Richard Sherman became a household name on Oct. 14, 2012, when the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots 24-23.
That’s the day the Seahawks cornerback ran up to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to talk some postgame trash. Later that night, Sherman tweeted out a picture of his meeting with Brady with the caption “U MAD BRO?”
Sherman became the most hated cornerback in the NFL after the Seahawks’ last-second win, but it’s also the day he began to be included in the list of “best cornerbacks in the NFL.” Sherman proved that a little bad publicity can go a long way.
It’s been almost 16 months since the Seahawks beat the Patriots at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. But Sherman credits that game with giving the Seahawks confidence.
“That was when it dawned on us that we could be great, in that Patriots game,” Sherman said on Tuesday during media day. “Earl [Thomas] could’ve had a multiple-pick game — he was running around everywhere — and we saw how elite we could be, because we were playing against a Hall of Fame quarterback. That really builds confidence.”
The Seahawks have gone 20-6 in the regular season since Week 6 of the 2012 season. Seattle has a chance to win their first title in Super Bowl XLVIII on Sunday.
Since the Seahawks’ win over the Patriots, Sherman’s profile has grown larger and larger. After making the game-winning play in the NFC Championship Game and calling the 49ers’ Michael Crabtree a “sorry receiver,” Sherman has rarely left TV screens.
