Newer Buc Richard Sherman said he found “silver lining” in offseason arrest

TAMPA – The All-Pro cornerback could have played prevent Wednesday, keeping any questions about his volatile offseason in front of him with a soft cushion of preset answers.

Instead, Richard Sherman faced his problems head-on, tackling each investigation in detail. At one point, his first conversation with Tampa Bay reporters after signing with the Bucs seemed cathartic.

“There’s always a silver lining to everything,” Sherman told the group on a back patio at the AdventHealth Training Center after his first practice. He arrived in town Tuesday night on a modest one-year contract (base salary of $ 1 million and an additional $ 350,000 available as bonus per game).

“Obviously it was an unfortunate and regrettable situation, but it led to some really positive changes, help, therapy, tools that I didn’t have before to sort out some things that you let pile up in. Your spirit. “

Sherman was arrested in July on charges of crashing his intoxicated SUV in a construction area and attempting to break into his in-laws’ home in Seattle. He pleaded not guilty to five counts of misdemeanor, including impaired driving and second degree trespassing.

He said the incident forced him to “take a step back” and seek the kind of advice he had previously avoided, whether for professional or even cultural reasons.

“And in this, it’s remarkable how many other people have reported having the same issues because you still feel lonely,” he said.

“You always feel like, ‘Hey man, I’m the only one dealing with this’ and’ I don’t want to burden anyone else ‘or’ I don’t want to make someone else handle my problems. . ‘ At least in the black community, it’s one of those things you’re never taught to do – learning to ask for advice, to ask for help.

“You’re always like, ‘Hey, man, I’m gonna take care of it, endure.’ In football terms, “Let’s move on to the next game, next game, next game.” … And the same sort of thing happens in life.

Since speaking about his advice, Sherman, 33, said others have contacted him – usually via a direct message on social media – to thank him for erasing some of the stigma often associated with it. mental health issues or even counseling. His family has been at the center of his support system, he said, and said Bucs staff were “very aware and helpful”.

“It was unfortunate,” Sherman said. “I’m a human being. I’m not perfect. I go through ups and downs like everyone else, and it was a while. And I’m grateful that I was able to get over that and become better at it.”

Contact Joey Knight at jknight@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Bulls.

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