Richard Sherman Podcast - 49ers' Upton Stout on AWESOME rookie season, Fred Warner's impact, WR matchups

Summary

The Richard Sherman Podcast (on The Herd with Colin Cowherd): San Francisco 49ers’ Upton Stout on His Rookie Season, Fred Warner’s Impact, and Matchups

Air Date: November 20, 2025
Guests: Upton Stout (49ers rookie cornerback)
Host: Richard Sherman

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Overview

In this engaging episode, Richard Sherman sits down with San Francisco 49ers rookie cornerback Upton Stout for an honest, insightful conversation about life as an NFL rookie. They discuss Stout’s adjustment to the league, the influence of 49ers veterans like Fred Warner, the complexity of playing nickel cornerback, building secondary chemistry amidst injuries, and navigating tough wide receiver matchups. The episode provides a look behind the scenes into the mindset, preparation, and personal stories that define a young defensive back’s first year in the NFL.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Upton Stout’s Rookie Experience

• Mindset and Growth
  • Upton reflects on appreciating every opportunity this season and the difference in mindset compared to college.
  • "I'm feeling the strain on the season, but it ain't bad because I know every week brings a new opportunity... just being able to learn and grow each and every week." (03:55)
• Early Expectations vs. Reality
  • Stout was the talk of 49ers’ training camp, praised for his confidence and aggression.
  • Emphasizes the high standard set by joining a successful 49ers defense: "That's the 49er way... it's either that or you're gonna be watching the game." (04:53)
• The Influence of Veterans
  • Credits Demo (Deommodore Lenoir) and Fred Warner for shaping his routine and approach.
  • "With Fred... just the extra hours in the building... getting your mind ready. With Demo, it's the way he approaches every game and every rep." (05:51)

Coaching and Leadership

• Energy from Coaches
  • Talks about the infectious energy of defensive coaches, praising their consistency and influence: "He’s a... I wouldn’t say the Energizer Bunny, but whenever he’s around... he comes around, huge smile, bringing the energy." (06:35)
• Position Challenges: Playing Nickel
  • Sherman and Stout agree: nickel corner is one of the hardest jobs in football, especially for a rookie.
  • Recalls his recent forced fumble and the importance of moving on from mistakes: "It’s always the 'next play' mentality... I’m just trying to be on my P’s and Q’s." (07:31)
• Hunting for His First Interception
  • Despite close calls ("Jazz took my first one away"), Stout remains patient: "I know it's coming though... the ball gotta find you." (08:07, 08:27)

Building Chemistry Amid Injury and Turnover

• Staying Connected in a Young, Rotating Secondary
  • Stout reveals the defense’s trick: check egos, know roles, communicate, and come together on Sundays.
  • "There’s no egos in the DB room. Whatever your job is, that's your job. Let’s figure out how we can do it to the best ability." (09:14)
• Communication and Routine
  • Sherman describes how older secondaries built unspoken trust while stressing the need for constant vocal communication so “nobody's out there alone.”
  • "If we're silent out there, it doesn't work...if we all wrong, we all right—we live like that." (12:42–14:39)

Differences Between College and NFL

• Complexity and Speed
  • Stout describes how offense motions create much more mental processing at the NFL level, especially in Kyle Shanahan's offense.
  • "In college...we’d just bump, here it's like, hey, you better tell me if it's bump, bump, because the whole defense could change." (10:22)
• Learning from the Best
  • Talks about reaching out to K'Waun Williams for insight into playing nickel at a high level: "I was just trying to pick his brain... how he’d play this, how he fit the gap." (11:38)

Preparation and Accountability

• Walkthroughs, Film Study, and Practice
  • Sherman highlights the details and intensity of preparation: “How you do anything is how you do everything...take walkthroughs serious. We ain't giving up no passes in walkthrough." (17:30)
• Accountability & Standards
  • Encourages self-accountability before talking to others: "The finger has to start with you. It never can start at nobody else...” (15:57)
• Adjusting Routines
  • Both note that not everyone is a film guy; field reps and customization are valid (23:38).

Facing WR Matchups: Lessons and Realities

• Toughest Receivers So Far
  • Cooper Kupp (his first game), and Puka Nacua highlighted for their route running and alignment versatility.
  • On Kupp: "That was really my first time in real, like, game matching... sometimes he lines up in the slot, then at Z, then at running back... changes the technique." (25:03)
  • "He was all the shit that you used to see on YouTube. He hitting you the same shit...but coming at a different speed now." (26:13)
• Ownership for Mistakes
  • Stout notes that DBs usually blame their own technique more than being outplayed.
• Advice from Sherman
  • Trust preparation and eyes; don’t try to account for every possible route.
  • "It's hard enough playing DB with the stuff you got in front of you... Trust your indicators, trust your eyes, trust your preparation, play fast." (27:16)

