As Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman limped around in the bowels of MetLife Stadium after spraining his ankle in Super Bowl XLVIII, he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. He turned and saw that it was Peyton Manning, checking to see if he was OK.
Sherman said on Mike and Mike in the Morning that he was moved by the fact that Manning, who had just been dealt a terrible loss, seemed mostly interested in finding out if Sherman had been badly hurt.
“He was really concerned about my well-being,” Sherman said. “After a game like that, a guy who’s still classy enough to say ‘How are you doing?’ To show that kind of concern for an opponent shows a lot of humility and class.”
Sherman said that despite Manning’s bad game, the Seahawks continue to have a great deal of respect for him.
“He’s a Hall of Fame player, he’s a living legend, he’s a record-holding quarterback, he’s a Super Bowl champion, he’s been a Super Bowl MVP,” Sherman said of Manning.
On Twitter, Sherman took some Seahawks fans to task for bad-mouthing Manning.
“Peyton is the Classiest person/player I have ever met! I could learn so much from him! Thank you for being a great Competitor and person,” Sherman wrote. “There is no reason to bash him on here please Seattle let’s just enjoy this one!!!! He is still a Future HOF player.”
Manning remains a great player, and even on a day when he didn’t play great, he was a classy player.