The San Francisco 49ers have not been shy about making splashes over the past year. They solidified that notion with the signing of former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman to a three-year, $39 million deal this offseason.
Aside from the 49ers connection, Sherman and general manager John Lynch are both proud Stanford alumni. According to Jennifer Lee Chan of SB Nation, Lynch says the two became acquainted when he served as an honorary captain while Sherman was still playing for the Cardinal:
It’s something that we’ve talked about over the years. I’ve had him in a lot of production meetings, way back to when Harbaugh had me the honorary captain on a couple of occasions and Richard and I hit it off then. So it’s a connection that people — everyone’s got their connections, whatever school you went to in the league and that one runs deep and so it is a connection that Richard and I have and I guess it’s the reason why I knew him in the first place. I guess I would have come to know him as a great player in the league but met him way back in his college days and formed a relationship from that.
The two hitting it off should come as no surprise. It goes without saying that hailing from the same school can often serve as the ultimate recruiting tactic.
Aside from their Stanford connection, both players also now know what it is like to be premier players at their position. Sherman's rangy skill set and charismatic personality have made him one of the biggest stars in the NFL. Meanwhile, Lynch was known as one of the hardest-hitting safeties of his generation.
That said, it is encouraging to see the once-NFC West rivals now come together to help raise the 49ers out of irrelevancy.
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