When it comes to having a successful NFL team, you have to have leaders who keep everything running smoothly and hold players accountable. Every great team has had that, and one player who has been around many great leaders is former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman. He was a part of some great teams in Seattle, including a Super Bowl championship team back in 2014.
Sherman wrote an article on The Athletic discussing the four best leaders he played with during his career. One legendary quarterback was a glaring omission from the list.
Richard Sherman Snubs Tom Brady on All-Time Leaders List
Sherman spent seven seasons with the Seahawks, three with the San Francisco 49ers, and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His time in Tampa Bay was with Tom Brady, so it is curious not to see Brady on his list of his four best leaders. On the list, Sherman mentions Bobby Wagner, Marshawn Lynch, Kam Chancellor, and Fred Warner: Three Seahawks and one 49er.
Sherman spent three or more years with every player on his list, whereas Brady only played five games with him. Even though many people discuss how great a leader Brady was, Sherman did not get the opportunity to experience that in only five games.
One name that some people may not expect on this list was Marshawn Lynch. He was a great running back for the Seahawks, but he was never considered an outspoken player. He was known for never talking to the media, but he had a different persona in the locker room.
Sherman said of Lynch, ” There are countless fires and potential disasters in a locker room. At least in our locker room. And he put them out. He was a peacekeeper. He calmed people. Guys totally respected him because they respected how he played the game. They respected his honesty and transparency, and they respected his consistency.”
It is interesting how people outside the locker room can have one opinion of a player while his teammates can think entirely differently.
Leadership is an Important Quality
Even though leadership does not gain any yards or score points, it is an invaluable part of the locker room. We have seen teams with poor leadership falter. While the coaches play a part in leadership, many players follow their teammates. How you practice and what you do off the field all factor into how a team plays on gameday.
While Sherman was a leader in his own right, it is interesting to see him name some of the players he thought played a significant leadership role on his teams.