Veteran Mindset and Advice

• Recognizing Patterns
  • Sherman demystifies play-calling: "Everybody runs the same stuff...by your third, fourth year, you gonna be like, 'Are they ever gonna change stuff?'" (20:31, 20:35)
• Communication Leading to Domination
  • Stout is proud of the defense’s improvement in communicating and predicting plays in their latest game.
  • "Off that last game... it was one of the most, we was just out there communicating... alert the stickers, alert the Darius specials, they done did it two plays in a row.” (28:32)
• Looking Ahead
  • Sherman urges Stout to relish Monday Night Football, keep preparing, and appreciate growth.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Influence of 49ers Veterans
  "As far as like with Fred, I just feel like when it comes to like, the body maintenance, like, just the extra hours... just getting your mind ready more than having your mental right before the physical part of it.”
  — Upton Stout (05:51)

• On Roster Fluidity
  “There’s no egos in the DB room. Whatever your job is, that’s your job.”
  — Upton Stout (09:14)

• On Accountability
  “The finger has to start with you. It never can start at nobody else because that ain't never how it's gonna work.”
  — Richard Sherman (15:57)

• On Route Recognition in the NFL
  “You can't guard every route, man... You guarding stuff they ain't even got in their playbook."
  — Richard Sherman (22:35, 22:37)

• On Facing Cooper Kupp
  “He was all the shit that you used to see on YouTube. He hitting you the same shit... but coming at a different speed now.”
  — Upton Stout (26:13)

• On Defensive Chemistry
  “If you see something, say something.... Let's not just go out there and play. Let's go out there and dominate our assignment.”
  — Upton Stout (28:32)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:24–05:51 — Upton Stout discusses his rookie experience and veteran influence
• 06:27–08:27 — Nickel position challenges, playmaking moments, and adjusting mentality
• 09:14–10:22 — Building chemistry and navigating a rotating secondary
• 11:38–12:10 — Learning from K'Waun Williams
• 14:39–17:53 — Communication, preparation, and walkthrough standards
• 19:01–22:04 — Film study vs. field reps, play recognition, and simplifying the game
• 25:03–26:42 — Toughest wide receivers and adapting to their styles
• 28:32–29:48 — Team communication and mindset after recent games
• 29:48–31:38 — Looking ahead to Monday Night Football, jersey swap banter

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Tone and Style

The episode is candid, conversational, and full of practical wisdom — an experienced vet guiding an eager rookie. There’s playful banter (especially toward the end), mutual respect, and a real sense of camaraderie between Sherman and Stout, capturing what it’s like to be in an NFL defensive back room striving to be great.

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This summary is designed to give you the highlights, core lessons, and energy of the episode — whether you’re a 49ers fan, a football enthusiast, or simply looking for insights into pro athlete mentality and teamwork.

Transcript

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[Richard Sherman]

Welcome back to the Richard Sherman Podcast and today we got an incredible guest joining us, San Francisco 49ers cornerback Upton Stout. Pretty appreciate you joining me, brother.

[Upton Stout]

I appreciate you for having me, man. It's a blessing to be on here. One of the, one of the goats, man. One of the goats.

[Richard Sherman]

I appreciate that. How you feeling? It's. It's your first year in the league. You, you playing a lot more than I'm sure you was expecting coming in, but you had an incredible training camp and you've been having a really good season. Talk about how you feeling?

[Upton Stout]

Oh, I'm feeling blessed. I feel it's a blessing being this position or going into week 12. I'm feeling the strain on the season, but it ain't bad because I know every week brings a new opportunity. But it's like you could definitely feel the difference from like last year being around this time. I'd be getting ready, thinking about where I'm gonna train at this year. I'm thinking about how I'm finna end off these last seven to six games. But it's like I'm feeling good. I know every week it's a new opportunity, new opportunity to put something different or feel from this past week. So it's like just being able to learn and grow each and every week and try to get better each and every week. I feel like that's really my main focus. And it's been feeling good though.

[Richard Sherman]

Is it, is it what you, is the league what you expected like coming into training camp? You had an incredible training camp. You were to talk a training camp, if I remember and I remember coming up there and seeing you and you playing fast, playing confident, aggressive, physical. What, what went into your mindset going into there? Because not, not many Rookies come in playing like you were playing.

[Upton Stout]

I mean, I feel like first figuring knowing that I'm coming to the 49ers, knowing that what's already indebted here. So it's like me knowing that I'm finna come into a room that already had grace in it and the grace that's in it now as far as demo, Fred and Boza. So I'm already feeling like I gotta come in and step up my gas because, like, that's the 49 away. So it's like it's either that or you gonna be watching the game. So it's like really just having that mindset, just trying to grow each and every day and training. Kept leaning on all the vets and stuff. So I just feel like me just having that, man, let's do a mindset. Like, let's just put it all on the table and shoot however it goes. That's how it goes. It's all in God's hand.

