What you don't know about playing Cornerback

[Ricky Spanish]

http://www.theplayerstribune.com/richard-sherman-seahawks-what-you-dont-know-about-cornerback/

Great article by Richard Sherman in the Player's Tribune about playing Corner in the NFL. Talks about the nuances of the position, what it takes to to be successful, and even gives some insight on conditioning, something we all suspect had to do with Bene's release last week. I'll quote that below, but the article itself is worth the read.

Quote

I’ll start with the first question — the one about the most difficult part of my job — right where I left off, in Minnesota on that January day.

A few plays before the ice-blind screen breakup, on the first play of the game, I had come up from my corner position in run support and put a hit on Adrian Peterson, who in those conditions was basically a glacier barreling down the field. I came up from the backside, made the tackle in the backfield and landed on the frozen turf, hard.

Those things stick with you — sometimes for a few plays, but sometimes for an entire game.

So if I had to pinpoint the most difficult part of my job, I would say that it’s not any one thing I do on any given play.

It’s doing all of it, every play.

I never come off the field when we’re on defense. That’s more a fact of life for a lot of defensive players in the NFL than it is just for a corner — linebackers only sub out occasionally, and some never do. I’m in there every play, whether the ball comes my way or not.

You may not see it on your TV screen at home because the camera always follows the ball, but if the play is away from me, and I’ve got a fresh backup receiver across from me whose job is to take off down the field and run me away from the play, I have to respect his route. I have to run with him, full speed, like he’s the No. 1 receiver and he’s getting the ball — because there’s always a chance he might. And if I get three different fresh guys off the bench running me off on consecutive plays, and I come back up to the line against their true No. 1 in a crucial situation where I know they like to hit him on a fade, I can’t stop the game and say, “Hold up, I gotta catch my breath.…”

Nope.

I have to match up — and man up — against their best receiver and do my damn job.

No excuses.

As corners, we never leave the game. That’s part of the challenge.

It’s also all part of the chess match.

In the NFL, winning has a lot more to do with survival than it does talent. Because not only can I not betired, I can’t show that I’m tired. The eye in the sky never lies. And if an offensive coordinator up in the coaches’ box sees me limping up to the line, or with my hands on my knees sucking wind, guess where the next play is going?

So when I line up in subzero temperatures for the seventh straight play and I’m dinged up from a couple of hits before, it doesn’t matter if I’m across from a guy who’s fresh off the bench and who I can’t even see.

It’s still me against him, and one of us has to make a play.

My job is to make sure it’s me.When it comes to playing cornerback, you’re on an island out there. It doesn’t matter if you’re hurt or you’re tired, if there’s a –25° windchill or if the NFC championship is on the line. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is….

Can you make a play?

 

[LinvilleGorge]

More than a couple of us mentioned this very thing about Bene in the ATL game. Every time Julio went out of the game, the Falcons would run him down the field deep with another WR. Did they see on film that he had faded down the stretch in previous games and really wanted to test his conditioning? Very possible.

[blackcat]

Sounds like Bene should have trained with my old soccer team.  For the first 2 weeks of practice, we did nothing but run and run and then run some more.  It's why i don't run now, i've had my fill.

[Daeavorn]

Its hard to hate Sherman even as a seahawk.

[CPF4LIFE]

Sherman always dropping knowledge 

[LinvilleGorge]

7 minutes ago, blackcat said:

Sounds like Bene should have trained with my old soccer team.  For the first 2 weeks of practice, we did nothing but run and run and then run some more.  It's why i don't run now, i've had my fill.

I think Bene only started running after recovering from his injury around the start of training camp. The coaches had to realize his cardio wasn't up to snuff to be out there that many snaps.

[d-dave]

While my dislike of the Seahawks has much more to do with our general rivalry and that Russle Wilson is a douche-canoe, I've always appreciate Richard Sherman.  That short article really sets up the stage for being a pro cornerback in the NFL. As others have said, this is probably why we cut Bene.  I can't imagine the shape one had to be in to go in run support, vertical routes, and back to it.  Much less doing that in the cold of Minnesota...

I hope Richard Sherman writes books about football.  I'd probably read them all.

[Jangler]

I tell ya, the softer training camps have caused more harm than good, especially with a team (Panthers) that doesn't know how to grow (Patriots) with the times.

[Ricky Spanish]

17 minutes ago, Daeavorn said:

Its hard to hate Sherman even as a seahawk.

I've never hated Sherman. Always respected him. All around smart dude. Even when I don't agree with what he says, he presents his opinion in a way in which I understand where he's coming from. 

[raleigh-panther]

20 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

I think Bene only started running after recovering from his injury around the start of training camp. The coaches had to realize his cardio wasn't up to snuff to be out there that many snaps.

Given the injury he had and the fact that he was previously a nickel vs primary cb I do not know how they could have expected anything else 

I am getting really tired of this coaching staff putting players in positions they are not ready for and them blaming them for failure 

 

[Steve_Smith_Sr.]

I never disliked Sherman either.  Talib on the other hand - he's a Grade A pr ick.

Boy it was fun watching the Broncos lose again last night, wasn't it?

It was awesome to see PR pass Fouts and become the all-time passing leader of the Chargers.  I hate that he got stuck with them when the Mannings played their little BS shenanigans.  It reminds me of Barry Sanders going to the Lions.  I wonder what both of these guys could have done with a real club.

[My Goodness My Guinness]

That's a great read and some good insight by Sherman. I remember watching him play through that playoff game a few years ago with a torn up shoulder and he couldn't even move his arm. He's a tough dude. 

[nctarheel0619]

1 hour ago, Daeavorn said:

Its hard to hate Sherman even as a seahawk.

Trade the whole secondary for him right now.  

[Steve_Smith_Sr.]

56 minutes ago, nctarheel0619 said:

Trade the whole secondary for him right now.  

Sherman our only defensive player + Tolbert our only offensive player = SB victory