Richard Sherman on Earl Thomas: “Like either the Dos Equis guy, or Chuck Norris”

RENTON Few know Earl Thomas like Richard Sherman does.

And no one can describe Earl Thomas like Richard Sherman does.

Sherman, the three-time All-Pro cornerback, has started next to the three-time All-Pro safety for 108 consecutive games in the Seahawks’ secondary, since game one of Sherman’s rookie season in 2011.

"Earl Thomas is kind of like either the Dos Equis guy, or Chuck Norris. He’s a guy who is exactly who people think he is, and better than the people who think he’s the best,” Sherman said Tuesday on the final day of Seattle’s training camp. “He’s better than the people who have the highest praise for him -- he’s better than that.

“I’ve seen him bend blades of grass,: Sherman said, jokingly (I think). “I’ve seen him catch footballs by just looking at them. I’ve seen him beat up Chuck Norris. I don’t know...”

Tuesday’s was a light practice – no pads, not even helmets – before Thursday’s second preseason game at home against Minnesota. During team scrimmaging, Thomas moved strong safety Kelcie McCray (playing with the starters while Kam Chancellor is out with a groin injury) over just before the snap to the exact place the ensuing play went.

"People don’t get to see him work on a daily basis. They don’t get to see how hard he goes, how hard he practices even when the practice doesn’t matter," Sherman said. "In walk-throughs he doesn’t let people catch the ball, he doesn’t let people execute their plays. When we’re supposed to let the offense catch it … he just doesn’t live his life that way.

"The only person who can beat Earl Thomas is Earl B. Thomas III. Or maybe the second; his dad might get him."

Sherman says Thomas even watches practices with supreme intensity.

"Nobody watches practice harder," Sherman said.

"Practice watches Earl Thomas, Earl Thomas doesn’t watch practice."

Yet Sherman also claims Thomas has a lighter side, one that would have fit in the WWE skit Serman performance in practice on Tuesday. That was the lead to my main story in Wednesday’s News Tribune.

This story was originally published August 17, 2016 at 9:45 AM with the headline "Richard Sherman on Earl Thomas: “Like either the Dos Equis guy, or Chuck Norris”."