[Richard Sherman]

What. What vet do you think had the biggest influence on how you start approaching the game and your routine? Because I feel like when I was coming up, it was Marcus Truffant just watching how he carried himself, watching how he did things in the locker room, watching how he did things off the football field, really had an impact on. On how I started to do things. Who was that for you?

[Upton Stout]

Oh, I'd probably say it's kind of like a little like a 50, 50 with demo and Fred. Just seeing the way, like, Demo approaches every game, how he approaches, like, all his reps, and, like, the way he goes through practice Monday through Saturday to get ready for the game. And then as far as, like, with Fred, I just feel like when it comes to, like, the body maintenance, like, just the extra hours in the building and things like that, just getting your mind ready more than having your mental right before the physical part of it. So it's like I just feel like just seeing how them two operate throughout the week, and really I could just pick up bits and pieces from how they both maneuver through the week.

[Richard Sherman]

Talk about Salah and how different he is and how much energy Salah comes with every single day.

[Upton Stout]

We all know Advance. I ain't a lot like, he's a. I feel like he's a. What's the. I wouldn't say the energizer bunny, but it's like whenever he's around, like, you, you already got to know. You got to be on point. You got to be happy because, like, he's going to come around Huge smile, bringing the energy. Like the third down, Guru, man.

[Richard Sherman]

Right. The third down, guru. I love it. I love it. Nickel. People don't understand. Nickel might be one of the hardest positions to play in the National Football League, and to come in and play it as a rookie and. And to make the impact that you have a great forced fumble last week on. On. Was it Higgins at the goal line against Arizona?

[Upton Stout]

Well, yeah. Y' all couldn't tell who it was. I just remember.

[Richard Sherman]

But that was a huge play in the game. That was a huge play. You got your first turnover on the game of your. Of your career. That had to feel good.

[Upton Stout]

Yeah, it felt good, for sure. You know, during that moment, like, you will never. Like, you don't ever focus on it, just. Cause, like, the heaven flows of the game, like, early in the game, getting bombed deep. So it's like, really just like, it's always the next mentality, the next play mentality, no matter if it's a bad play, good play. So, like, having bad play was all. It's a blessing. During it, like, during. Like, you realize after just like, during it, it's like, man, what's the next play I have to make for the defense or what's the next thing? I'm just trying to be on my P's and Q's just so like, the first. The first play don't happen again. We just leave it for the win.

[Richard Sherman]

I know you looking for your first book. I know you're looking for your first pick.

[Upton Stout]

I'm skating for angle. I need my first book, man. Jazz took my first one away with. I ain't tripping. That's a little temper Tab. Like, man, I know it's coming, though. I know it's coming. We got seven, eight, nine more opportunities, so I know it's coming in the woodworks.

[Richard Sherman]

Yeah, if you look great, DB Coach always told me, if you keep doing your job right, the ball will hit you in the face. You just gotta make the play.

[Upton Stout]

Gotta find you some way, somehow, the ball gotta find you. Play dv. Everything going to be on point, random ball. Got to find it.

[Richard Sherman]

It's gonna find you. It's gonna find you. It's. It's. It's cool, y'. All. Y'. All Such a young secondary, and it's been so many injuries, so many moving pieces. Jair's in one week, Malik Mustafa comes back, Pinnock's in there, and. And it's just been so much more. How do you guys try to keep the. The continuity? It doesn't seem like there's any division or anything like that. But it's hard to find a rhythm and communication. We played with the same group for a very long time, so it was like. Knew him like the back of my hand. Didn't even have to look at him. Like, all right, I know what you think. I don't even, don't even look over here. But it's tough to build that with so much movement. How have you guys been working on that?

[Upton Stout]

I really just realized, like, we. We can't make this script. We can only make how we could, like, how we approach every day. Like, we like, we all know, like, what we like, what we bring to the back end. And we all got our own rolling. It's like we all, we just got our own rolling. Like one rose, big nickel, regular nickel, Dom. Like, we all got to figure out our role and just own up until I'm rolling. It's like there's no egos in the DB room. It's like, whatever your job is, that's your job. And let's figure out how we can do it to the best ability. And if it ain't like, if it's any type of gray area, let's just all figure it out. And at the end of the day on Sunday, we all got to go out there together and let's just come together and just figure out how we can all get it done.

[Richard Sherman]

As a back end, what's been the toughest adjustment between college and NFL? A lot of guys come in saying, oh, it's just so much faster. I can't honestly say I felt that way a little bit early on, but I honestly felt like the league was a lot simpler for me than college because it's so much you got to prepare for in college. It's like 85 different offenses in the league. It's like three or four. You know, you got either this system, this system, or this system. But playing nickel is different because you got to. You got to be looking inside, watch guard, pull, next available. All that. I didn't have to deal with all that.

