Richard Sherman (American football) facts for kids
![]() Sherman in 2023
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No. 25, 5 | |||||||||||||
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Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||
Born: | Compton, California, U.S. |
March 30, 1988 ||||||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||
Weight: | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||
High school: | Manuel Dominguez (Compton, California) |
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College: | Stanford (2006–2010) | ||||||||||||
NFL Draft: | 2011 / Round: 5 / Pick: 154 | ||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||
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Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Player stats at PFR |
Richard Kevin Sherman (born March 30, 1988) is a former professional football cornerback who played for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Sherman played college football at Stanford University, starting as a wide receiver before switching to cornerback. He was chosen by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Sherman was selected for the Pro Bowl five times and was named All-Pro five times, including three times to the first team. He led the NFL in interceptions in 2013. That same year, he helped the Seahawks win their first Super Bowl. Many people consider Sherman to be one of the best cornerbacks of all time.
While with the Seahawks, Sherman was a key part of the "Legion of Boom" defense. This group of secondary players was known for being very strong. They helped the Seahawks win Super Bowl XLVIII with a big 43–8 victory over the Denver Broncos. This win was one of the largest in Super Bowl history. The Seahawks also reached Super Bowl XLIX the next season, but lost a close game to the New England Patriots. During his time in Seattle, the Seahawks had the best scoring defense in the league for four years in a row (2012–2015). After the Seahawks, he played for the San Francisco 49ers for three seasons, making another Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl LIV. He then spent one season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Richard Sherman grew up in Compton, California. He went to Dominguez High School and graduated in 2006. His classmates voted him "Male student most likely to succeed." He was a great student and athlete, graduating as the second-ranked student in his class with a 4.2 GPA.
Sherman also excelled in track and field at high school. He was named a USA Today All-American for winning the California state title in the triple jump. He also did well in the 110-meter hurdles and long jump.
He later attended Stanford University, graduating in 2010 with a degree in communications. He also started working on his master's degree during his final year at Stanford.
- Recruiting
Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | 40‡ | Commit date |
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Richard Sherman Athlete |
Compton, California | Dominguez High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 167 lb (76 kg) | 4.64 | Jan 15, 2006 |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:![]() ![]() |
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Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 61 (WR) Rivals: – National, 65 (CB), 93 (Cal) | ||||||
Sources: |
College Football Career
Richard Sherman received a scholarship to play football at Stanford University. He played for the Stanford Cardinal football team from 2006 to 2010. He started his college career as a wide receiver. In 2006, he led the Cardinal in receiving yards as a freshman.
After playing as a wide receiver for a few years, he suffered a knee injury in 2008. After recovering, he asked to switch to playing cornerback. In his final two years, he made 112 tackles and had six interceptions. He was part of the 2010 Stanford team that had a school-record 12–1 season.
College Statistics
Season | Team | Pos | GP | Receiving | Tackles | Interceptions | |||||||||||
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Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Comb | Solo | Ast | TFL | Sck | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | ||||
2006 | Stanford | WR | 12 | 34 | 581 | 17.1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
2007 | Stanford | WR | 11 | 39 | 651 | 16.7 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | — |
2008 | Stanford | WR | 5 | 8 | 108 | 13.5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
*2009 | Stanford | DB | 13 | — | — | — | — | 62 | 39 | 23 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 43 | 21.5 | 1 | — |
*2010 | Stanford | DB | 13 | — | — | — | — | 50 | 40 | 10 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 39 | 9.8 | 0 | — |
Career | 53 | 81 | 1,340 | 16.5 | 7 | 113 | 80 | 33 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 6 | 82 | 13.7 | 1 | 0 |
Professional Football Career
Joining the NFL
Richard Sherman was chosen by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL draft. He was the 154th player picked overall. Many experts thought he would be drafted earlier.
On July 22, 2011, Sherman signed a four-year contract with the Seahawks. He quickly showed his talent. In his first season, he played in all 16 games and started ten of them. He made 55 tackles, broke up 14 passes, and had four interceptions. He was named to the 2011 PFW All-Rookie Team.
- Pre-draft Stats
Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | Wonderlic |
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6 ft 2+5⁄8 in (1.90 m) |
195 lb (88 kg) |
32 in (0.81 m) |
9+3⁄4 in (0.25 m) |
4.53 s | 1.58 s | 2.56 s | 4.29 s | 6.72 s | 38 in (0.97 m) |
11 ft 0 in (3.35 m) |
16 reps | 24 |
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day |
Seattle Seahawks Highlights
2012 Season: A Star Emerges
In 2012, Sherman became a full-time starter for the Seahawks. He had an amazing season, making 64 tackles, breaking up 24 passes, and grabbing eight interceptions. He even scored his first career touchdown by returning an interception. He was named First Team All-Pro, which means he was considered one of the best players in the league at his position.
The Seahawks made it to the playoffs that year. They won their first playoff game against the Washington Redskins but were later eliminated by the Atlanta Falcons.
2013 Season: Super Bowl Champions
The 2013 season was a huge year for Richard Sherman and the Seahawks. He continued to dominate, with 48 tackles, 16 pass deflections, and eight interceptions, including another touchdown. He was selected for his first Pro Bowl and earned First Team All-Pro honors again.
The Seahawks' defense, known as the "Legion of Boom," was the best in the league. They allowed the fewest passing yards and were the top-ranked defense overall. This strong defense helped the Seahawks reach the NFC Championship game.
In the NFC Championship, the Seahawks played against the San Francisco 49ers. In a critical moment, Sherman made a famous play known as "the Immaculate Deflection." He tipped a pass from the 49ers' quarterback, and his teammate Malcolm Smith caught it, sealing the Seahawks' 23–17 victory. This play is considered one of the most important in Seahawks history.
