After the Seahawks defeated the Redskins on Sunday, FOX cameras caught an image of Redskins tackle Trent Williams applying an open hand to the face of Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman.
The folks at Q13, the FOX affiliate in Seattle, have more video and audio of the incident (via USA Today), thanks to the fact that Sherman wore a microphone during the game.
Sherman wasn’t talking trash or otherwise agitating in the seconds before the confrontation with Williams, who is looming as Sherman turns from saying “nice work out there” (in non-sarcastic fashion) to Redskins defensive lineman Kedric Gholston, who publicly called Sherman a “cheater” in the days before the game. Just before the exchange begins between Sherman and Williams, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson breezes by Williams and pats a hand on his chest.
“What you goin’ do, boy?” Sherman asks Williams, who stands and glares at Sherman from behind a helmet and visor.
“I’m gonna punch you in your goddamn face,” Williams says.
“Well then do it then, boy,” Sherman replies.
The strike comes quickly, appearing to be much more violent and potent than the angle captured by FOX. Immediately after the punch, Redskins linebacker London Fletcerh and quarterback Robert Griffin III surround Sherman, who says, “He punched me in my face! . . . I didn’t do nothing, he came up to me!”
The video ends with Sherman and Griffin sharing a long hug, and with Sherman telling Griffin that Sherman is proud of the rookie.
Sherman also makes reference to Griffin’s decision to “spurn us,” an apparent reference to Griffin’s decision not to attend Stanford. And Sherman’s words and demeanor suggest that Sherman believes Griffin did the right thing by not joining a depth chart that already included quarterback Andrew Luck.
In all, the video shows a much different side of Sherman, and it shows that Sherman said or did nothing to provoke the exchange with Williams.