Charles Barkley doesn’t want to be a role model, but Richard Sherman does.
Sherman said during the Seahawks’ Media Day that it’s important to him to be a role model.
“Because I think kids need a positive role model,” Sherman said, “and they need to understand that there are more options to the world than what they just see in their neighborhood. Especially the kids in the inner-city. They need to understand that there’s another opportunity, there’s another path that you can take, and I think if those kids take those paths and use those opportunities, they’ll benefit and our future will be very bright.”
Sherman’s trash talk after the NFC Championship Game wasn’t exactly the kind of thing Pop Warner coaches will be showing their players as an example of good sportsmanship. But Sherman is a good example of the importance of hard work: That’s how he transformed himself from a terrible cornerback to the best in the NFL.