Richard Sherman made an instant impression when he first joined the Seattle Seahawks in 2011. Though he was a fifth-round draft pick, Sherman carried himself like he was a top selection, assured in his ability to become one of the NFL's top cornerbacks.
Justin Forsett, a Seahawks running back at the time, imagines that nothing changed when Sherman introduced himself to his 49ers teammates in 2018.
"He's the same," Forsett quipped in an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area's Josh Schrock on Super Bowl Radio Row in Miami, Fla. "I mean, not much has changed with Richard. He came in with the confidence, with the swagger. Always believed ... that he was among the elite, and he's one of those guys that really spoke it, and he walked it and he talked it. And that's rare to see."
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Sherman's self-belief surely rubbed The Faithful the wrong way during his Seahawks stint. The Stanford product was the face of San Francisco's rivalry with Seattle, gleefully relishing victories over then-49ers coach Jim Harbaugh after their acrimonious relationship on The Farm.
But that's all history now, as Sherman has entrenched himself as the 49ers' defensive voice since signing with the team in 2018. He led a resurgent defense during the 2019 season, intercepting three passes and defensing 11 more en route to a Pro Bowl selection and a second-team All-Pro nod.
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Sherman, 31, can add to his Canton candidacy if the 49ers beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV in Miami and he picks up his second ring. Forsett told NBC Sports Bay Area that he would "be lying" if he envisioned Sherman would end up on a possible path to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but his "unique skill set" always was apparent.
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"[He's] a tall, long corner that could run," Forsett said of his former teammate. "Smart guy, savvy player, [a] Stanford guy. He's been able to grow into who we know him as today."
You can watch Forsett's full interview from Radio Row in the player above.