[Upton Stout]

I feel like as far as like, kind of like the biggest change as far as like gang wise. Like early on in college when I was at nickel all we did like any type of motions or anything. We'll just bump it all. Like once you get on one side, like you're on that side here, it's like, hey, you better tell me if it's bump, bump.

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Are you moving?

[Upton Stout]

Because the whole defense could change either if you stay or if you Go. So it's like really just being on those motions, trying to just decipher what's a choo choo, what's a jet, what's the regular motion. So really just doing that and just trying to be on point with just the ebb and flows of the game. Really just the motioning part, that was really the thing that was really getting me in training camp the most. Especially, you know how Shanahan offense is, the amount of motion going into one place. So you running over hood and me trying to run over hood and run over here. It just wasn't like I was really just trying to indecipher and get all the areas where it's like, okay, I go bump this, I can follow this, I can carry this, and things like that. I feel like that's the biggest difference.

[Richard Sherman]

KK K1 Williams, one of the best nickels I think I've ever played with. One of the best to do it that. That people don't give him enough credit. That year in 2019, that boy is as smooth as they come. Knowing it, playing it, playing fast, being where he's supposed to be. They said they got you in contact with him. What were those conversations like?

[Upton Stout]

Really? I was just trying to pick his brain. Like, really just trying to figure out, like, how he ate in the defense, how he maneuvered through everything, like different route concepts, how he would play this, how he would play his man on this down distance, how he would play this blend technique, how he would fit the gap. So really just whatever I would get hit with in training camp, I wanted to know how he would. How he defended. And then I just wanted to see some clips of him, like, how he played it and like, just how was his man reps and just really just seeing anything that I can get from the time he was here and just really just pick his brain.

[Richard Sherman]

I want to make this more conversation. I don't want to just keep shooting questions at you, and you don't got nothing for me. If you got any questions, you. You. You say what you need to say.

[Upton Stout]

Let me see. You know, I got a lot of.

[Richard Sherman]

Questions, but it's, hey, we got time. We got time. You go ahead.

[Upton Stout]

I want to know, like, how was it? Like, how was the DB group was, like, when you was here? Like, how. When you was the leader of the back end, like, how was the. How was the vibe? Like, how would y' all approach the week? How would y' all approach every day and things like that going into, like, a game week?

[Richard Sherman]

That's interesting. Because D.B. was there, D.B. my guy. But it's just. It's just a nice focus. We were a fun group. I thought we had a good group. We had young guys. We had a mix of young guys and veterans. I think you guys don't have as many vets, so it's a little different. But Jaquiski, Tart, and. And. And we had Jimmy, Jimmy Ward, and K.K. we had guys who. Who understood. Guys who hadn't necessarily dealt with a lot of winning, but they understood how to play the game at a high level, and it was accountability. We came into the week, everybody knew, you know, you go your first and second down, your third down on Thursdays, your red zone, et cetera, et cetera. But we treated walkthroughs really seriously. You know, there's a lot of. There's not silence out there, you know, I mean, you ain't gonna be silent out there with me. I said, we gonna talk this through. You know, it's gonna be very noisy in these walkthroughs. Very noisy in the. On the field, because you want to build that kind of confidence. Everybody knows you got quiet. It feels like nobody knows what's going on. Nobody. You quiet because you don't know what's going on. So speak up. We could all be saying the same thing. Hey, alert spot, alert spot, alert spot. I'm good with that. Like everybody's saying, but long as everybody talking, same thing. We all wrong. We all right. We live like that. But if we silent out there, it doesn't work. So our preparation was really good. It was really detailed. We talk everything through again, like you said, no egos was the. Was the main thing. It's all about winning. No matter what it takes, no matter who makes the play, who gets the interception, etc. Etc. It's about winning. So if we need to talk to the backers and Fred and. And Greenlaw or. Or whoever it is, we need to have those conversations or a quan. Whoever it is, we're having those conversations. Hey, when we get this route, I'm gonna play here. You gonna drive that, all right? So that dig's gonna be open. How you gonna play it? I'm gonna drive this or I'mma playoff and you gonna like. We need to understand how we gonna play each and every route so that when we're out there, we're playing fast. And how we play it in walkthrough is how we play it in practice. How we play it in practice, how we gonna play it in the game?

[Upton Stout]

Yeah.

[Richard Sherman]

Yeah.

[Upton Stout]

How long do you feel like it took for y' all to get that communication down? Where it's like, okay, if it's this and that, or do you feel like right when you step. Footing like this gotta change or. You know what I mean?

