Moments after making the game-clinching play to send the Seattle Seahawks to Super Bowl XLVIII, all-pro cornerback Richard Sherman was required to draw on the vast repository of knowledge he developed in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree at one of America’s finest postsecondary institutions.
FOX Sports reporter Erin Andrews, Sherman’s partner in this intellectual tango, forced Sherman into a tough position when she asked him to recall details from a single play that had happened over two minutes prior.
Unnerved by Andrews’ tactics, Sherman responded with a firm and forceful assertion that he was, in fact, “the best corner in the game.”
To further demonstrate his point, the third year defensive back switched to a more results-oriented approach: “When you try me with a sorry receiver like [longtime friend and valued opponent] Crabtree, that’s the result you gonna get.”
The scholarly exchange quickly took a turn into personal matters when Sherman began discussing his struggle with paranoid schizophrenia. Despite nobody in the NFL or sports media questioning his credentials as one of the league’s top defenders, Sherman lashed out against the negative voices that detracted from his performance, moaning “Don’t you ever talk about me…Don’t you open your mouth about the best.”
The prolific exchange between Sherman and Andrews continued for significantly longer than either party had expected and unfortunately had to be cut short by FOX producers due to time limitations on the broadcast. Rumors soon began circulating that Stanford administrators quickly reached out to the Stanford alum regarding his availability to serve as this year’s graduation speaker.