On February 2, 2014, Sherman started in Super Bowl XLVIII. The Seahawks had a dominant 43–8 victory over the Denver Broncos, who had the league's best offense. Sherman played a key role in shutting down the Broncos' receivers. He left the game in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury but celebrated the team's first Super Bowl win.
2014 Season: Highest Paid Cornerback
On May 7, 2014, the Seattle Seahawks signed Sherman to a big four-year contract extension. This deal made him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history at the time. He was also chosen to be on the cover of the Madden 15 video game.
Sherman continued his strong play in 2014, making 57 tackles, breaking up eight passes, and getting four interceptions. He was again named to the Pro Bowl and earned First Team All-Pro honors.
The Seahawks finished as the top team in their conference and made it back to the Super Bowl. In Super Bowl XLIX, they lost a close game to the New England Patriots. After the season, Sherman had surgery on his elbow.
2015 and 2016 Seasons

In 2015, Sherman was still a top player, recording 50 tackles, 14 pass deflections, and two interceptions. He was selected for his third straight Pro Bowl. The Seahawks made the playoffs again but lost in the Divisional Round.
In 2016, Sherman continued to be a key part of the Seahawks' defense. He had 58 tackles, 13 pass deflections, and four interceptions. He was voted to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time.
2017 Season: Injury and Departure
In 2017, Sherman dealt with an Achilles injury for much of the season. In Week 10, he suffered a serious rupture that ended his season. This injury also ended his impressive streak of 106 consecutive games played and 100 consecutive starts. After the season, on March 9, 2018, Richard Sherman was released by the Seattle Seahawks.
San Francisco 49ers
2018 Season: New Team, New Start
Just one day after leaving the Seahawks, Sherman signed a three-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers. He played in 14 games in his first season with the 49ers, recording 37 tackles, one sack, and four passes defended.
2019 Season: Back to the Super Bowl
The 2019 season was another strong one for Sherman. In Week 1, he intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown, his first with the 49ers. He had three interceptions during the regular season and was selected for his fifth Pro Bowl.
In the playoffs, Sherman continued to make big plays. He had an interception in the Divisional Round against the Minnesota Vikings. In the NFC Championship against the Green Bay Packers, he intercepted a pass in the final minutes to help seal the 49ers' win and send them to Super Bowl LIV.
In Super Bowl LIV, the 49ers played against the Kansas City Chiefs. The 49ers lost the game 31–20.
2020 Season
In 2020, Sherman was placed on injured reserve due to a calf strain but returned later in the season. He recorded one interception in five games played. On February 17, 2021, Sherman was released by the 49ers.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
On September 29, 2021, Sherman signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played in five games for the Buccaneers, making 11 tackles and one interception. He also helped out as a Defensive Backs Coach for one game due to the regular coach being unavailable. His season ended early due to an Achilles injury.
NFL Career Statistics
Legend | |
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Won the Super Bowl | |
Led the league | |
Bold | Career high |
Regular Season
Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||
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GP | GS | Comb | Solo | Ast | Sack | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | ||
2011 | SEA | 16 | 10 | 55 | 47 | 8 | 0.0 | 17 | 4 | 45 | 11.2 | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
2012 | SEA | 16 | 16 | 64 | 53 | 11 | 1.0 | 24 | 8 | 57 | 7.1 | 29 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
2013 | SEA | 16 | 16 | 48 | 38 | 10 | 0.0 | 16 | 8 | 125 | 15.6 | 58T | 1 | 0 | 2 |
2014 | SEA | 16 | 16 | 57 | 45 | 12 | 0.0 | 8 | 4 | 81 | 20.2 | 53 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
2015 | SEA | 16 | 16 | 50 | 33 | 17 | 0.0 | 14 | 2 | 30 | 15.0 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2016 | SEA | 16 | 16 | 58 | 38 | 20 | 0.0 | 13 | 4 | 37 | 9.2 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
2017 | SEA | 9 | 9 | 35 | 25 | 10 | 0.0 | 7 | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
2018 | SF | 14 | 14 | 37 | 30 | 7 | 1.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
2019 | SF | 15 | 15 | 61 | 48 | 13 | 0.0 | 11 | 3 | 65 | 21.7 | 31T | 1 | 0 | 0 |
2020 | SF | 5 | 5 | 18 | 16 | 2 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2021 | TB | 5 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Total | 143 | 136 | 495 | 385 | 110 | 2.0 | 116 | 37 | 478 | 12.9 | 58T | 3 | 5 | 7 |
Life After Playing Football
After his NFL playing career, Richard Sherman became a football analyst. In June 2022, it was announced that he would join Amazon as a pregame and postgame analyst.
Sherman also appeared on the FOX show Stars on Mars in June 2023. In August 2023, he joined the sports debate show Undisputed as a co-host.
Personal Life and Interests
Richard Sherman is married to Ashley Moss. They have two children: a son born in February 2015 and a daughter born in April 2016. They were married in March 2018.
Sherman is known for his strong personality and for making big plays on the field. He was featured on the cover of Madden NFL 15. He also writes for The Players' Tribune, sharing his thoughts and experiences.
Sherman has his own charity called Blanket Coverage – The Richard Sherman Family Foundation. He started this charity in 2013 to help children in low-income communities. His foundation provides school supplies and clothing to help kids succeed in their studies.
Sherman is also interested in technology and is a co-owner of the Glacier Boyz team in the Fan Controlled Football league.
See also
In Spanish: Richard Sherman (fútbol americano) para niños