[Richard Sherman]

No, it took. It took. At least I got there in 18 and I had an Achilles, and, you know, it was just not a great culture. Jimmy G got injured and we were beat up. We only won, like, four games, which is how we end up with Bosa the next year. But throughout that year, I felt like we were building the habits like you. Somebody got to be consistent and holding the standard, like, regardless of how things going. Like, this is the standard we're trying to play to. And we can't just accept, hey, it ain't going well, so we just cool with this. Nah, that ain't never it. We got to be detailed. We got to be on our jobs to give us a chance. So if we playing wrong and guys making mistakes, then there's accountability. There's no disrespectful accountability, but there's accountability. Like, the coaches do it, but we got to hold each other accountable. Like, it's unacceptable. Not like, hey, mother, what you doing, man?

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What you.

[Richard Sherman]

You ain't doing your job. Like, none of that. These grown men, that ain't never going to work like that. So it got to be like, hey, brother, hey, I love you to death. I know you doing your best. We can't. We got to be better than this today. We got to be better than this. Let's be better than this. We all have to be better than starting with me. Always the finger. Got to start with you. It never can start at nobody else because that ain't never how it's gonna work.

[Upton Stout]

Yeah.

[Richard Sherman]

So always work to get yourself better and be the example, and then you can talk to other people. But if you ain't perfect, Probably need to work on you first.

[Upton Stout]

Yeah. Venture off to other places.

[Richard Sherman]

Right? So it's. It's trusting each other and understanding. Like, nobody's out there alone. You never should feel like you out there by yourself. Like you. You out there with 10 of your brothers, and we ain't leaving you by yourself. Even you in the Nicholas, man to man cover. No, we got your back. We got your back. We're not about to let you look if he catches. We all swarming, too. We all swarming, and we trying to get there to help you. And I think that helps build confidence and camaraderie. But in those walkthroughs make sure you talk and make sure you're taking them serious. We ain't giving up no passes and walk through. Yeah, I hated that. I hate. I hate letting people score in red zone drills. I hate when they catch it at the five and you let them, like, walk in after.

[Upton Stout]

It messed up my whole day. I'm like, man, nah, nah.

[Richard Sherman]

And. And Kyle used to get mad because he'd be like, oh, y'.

[Upton Stout]

All.

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Y'.

[Upton Stout]

All.

[Richard Sherman]

Yo, we. We gotta. Y' all gotta let us catch it. The offenses I don't give it. Take us off the field then, Kyle, we ain't. We ain't doing all that. Take me off the field, and you can go put the scout team on. You can catch a little pass. But that ain't how we gonna work today.

[Upton Stout]

See, that's probably what it was. Y' all probably had changed rules. Y' all probably made them change the rules galore. It's like now it's like the first team offense going against the scouts now. It's not finna be like, the world gonna win. Y' all made em change it.

[Richard Sherman]

Yeah, it ain't no ones on one. We not giving none of that. But that's the standard. Like, how you do anything is how you do everything. And so once you live by that and you push that, it starts to become your mentality. You ain't walk through it. Throw the ball, bat down, pick like, I don't. I don't care. I don't care. I might start wearing cleats to walk through if y' all start getting really, really jazzy.

[Upton Stout]

DB don't let us even come out there. Shoes. He always say, hey, if you gonna be in the water, you gotta put your cleats on too much. Anybody slip, hey, why you slip? You ain't dodge your cleats on a standard.

[Richard Sherman]

DB Know what it take?

[Upton Stout]

Yeah. Nah, for sure. For sure. Well, how long do you think it took for you to have, like, that mindset? Like, when you first got a ly? How long did you think it took for it to, like, all right, bet. Like, I can do this.

[Richard Sherman]

Honestly, it was quick for me because our group, you know, we had me, Cam Earl, by my second year, we were rolling. And it was. Cause we challenged each other every day. We challenged each other to be great. It wasn't like, man, like, y' all got Demo. Demo's the guy right now. It wasn't like, oh, Demo's the guy. Like, man, you know, look how good it's like, Demo the guy. I'm about to prepare as good or better than demo. I'm about to know. DB I promise you got y' all as prepared as. As y' all can. Gonna be. Like, I know I don't. You ain't gotta tell me.

[Upton Stout]

I know I'm somebody. The indicating tape is deep. Whatever clip you trying to see, the indicator tape is loaded, but you gotta translate it.

[Richard Sherman]

And the way you translate it is making. Taking those. Like, there almost should be no completions in. In practice. Not that we were perfect like that, but we played so damn fast, if. If we picked it and walked through. We picked it in practice, and we picked it in the game, like. Or they didn't throw it in the game, but it wasn't like, hey, we saw it in practice. They gave us the indicator in the game, and we didn't take advantage. You didn't lost your goddamn mind. Not against us. That's just high IQ football. And you got to train yourself that way. Like, when you playing fast and you competitive and you tired, you got to recognize those indicators, and you got to play just as fast. You see it right here. Hey, remember in practice, hey, it's max protect. Look, double dig. Alert the post. Hey, drive the dig. I got you over the top. Bang. Let's go play the. You know, So I think by my second year, we were pretty dialed in. And then after that, we were just building on it, just rolling.

