Super Bowl: 49ers CB Richard Sherman speaks his mind and makes the plays

MIAMI — It’s been six years since Richard Sherman was introduced to the world. Six years since he batted away a late pass in the end zone intended for Michael Crabtree in the NFC Championship, then appeared on national television moments later seething and bragging like a professional wrestler.

First impressions last a while.

Sherman still has a little bit of that showmanship to him, still speaks out on a number of topics about football or otherwise, and still draws a lot of attention for his opinions and the way he delivers them.

But he’s also still a top cornerback in the league more than a half decade removed from his first title, something that can be overshadowed by his personality. And when the 49ers talk about the various reasons why they are in Super Bowl LIV, Sherman — both the player and the person — invariably comes up in conversation.

“He knows how to play football,” coach Kyle Shanahan said on Wednesday. “He knows how to take his shots. He knows when to be aggressive, he knows when to be conservative. He knows how to do it all. He plays the game within the game... Even though he gets wound up a lot and will black out sometimes during games, there is also a control to him, too that makes him a very smart player.”

The yin and the yang of Sherman, in other words. And perhaps the key to Niners Zen.

“He interacts with everyone,” quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo said, naming him as the leader of the team. “He knows when to keep it light and when to take things seriously. Balancing that is a tough combination and he does a great job for us.”

Sherman isn’t the same person he was six years ago, the one who practically burst through America’s television screens. He’s a father now, twice over.

“That changes you,” he said Wednesday. “A lot of things come from that. It gives you more patience, more understanding. It changes your perspective a bit.”

He has scars on both of his Achilles from surgeries that could have ended his career. He was cut by the Seahawks. He was embraced by the team he taunted in that coming-out moment.

“I guess those experiences have changed me and moved the needle a little bit,” he said.

He still speaks out. So far this week he’s talked about how he declined to sign with the Lions because he did not want to be part of Matt Patricia’s “Patriot Way.” He called out the NFL for its “hypocrisy” over saying it cares about player safety but pushing for a 17-game season. He even scolded the media for not pushing owners harder in the hiring of minority head coaches. And he scoffed at the idea of celebrating a Super Bowl at the White House.

On Sunday, some people will tune in to the Super Bowl and see those headlines. They’ll see Sherman and his takes on, well, everything.

But on the field, he’ll have flipped the switch from Sherman the activist and antagonist to Sherman the championship-caliber cornerback. And the 49ers? They’ll be happy to have both.

“Sherm just has a personality where he’s going to remind you of what he’s done, which he deserves because he does it,” 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said. “There are a lot of people in this league who I think do a lot of talking and don’t back it up like he does. He backs it up on a play-to-play basis.”

Six years and counting.

By Tom Rock

tom.rock@newsday.com@TomRock_Newsday

Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.