Richard Sherman has made it.
Sherman, the Seattle Seahawks All Pro cornerback, has transcended the sports world so greatly that Time magazine has named him to their list of the world’s 100 most influential people.
Sherman’s rant solidified his reputation as one of the brashest and most candid players in the buttoned-up NFL. More important, it sparked a national conversation about race, stereotyping and sportsmanship.
When critics labeled the dreadlocked defensive star a “thug,” Sherman, a Compton, Calif.–raised Stanford graduate, engaged the debate, asking if the term was today’s way of calling him the N word? In a heartbeat, Sherman altered the discourse and emerged as the smartest voice in the room.
The 26-year-old Sherman was one of only 10 people under 30 who made the list.