[Upton Stout]

Yeah, it's like, you can see that on there. You can see that on the tape, on the film. It's like, y' all just out there having fun out there calling out the play before it even started.

[Richard Sherman]

Because it's not that hard. There's only so much they can do. It's not like people gonna come out there and reinvent their playbook.

[Upton Stout]

And I feel like that's probably, like, what I'm really, like, trying to learn right now, because when I first got here, I'm like, man, what if I get this route? This route, this route, this route. It's like, young buck, you ain't gonna get all them routes. Like, it's only so much they can do in this one, man. It's only so much they can do on this one. But they said, you don't have to think about all those routes. Once he gives you his release and show you his film, you can go early and cancel out three of those routes. Now you're only getting two from here now, Right?

[Richard Sherman]

Like, the game is so simple. Everybody runs the same stuff.

[Upton Stout]

Yeah.

[Richard Sherman]

So if you in the slot and y' all in the Red zone or y' all at the 15 or something, and they main receiver is at 2. It's probably a 7 cut. Yeah, it's probably a 7. If you gotta guess. If you gotta guess something and you ain't got no indicators and you worry guess7, I would assume that's what's gonna happen. They're not really running digs. They could motion, and if they do some kind of motion and bring somebody out, it's probably double post. Like, 90% of the time. I'm telling you. Like, you play in the league long enough after. After your third, fourth year, you're gonna be like, bro, are they ever gonna change stuff? Like, are y' all ever gonna. Y' all gonna really motion and run double post every time when y' all do this?

[Upton Stout]

Like, I can't wait till that point where it's like, oh, yeah, y' all really gonna do this.

[Richard Sherman]

But. But that's what I'm saying. Start paying attention to the indicator. Start paying attention to the patterns. You gonna start the teams that they repeat stuff. If y' all got beat by something, whatever. You got beat on that 80 yard, that long pass.

[Upton Stout]

Yeah.

[Richard Sherman]

Next five teams, you getting it?

[Upton Stout]

Yeah. Yeah. Trust me. Yeah.

[Richard Sherman]

Like, that's. That's what's gonna happen. And then the more you realize it's not. Oh, man, what if they do this? Hey, what things have they done? And what can they do off of that? Oh, they've been running smash seven. Okay, they could run smash seven and pump. They could run double seams, third and 12th. Plus, they've run this. They've run kite.

[Upton Stout]

All right.

[Richard Sherman]

Those are the things they can run, not 500 different things. It's like four.

[Upton Stout]

When I first got here, like, it would be, boom, two on two, running back away. Like, some of the things you could expect. Lying. But I'd be like, what if I kind of get a point, a coast? I mean, a post, queen corner. What if he does a center? It's like, if I head all over the place, and I'm just. I'm trying to guard every route, but it's like, listen, you can't guard every route, man.

[Richard Sherman]

You.

[Upton Stout]

You.

[Richard Sherman]

You can't. You don't have to.

[Upton Stout]

Yeah, you.

[Richard Sherman]

You guarding stuff. They couldn't even. They ain't even got their playbook.

[Total Wireless Sponsor]

Yeah.

[Richard Sherman]

I think I got one post corner in my entire career. Larry Fitzgerald did it, and I got PI on the play. I ain't going to lie to you. I got PI cuz. I was not expecting it. I was like. I was like, Post, corner. Like, damn, I was all over the post. Emma turned around to run the corner. I said, aha. Larry, I gotta. We gotta. We gotta go.

[Upton Stout]

We.

[Richard Sherman]

I gotta grab you. I gotta grab you, baby. We go. We gonna go ahead and get to the next play. But, yeah, man, it's. It. The more you realize that, the more it's gonna allow you to play fast. I'm telling you. That's why I got 41 picks on the. On the career. It started making sense.

[Upton Stout]

I'm chasing it. I'm chasing it. I'm chasing.

[Richard Sherman]

Don't chase it. Don't chase it. Look, chase the play. Understand the plays in concept. The ball start hitting you in the face, you'll be like, all right, this is the concept. Oh, I recognize that. All right, I'm gonna play this. Like, this quarterback gonna be like, up, and you gonna be like, yeah, that's it.

[Upton Stout]

Easy money throughout the week. Was you big on film study or was you more of like a. I gotta go through it in order for me to really, like, pick up on it.

