Richard Sherman is a nerd. He and his former teammates will tell you as much.
He has dropped Marvel movie-watching advice on Twitter, and the 49ers cornerback pointed to his "Harry Potter," "Lord of the Rings" and "Star Wars" collections as bona fides during Monday's Super Bowl Opening Night at Marlins Park in Miami, Fla.
“See that’s tough," Sherman told reporters in Miami (H/T NBC Sports Bay Area's Josh Schrock). "I’m probably like an Obi-Wan (Kenobi) at this point. I used to be like Luke (Skywalker), but now I’m like Obi-Wan. Maybe I’m like an old Luke. Yeah, I'm old Luke.”
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Obi-Wan Kenobi? I wonder if Sherman means "Old Ben" Kenobi.
But the Force is strong with Sherman's comparison. He had reason to be disillusioned with football after rupturing his Achilles in 2017, his last season with the Seattle Seahawks, just as an older Skywalker was with the Jedi Order's teachings following his nephew Ben Solo's betrayal and turn to the Dark Side. Sherman bet on himself by signing an incentive-laden contract with the 49ers as a free agent in 2018. Plenty doubted whether he could be the legend the 49ers needed in their secondary.
Every word in that sentence was wrong, and Sherman ultimately led a resurgent 49ers defense in 2019. Sherman didn't maroon himself on an island holding sacred Jedi texts after the Achilles injury, but he was second-team All-Pro, graded out as Pro Football Focus' best cornerback during the 2019 season and earned all $4 million in contract incentives.
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He might not have Force-projected himself across the galaxy, but that's impressive nonetheless.
Sherman's self-confidence never wavered nearly as much as Skywalker's did in "Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi," but he'll face a task nearly as tall in Super Bowl LIV on Sunday as the Jedi Master did when he faced the First Order's army in the climax of Rian Johnson's 2017 entry in the long-running space opera. The Kansas City Chiefs' offense, quarterbacked by reigning NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes, has even more firepower than General Hux brought to the salt-covered surface of Crait.
[RELATED: Chiefs DC identifies biggest challenge defending Shanahan]
The Chiefs scored an average of 43 points per game in the AFC's divisional and championship rounds, compiling 837 yards of offense against the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans. Kylo Ren wouldn't have needed TIE Fighters, AT-ATs and a battering ram cannon to snuff out the Resistance had he just been flanked by Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins and Travis Kelce. Sherman won't be walking out with a laser sword and facing down the Chiefs' offense all on his own, as he'll be aided by the 49ers' elite defensive line. The veteran's role in the 49ers' scheme should also preclude any extended 1-on-1 duels, even if Darrelle Revis wants to see Sherman and Hill go all Luke vs. Kylo at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.
The goal is a Super Bowl rather than the Resistance's survival, but Sherman will try to live up to the Skywalker legend. The old Jedi Master stared into twin suns with peace, purpose and his mission accomplished at the end of "The Last Jedi," and Sherman can do the same with two Super Bowl rings if the 49ers beat the Chiefs.
Programming note: NBC Sports Bay Area feeds your hunger for 49ers Super Bowl coverage with special editions of “49ers Central” all week (8 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 9 p.m. Tuesday and 3 p.m. Saturday).
Also tune in at 1 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday for a two-hour special of "49ers Pregame Live" with Laura Britt, Donte Whitner, Jeff Garcia, Ian Williams, Kelli Johnson, Greg Papa and Grant Liffmann. That same crew will have all the postgame reaction on "49ers Postgame Live," starting immediately after the game.
