Richard Sherman: I feel normal. I feel like I can run

Richard Sherman called into The Damon Bruce Show with Ratto & Kolsky as a surprise celebrity guest to represent one of his former Stanford classmates and teammates, Chekay Alma Joy. Sherman talked about what he’s doing to get ready for the season, how he’s feeling coming off the Achilles injury, and much more. Sherman was positive in speaking with Bruce, but you could sense the confidence in his voice. You’ll be able to tell by some of his quotes below, but Sherman seems to be expecting a big year from himself.

Sherman was asked to describe the difference in how his leg feels from this year to last year. He went in-depth. Here’s what he said:

“It’s hard to describe, but it’s like a pop. The bounce, the spring that you’re used to feeling. It’s from having to be down so long. When you have the Achilles injury, you literally— for three or four months—can’t run. You can barely walk without crutches, so your body isn’t accustomed to that. Once you get outside of the boot and all that, you’ve got to get your body back to just walking normally, running normally. And then you don’t get the power out of your calf, the push-off for another year.”

Sherman continued, “that you can do as many calf raises as you want but, in the moment of putting your body of real strain, you won’t feel the power that you’re used to feeling until a year out.” It’s fascinating to hear someone talk about their rehab process to me because I’ve never been through anything like it.

Sherman said he didn’t feel “springy” again until the middle of the season last year against the New York Giants. He went on to talk about how training has gone over the offseason once the sutures were removed.

“I feel normal. I feel like I can run; I can get to spots I’m used to getting. I can gallop; I can stop without pain. As an athlete, for the most part, we know our bodies. You can feel when something is coming on. You can feel when something is off. Your body is not generating power; you’re off, your balance is off. You can really, for the most part, feel those things. I felt them, but you just try to compensate. You say, ‘Man, I can figure out a way to be successful, to manage it with those inefficiencies.’ And that’s what I tried to do, and this year, I don’t have to manage those inefficiencies. I’ll be more efficient just in general.”

Sherman feels like he’s back. If a Hall of Fame corner says it, I’m believing him.

Sherman also spoke on a couple of other teammates returning from injury, including Jimmy Garoppolo, Jerick McKinnon, and Fred Warner. He said, “When you talk to Warner, every time you ask him how he’s doing, he says, ‘Legendary.’” I laughed. Listen to the rest of the interview in its entirety below.