During his NFL career, Richard Sherman was somewhat wild. He had a wild and boisterous personality that made him a polarizing figure. At the same time, his relentless work ethic earned him praise.

That puts him in the same category as the late Kobe Bryant, who embodied the famed “Mamba Mentality”. The ability to possess tunnel vision to push through anything.

In fact, Sherman is ready to share a time when he received a text from Bryant at the perfect moment, per The Richard Sherman Podcast. In 2017, Sherman, playing for the Seattle Seahawks, tore his Achilles in a game against the Arizona Cardinals.

Sherman was inspired by Bryant, who famously walked off the court after tearing his Achilles in 2013. He pushed the trainers away and walked off the field himself.

Ultimately, the injury forced him to miss the rest of the season. During his rehab, Sherman had Bryant as a mentor, and that's when he received the text.

“Time to get to work, don't be a b*tch, you know the work that needs to be done…” Bryant said to Sherman.

Richard Sherman refused the cart when he blew his achilles because Kobe Bryant walked off his.

When Sherman got back to the locker room there was a text from Kobe: "Time to get to work, don't be a b*tch, you know the work that needs to be done…"

Richard's Kobe stories: pic.twitter.com/wqnzKi4noH

— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) September 15, 2026

Eventually, Sherman had to undergo surgery and grueling rehabilitation.

In March 2018, the Seahawks released Sherman and he was picked up by the San Francisco 49ers.

From there, Sherman had a standout season in 2019. Overall, he finished the season with 116 tackles, was named to the Pro Bowl, and the 49ers appeared in Super Bowl LIV.

Although he never officially retired, Sherman stepped away from playing in 2021.

But he will forever have Kobe Bryant to thank for getting him back to the game. Achilles,