[Richard Sherman]

Both. Both and. And don't be. Don't be frustrated if you ain't either way. Like, if you're a field guy, then go get your field reps. Yeah. And walk through it on the field. Y' all got plenty of free time. Go out there and if you need to walk your way through it again, take your walk through rep seriously. Like, you the guy. If you the starter and you say, hey, the two, I need a couple extra reps. I might need to like, DB I might need to take both set of reps this time. Like, I need to see it. That happens sometimes, you know? I mean, if you're a film guy, watch the tape, you know, I mean, understand it. Do all that. But either way, whichever guy you are, I could do it both ways. Just master that. Don't feel like, hey, man, I'm not. I'm watching 10, 15 hours of film and it's not sticking. Like, it doesn't work for everybody.

[Upton Stout]

Yeah.

[Richard Sherman]

That's okay. Some guys are straight field guys. Like, they. They can watch install all day and not get a play. They can go on the field and walk through it two times, and they got it.

[Upton Stout]

Yeah.

[Richard Sherman]

Yeah. You know, so don't. Don't feel like you got to be a big time field guy. For me, that worked out. For some guys, it doesn't.

[Upton Stout]

I get what you say. I get what you say. So who.

[Richard Sherman]

Who's been the toughest receiver so far? You've dealt with.

[Upton Stout]

The toughest receiver. I'D probably say on our flight, I get good bump every week just. Cause like, yo, talk it.

[Richard Sherman]

Talk your stuff there.

[Upton Stout]

But it's. I'd probably say probably my first game with Cooper cup, just Cause, like, the amount of position they was put in, like, you know, I had missed the preseason for injury, so this was really like my first time in real, like, game matching. And then, like, sometimes I will be calling, man, and it was different. Cause like, boom. You line up in the slot. Okay. Like, that's regular. But now once you start going at the zoo alignment at running back and all other type of stuff. Like, now, like, that's kind of changed the way I got to play my technique. Like, I can't play pure step or I can't play the scooch. Now I gotta figure out, like, now I gotta try to play for Mark with you coming out of the backfield. Now I gotta hold the angle route, the out route, the fade route. So really probably that and just, like, how savvy he was, trying to run his routes and things like that. So I feel like that was a good first game.

[Richard Sherman]

Yeah, that's a tough first game. He was vetting you up. He was hitting you all the vet stuff.

[Upton Stout]

He was all the shit that you used to see on YouTube. He hitting you the same shit.

[Richard Sherman]

Like, it looked different in person.

[Upton Stout]

This shit coming at a different speed now.

[Richard Sherman]

No question.

[Upton Stout]

I fly. Puka was the puka wheel. He gave me some good routes too, though. Like, he gave me, like, some good. Some good releases and things like that. So I feel like those two was really like, all right, bet. Let's. Let's do it. It's gonna be one of these, like, come on.

[Richard Sherman]

Yeah, you gonna learn. You gonna go against everybody at some point or another. Some dudes you gonna think, man, I heard this dude was nice, and you ain't gonna feel like he as nice as you done heard. And then some dudes, you're gonna be.

[Upton Stout]

Like, you know, the mind of the db. A lot of times when you get beat, you don't even feel like it's the receiver. Like, you feel like, man, I should have fixed this on my technique. And this is an easy play. So it's like. That's why I feel like that question is really. It's really hard to answer because a lot of the times you feel like it's on you, like, they ain't really do nothing crazy. Like, you just did this or this wrong and already been like, let them do it again. Watch what happening.

[Richard Sherman]

Right? Right. My biggest advice to you would be trust your eyes. Trust. Don't overthink. Don't. Don't put thoughts in your head and routes in your head that aren't there. It's hard enough play DB with. With the. The stuff you got in front of you. See your indicators. Trust your eyes, trust your preparation. Play fast. Like you. You gonna have a hard time getting books if you. You trying to guess all nine routes they could be running. Like, they not running those routes. All right, if. If two going in. If. If two running a slant and one running a slant. How am I gonna play it? Yeah, like, that's when you start getting picks. It's like understanding what's about to come, what coverage we in and where the ball should go. Like, hey, they giving us curl flat. All right, we in cover three. So the. I'm the buzzer. I gotta go with the flat. I could hold off a little bit in the curl window, but then I can go to the flat. That'll force the ball to the flat. The. The corner should be driving the dig. I mean, the curl. There's a sit route over the ball that should pull the other hook. So the ball should go to the curl. So now it's like, I'mma go to the flat a little bit, and when I see quarterback set up, do I try to pick the curl or do I let tell the quarter? Hey, alert. Alert the curl. Alert the curl so he can drive it. That's when you really starting to. To play.

