Richard Sherman on Antonio Cromartie: I Helped You Get to Pro Bowl
Antonio Cromartie took a shot at Richard Sherman last week, telling SiriusXM NFL Radio that he's "not the best cornerback in the NFL."
Well, as outspoken as Sherman is, you just knew that this wasn't going to sit well with him. And on Tuesday, the Seattle Seahawks' star returned fire at Cromartie, saying he helped the New York Jets cornerback make the Pro Bowl last season.
"That was unfortunate," Sherman told ESPN about Cromartie's comments. "You would think after me helping him get a Pro Bowl bid [for the 2014 season]...We went to the Super Bowl and he wouldn't have made it to the Pro Bowl otherwise. And now he's talking bad."
With Sherman and the Seahawks playing in the Super Bowl, Cromartie took Sherman's place in the Pro Bowl as an alternate.
And about Cromartie's criticism that Sherman doesn't defend his team's No. 1 wide receiver, Sherman offered this: "I think it's just one of those things that it's the ignorance of the public. How many great left tackles do you see switching to the right side because a great D-end switches to the right side? You don't see it. Great players stay on their side and do what they're supposed to do. How many guys have you seen switching from side to side on a No. 1 defense? You've never seen it. We're the No. 1 defense for a reason. Who coaches a No. 1 defense to be worse?"
Sherman believes being great comes with a fair share of hate, which he thinks Cromartie was doing. The fact that the Seahawks are coming off back-to-back Super Bowl appearances only adds to it.
"I guess when you're doing something great you're always going to have naysayers and detractors," Sherman said. "They just need an excuse for why we're great and why we have so much success. They have to give themselves some credibility somewhere.
"It is what it is. We're No. 1, so it must be working. It's an effective strategy for us. Obviously, we're playing at a high level. We're going to keep doing what we do. We've been No. 1 in scoring defense the past three years. If it ain't broke, don't break it."
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(Photos from left: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images, Rob Carr/Getty Images)
