Just one day after his inflammatory interview with Erin Andrews after the NFC Championship Game in Seattle, cornerback Richard Sherman has defended himself in a self-written article on Sports Illustrated's blog Monday Morning Quarter Back (MMQB).
Sherman, who received a bachelor's degree in communications from Stanford, was involved in the deciding play of the game, a high pass to 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree in the end zone. Sherman successfully defended the pass, tipping the ball away from Crabtree, into the arms of his teammate Malcolm Smith for an interception.
At the end of the game, Sherman's outburst to the unsuspecting Andrews was a pure show of emotion. "Well I'm the best corner in the game. When you try me with a sorry receiver like Crabtree that's the result you're gonna get," exclaimed Sherman to the shocked Andrews. "Don't you ever talk about me... don't you open your mouth about the best or I'm going to shut it for you real quick."
Sherman's article titled, "To Those Who Would Call Me a Thug or Worse...," describes in detail why his post-game speech was so incensed and addresses the vilification of Sherman as a consequence. The Compton, Calif. native alludes to a lack of respect from Crabtree, stemming from an altercation in Arizona during the offseason.
According to a report from Sports Illustrated, Sherman and Crabtree attended a charity event hosted by Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals. When Sherman went to shake Crabtree's hand he allegedly tried to start a fight.
Sherman explains how the events at the end the game escalated into a full blown tirade.
"I ran over to Crabtree to shake his hand but he ignored me," Sherman wrote. "I patted him, stuck out my hand and said, 'Good game, good game.' Thats when he shoved me my face and thats when I went off."
Sherman's article also alludes to a lack of respect from quarterback Colin Kaepernick as well. After the play had concluded, Sherman was seen grabbing his neck in a choking symbol insinuating Kaepernick's failure.
"[Kaepernick] decided he was going to try the guy he was avoiding all game, because, I don't know, he's probably not paying attention for the game-winning play," Sherman posited. "C'mon you're better than that."
He argues that while he may have yelled and seemed crazed in his interview with Andrews, he asks that he not be judged for a moment of unrestrained emotion.
"It was loud, it was in the moment, and it was just a small part of the person I am," Sherman states. "To those who would call me a thug or worse because I show passion on a football field - don't judge a person's character by what they do between the lines. Judge a man by what he does off the field, what he does for his community, what he does for his family."
Despite only being in his third full season in the National Football League, Sherman has managed to become one of its most polarizing characters. His critical if unrestrained opinions have often shrouded him in controversy.
In 2013, Sherman called out Skip Bayless on Bayless' show First Take on ESPN. The interview between Bayless and Sherman centered on Sherman's opinion that Bayless lacks any authority in the sports world. Bayless had previously been critical of Sherman's accolades in his still young NFL career.
In 2012, after playing against the New England Patriots, Sherman targeted quarterback Tom Brady after he did some trash-talking of his own before the game. After defeating the Patriots that day Sherman utilized Twitter to post a picture of him and a dejected Brady with the caption "U MAD BRO?" above Sherman's head.
While Sherman's antics may lead some to believe he's a hot head, his actions off the field do speak for themselves. Notably, Sherman devotes much of his time to charity. He founded his own charitable organization, Blanket Coverage, in 2013 which uses its resources to provide children with proper school supplies and clothing.
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