner.
Sherman and His Wife are Public-spirited
In the year 2013, Richard Sherman established a foundation called Blanket Coverage. Since then, he has been supporting low-income families through the foundation where his wife serves as the Executive Director. Sherman and Ashley have been of the habit of taking care of families in need. In 2013, they gave out Christmas presents to many families with financial difficulties.
Three years later, they adopted over 24 families during the Christmas holiday and catered for them. Having been passionate about giving back to society, the lovely couple gave out about $100,000 worth of gifts to 174 needy families on 2019’s Christmas day. They partnered with their foundation Blanket Coverage, and San Jose’s Redemption Church to spread love during the holiday season.