[Upton Stout]

Yeah, yeah. How you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I ain't lies coming, though. I ain't lying. That type of. That type of mindset, that type of communication, that back it is coming. Because even off that last game, I feel like last game was one of the most games, we was just out there communicating. Like, oh, three by one. Alert the stickers or alert the Darius specials. They done did it two plays in a row. Come on, let's find. Make them play for us. I feel like. I mean, pay for it. So I feel like last day we was really on the communication. Like, you could tell through the twos, the Wednesday practice, the walkthroughs and things like that. Like, everybody was like, all right, bet. Like, let's own in. Let's own the indicators. If you see something, say something. If the corner on the right side see something, to the corner on the left side see someone. So, like, everybody was really just in tune in. Already been like, let's figure out how we can go out here on Sunday. Really. Like, let's not just go out there. And play. Let's go out there and dominate our assignment.

[Richard Sherman]

Yes. Yes. Y' all getting there? It's clicking. I love to hear that. I love to hear that. Well, this, this. Y' all got Monday Night Football coming up. This your first one? You feeling good?

[Upton Stout]

Yeah, yeah, I'm feeling good. You know, I'm ready. I'm. I'm ready. I'm ready, I'm prepared. I'm ready to see what Monday night has to come for.

[Richard Sherman]

Yeah, I can't wait.

[Upton Stout]

Good opportunity.

[Richard Sherman]

It's going to be a great opportunity. Just go out there and again, take walkthrough series. Keep that communication, keep. Keep building that trust in one another. It's going to all work out.

[Upton Stout]

Nah, for sure. I appreciate you. I appreciate you.

[Richard Sherman]

Yes, sir. Appreciate you all love. I know it's. It's your off day, so I don't want to take too much more of your time. We can go on for a long time.

[Upton Stout]

I need a jersey, though. I need a jersey. No more. I need it.

[Richard Sherman]

Okay, okay. Let me get a Jaybird on. Which one you want?

[Upton Stout]

Come on, I know you like the old Jbird. I know Jaybird can get here in the next two to three days.

[Richard Sherman]

No question. No question. That's what I'm saying. Which one you want, though? Yeah, you want the Niners one or the two? Are you. You in San Francisco?

[Upton Stout]

Come on, I need the Niners one. Come on, I need the Niners one.

[Richard Sherman]

I'll have J. Bird send me one off and get it back to you.

[Upton Stout]

I appreciate that, man. That's real. That's real.

[Richard Sherman]

Yes, sir. All love.

[Upton Stout]

No, for sure. That's love. For sure.

[Richard Sherman]

Oh, oh, speaking of that, I gotta get. You want a jersey? I gotta get some of your clothes. Then you gotta send me some of your clothing brand, you know what I mean?

[Upton Stout]

I got a clothing brand. I got a couple pieces I can get you, right? You know, I be saying, you be throwing on the fist on a Sunday night. I gotta throw you a little right?

[Richard Sherman]

Get your boy right.

[Upton Stout]

Look like how you want it to look because you know you would normally go button down the thing like it ain't no butter down. It's really like a little street wearing shirt. Maybe you can get one.

[Richard Sherman]

Look, look, look. I can wear it when I'm on the street then.

[Upton Stout]

Yeah, yeah, you can look, you can wear it when you're doing something like what you doing right now. Like you can wear when you're on the pod, kicking it.

[Richard Sherman]

Right, right, right. Yeah, give me some of that lazy ways.

[Upton Stout]

Nah, I got you. I got a couple boxes in the back that I gotta ship off anyway.

[Richard Sherman]

Okay. Okay. Give me right. Well, I appreciate you brother. You enjoy your off day and we'll have you on later on when y' all headed to the playoffs and you ball and you get your second and third pick.

[Upton Stout]

The conversation next time we talk man conversation stat sheet look a whole lot different. There's a whole lot of more blessings on it.

[Richard Sherman]

I know it will be. It will be. For sure.

[Upton Stout]

N for sure. I appreciate you for having me man. I appreciate you man.

[Richard Sherman]

Anytime, anytime. I look forward to the next time.

[Upton Stout]

Appreciate you.

[Richard Sherman]

Foreign.

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[Richard Sherman]

Nmls910457 what a matchup we got y'. All. This is that classic HBCU vibe. Non stop action. The band is rocking and the crowd lit. Chance echo drum beat everybody showing that school pride game like this. Yeah, it calls for an ice cold Coca Cola. Ah, crisp and refreshing. That's a game changer right there.

[Upton Stout]

Mmm.

[Richard Sherman]

Yeah, that taste always hits the right note, just like the band at halftime. And just like that, we're back at it. Passionate fans, school colors everywhere, and an ice cold Coca Cola. That's a winning combo no matter the sport, no matter the yard. Everybody knows fan work is thirsty work. So grab a Coca Cola and keep that HBCU pride going.

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[Sophie Cunningham]

This is an iHeart podcast.