National Football League
Richard Sherman talks trash; his dad just picks it up
National Football League

Richard Sherman talks trash; his dad just picks it up

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 3:40 p.m. ET

Richard Sherman talks a lot of trash on the football field. Off of it, however, he appears to be a conscientious and reasonable adult. This aspect of the Seattle Seahawks cornerback can be traced back to a man who doesn'€™t talk trash --€” he just picks it up.

Richard's father, Kevin, has spent the past 26 years working for the Los Angeles sanitation department, and he doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon, despite his son'€™s ability to support the entire Sherman family.

"People say, '€˜Let your son take care of you,'"€ the elder Sherman said to the Los Angeles Times. "Yeah, but I'€™ve got a few years left until I retire. Why would I mess up my own retirement? Why should my son have to foot everything? I have a medical plan that will cover me. Why should my son have to pay my medical bills? It doesn'€™t make sense to me."€

Perhaps even more remarkable are the obstacles Richard's father overcame to stand where he is today. When he was 14, he lost an eye to a go-kart explosion. He says he was never a gang member, but spent time with many of them, which resulted in being shot twice in the chest at the age of 18.

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"My dad didn'€™t have an easy upbringing at all," Richard told the Los Angeles Times. "€œJust living with one eye is tough in its own right. But then all the adversity that came with it, it'€™s remarkable how far he'€™s come and how hard he's worked. When I was young, I tried to drive with one eye closed just to see how hard it was. I can'€™t imagine going through that."€

These days, Kevin is enjoying his son's success on the football field and taking time to savor the proud moments that come as a father. After the Seahawks beat the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, he says he made sure to appreciate it.

"I sat there for a good 30 minutes after the game was over," he told the Times. "€œIt was kind of a proud moment, you know? I had to sit there and gather myself, then I headed down to where the parents go."

While winning Super Bowl XLVIII on Sunday would be a tremendous ode to a father that continues to work hard for his family, Richard can be sure that he'll make his father proud, no matter the result.

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