Several San Francisco 49ers players have expressed their gratitude toward their recently retired teammate, Joe Staley. Cornerback Richard Sherman did so on Sunday, the day after the 49ers legend announced that he was calling it a career.
Sherman's comments are noteworthy because, as he points out, the two used to be adversaries battling on the football field for NFC West supremacy. The future Hall of Fame cornerback has gotten to know Staley over the past two years and shared his thoughts on his Niners teammate ending his illustrious career.
@jstaley74 We started off as adversaries and ended up teammates. Watching you lead men and go to work everyday has been inspiring and motivating. Your leadership and presence will forever be LEGENDARY. Thank you brother! Proud to share the sideline with you! pic.twitter.com/auPYfFBvYs
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) April 27, 2020
Staley's bitterness toward Sherman ran deep before he had an opportunity to share a locker room with the cornerback. You might remember the 13-year veteran once sharing that he didn't know what to think about Sherman when the 49ers signed the former Seattle Seahawk.
"I told him this to his face ... I thought I was going to hate him," Staley said in 2018 of his first conversation with Sherman after the two became teammates, "because I hated him when he was in Seattle. He was just one of those guys that kind of got under your skin."
It didn't take Staley long to realize what a great teammate Sherman could be and what an asset he would become for the team.
"I think that's what makes him such a great teammate is his ability to rattle the opponent," Staley added. "You're not going to be upset with a guy that's doing his job at the highest level, and he's been able to do that for years."
