SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES
Richard Sherman’s dad will keep driving garbage truck even after son’s $57M payday
May 7, 2014, 2:49 PM | Updated: 2:50 pm
Seattle Seahawks' Richard Sherman, center, smiles as he addresses a news conference with head coach Pete Carroll, left, and general manager John Schneider Wednesday, May 7, 2014, at the team's headquarters in Renton, Wash. Sherman signed a four-year contract extension Wednesday with the Seahawks, a deal that makes him one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in NFL history. Sherman announced the deal on his website and later confirmed the new deal will keep him in a Seahawks uniform through the 2018 season. Sherman wrote that the extension is for $57.4 million with $40 million guaranteed. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Richard Sherman is now the highest paid cornerback in the NFL, following the signing of his four-year extension with the Seattle Seahawks. But his dad Kevin, who is a garbage truck driver in Los Angeles, is determined to stay behind the wheel despite his son’s willingness to make things easier for him.
“He continues to drive trash trucks because that is his choice,” Sherman said in an interview with KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson shortly after his contract announcement. “He continues to drive them until he reaches his pension, which is a few years away […] because he set a goal that he was going to reach his pension and he doesn’t want to stop when he’s this close.”
Sherman broke the news of his 4-year extension with the Seahawks on Wednesday. Posting details of the deal to his blog, he wrote: “The terms of my deal are 4 years for a total of $57.4M with $40M guaranteed.”
Despite approaching his father multiple times about it, Sherman said his dad is determined to keep working.
Monson noted that his father’s work ethic is likely a similar one to that which drives the younger Sherman to be great.
“It is,” Sherman agreed. “It’s a work ethic that is still in me today. That is how I know that this money won’t have much bearing on how I play or how I approach the game, because it’s just a certain pride about yourself that you have to have to play this game at a high level, and to want to be in the Hall of Fame, to want to win multiple Super Bowls, to want to play in the greatest secondary of all time, and it takes a certain discipline.”
Though his work ethic is clearly not entirely motivated by money, Sherman said he very much appreciated the Seahawks recognizing him in this way.
“The Seahawks showed today that they regarded me highly,” said Sherman. “Pete always speaks about regard, and today they really showed how much they regard me, and I appreciate that, and I will continue to show how much I regard Paul Allen and the Seattle Seahawks with my play.”
Listen to the interview:
