SANTA CLARA — Richard Sherman ambled along the practice field sideline during Tuesday afternoon’s OTAs, approached a referee, and shook his hand.
“It’s a beautiful day,” Sherman said.
About 15 seconds later, Sherman — cleats on, gloves strapped, 49ers hat rested backwards— crouched over like a coach, observing the 11-on-11 drill. Safety Jaquiski Tartt diagnosed an out route and batted the ball away.
“Good shit, Tartt,” Sherman yelled, running alongside the defensive backs group toward the safety to celebrate.
This is prime Sherman — friendly, encouraging, and ultra-competitive — in his newfound role as the 49ers defensive leader. As he continues to recover from a ruptured Achilles suffered last November, he will likely not practice until the beginning of training camp, which will not begin for another two months or so. That has not deterred him, though, from imparting his knowledge to the young 49ers secondary.
On Tuesday afternoon, San Francisco held its second OTAs session of the offseason, and the first accessible to the media. Sherman followed around the cornerbacks to every drill.
When he saw a play he liked, he encouraged. When he saw an opportunity for a coaching point, he stepped in. He consistently pulled the young 49ers cornerbacks aside, including second-year Ahkello Witherspoon and rookies Tarvarius Moore and Tarvarus McFadden, all of who looked at Sherman with closed lips and nodding heads.
“That was all I wanted throughout college: to play across from Sherman,” Witherspoon said. “He was an idol of mine, and now just seeing him every day, he is just a regular dude. (He is) still great, don’t get me wrong, but just to have that opportunity to learn from him and pick his brain, that’s all I craved.”
Ahkello Witherspoon called Richard Sherman an idol of his growing up. “All I wanted throughout college was to play across from Sherman.” pic.twitter.com/x5It6PsRhJ
— Brad Almquist (@bquist13) May 22, 2018
Sherman, 30, is the elder statesman among a defensive back group with no one else older than 27. The four-time first-team All-Pro has embraced a leadership role in the two months since he arrived in the Bay Area.
Last year, Witherspoon said the defensive backs room came together during the drastic ups and downs of a 6-10 season that featured a nine-game losing skid and five-game winning streak. Those relationships have strengthened with Sherman as the leader.
“We had a good friendship in the room,” Witherspoon said, “but how can we expand on that and make it more authentic than it already was? So, that’s what we are trying to do, just be around one another, understand each other as people.”
The cornerback group has bonded through Go-karting, dinners, bowling outings, and attending Warriors playoff games together. Sherman usually takes the charge in more ways than just planning.
“He’s paying for it,” said Witherspoon, smiling. “We will take that.”
Witherspoon still can’t get over the most recent Go-kart trip that ended in a close defeat. After leading 15 of the 18 laps, he established such a large lead that he nearly lapped cornerback Trovon Reed. As Witherspoon approached, Reed, a former Seattle Seahawk, wouldn’t allow the 23-year-old past him, paving the way for a Sherman comeback. Surely enough, Sherman passed Witherspoon to steal the win.
He speculated collusion.
“Don’t they have Seattle ties?” Witherspoon said.
During his seven years with Seattle, he played alongside veteran Pro Bowlers including Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, and Brandon Browner.
This is a totally different feel. The current 49ers secondary looks much different than it did at the beginning of 2017. Sherman and his prized pupils are looking to establish the same type of camaraderie that helped mold the Seattle secondary into one of the league’s most special units.
“That was such a close group,” Witherspoon said. “(Sherman) comes here and understands that kind of relationship between players builds champions. That’s what we are trying to obtain.”
Brad Almquist is KNBR.com’s 49ers beat writer. Follow him on Twitter @Bquist13.