Jerry Sherk

Last updated

Jerry Sherk
JerrySherk.jpg
Sherk during a Cleveland Browns game circa 1972
No. 72
Position: Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (1948-07-07) July 7, 1948 (age 75)
Grants Pass, Oregon, U.S.
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:258 lb (117 kg)
Career information
High school: Grants Pass
College: Oklahoma State
NFL draft: 1970  / Round: 2 / Pick: 47
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:147
Fumbles recovered:12

Jerry Martin Sherk (born July 7, 1948) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons between 1970 until 1981. He made the Pro Bowl lineup for four straight years from 1973 through 1976, [1] and is widely considered to be among the best defensive players in Cleveland Browns history. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

College career

Jerry Sherk was born in Grants Pass, Oregon. [5] He attended Grants Pass High, where he joined the school's wrestling and football teams. [6]

Sherk attended Grays Harbor College in Aberdeen, Washington and Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma. During high school, he played on both the football and wrestling teams in both his junior and senior years. He was an All-Big Eight selection on the gridiron in 1969 and an All-American as a Cowboy grappler in 1969. He was inducted to the Oklahoma State Hall of Honor in 2000. He was the key to the Grays Harbor wrestling teams winning wrestling state titles two years in a row. Individually, he also won back-to-back state titles and in 1968, he pinned every opponent he faced.

Professional career

Sherk was selected in the second round (47th overall) of the 1970 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns. [7] His first game was on September 21, 1970, the first regular edition of Monday Night Football. [8] He became a starting player immediately, and soon became noted as having a knack for getting to the quarterback. [1] [9] Sherk was part of an AFC Central Division in which each team boasted All-Pro quality defensive tackles: the Pittsburgh Steelers' Joe Greene, the Cincinnati Bengals' Mike Reid, and the Houston Oilers' Curley Culp, with Greene and Culp earning enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

He was part of a 1972 Browns team that went 10-4 and advanced to the playoffs, losing to the undefeated Miami Dolphins. Sherk led the Browns in sacks with 10½ sacks and led teams' defensive linemen in tackles with 91, after totaling three sacks and 83 tackles in 1970 and 84 tackles with 4 1/2 sacks in 1971. The following year Sherk played in his first Pro Bowl after sacking opposing quarterbacks 5½ times and making 100 tackles, most by any Browns defensive lineman that season. In 1974 Sherk made his second Pro Bowl and led the Browns with 10 sacks to go with his 94 tackles.

In 1975 Sherk made his third consecutive Pro Bowl and was named All-AFC. He is known for punching St. Louis Cardinals QB, Jim Hart, in they eye during the Pro Bowl game causing him to leave the game with six stitches above his eye. According to Hart he did not apologize. He matched his own career-high of 100 tackles and recorded six sacks. In 1976 Sherk recorded 12 sacks and 92 tackles and was voted the NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA). Sherk was a consensus All-Pro, making the AP, PFWA, NEA teams as well as being consensus All-AFC for the second consecutive year. November 14, 1976 he set club record with four sacks in one game. He capped the season off by playing in his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl.

At a September 1977 preseason match against the Green Bay Packers, Sherk seriously injured his knee. [10] Consequently, he was only able to play in seven games during the 1977 season. [11] He came back in 1978 recording a new career-high in tackles with 105 but only dropped opposing quarterbacks 3 times.

During a November 4, 1979 game at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, an infected boil on Sherk's arm was scraped off. Bacteria from the field's Astroturf entered his body through the wound, triggering a staph infection that traveled to his knee and nearly killed him. [9] [12] Sherk missed the last six games of the 1979 season. His substitute on the field was Henry Bradley. [12] The infection eventually proved to be more problematic than first imagined, and effectively sidelined him for the 1980 season, in which he played in only one game and recorded only one tackle. Sherk's absence prompted the Browns to go to the 3-4 defense in 1980, with Bradley at nose guard.

He spent his final season, 1981, as a designated pass rusher, coming in to play defensive tackle when the Browns switched from the 3-4 o a four down lineman nickel defense. In that limited role he recorded 12 tackles and three sacks. In all, Sherk totaled 864 career tackles and 69½ sacks.[ citation needed ] Along the way, blocked 6 kicks, intercepted three passes, and recovered ten fumbles.[ citation needed ]

Post NFL career

Photography

After leaving football, Sherk worked as a sports photographer for roughly ten years. [7] His work was featured in Sports Illustrated , Pro! Magazine, and many newspapers. His photographs from this time period were featured in an exhibition titled Through the Eyes of a Defensive Lineman: The Cleveland Browns as Photographed by Jerry Sherk. [13] [14] The photo show was held December 14, 2010 at Baldwin Wallace College in Berea, Ohio, and was sponsored by the Cleveland Touchdown Club Charities. [13]

Mentoring

In 1991 Sherk returned to college, earning a master's degree in counseling psychology. He began counseling various vulnerable populations, becoming especially interested in working with at-risk children. Along the way he created a school-based group mentoring program that uses sports to teach young people how to reach goals in academics and life.

Personal life

Sherk resides in Encinitas, California in San Diego county, with his wife Ann. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rod Woodson</span> American football player and coach (born 1965)

Roderick Kevin Woodson is an American former professional football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Widely considered one of the greatest defensive backs of all time, Woodson holds the NFL record for fumble recoveries (32) by a defensive player, and interceptions returned for touchdown (12). He was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Smith</span> American football player (born 1963)

Bruce Bernard Smith is an American former football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies, where he was a twice All-American, and was selected with the first overall pick by the Bills in the 1985 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reggie White</span> American football player (1961–2004)

Reginald Howard White was an American football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. White played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, earning unanimous All-American honors. After playing two seasons for the Memphis Showboats of the United States Football League (USFL), he was selected in the first round of the 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft, and then played for the Philadelphia Eagles, the Green Bay Packers and the Carolina Panthers, becoming one of the most awarded defensive players in NFL history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julius Peppers</span> American football player (born 1980)

Julius Frazier Peppers is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, where he was recognized as a unanimous All-American, and was selected by the Carolina Panthers second overall in the 2002 NFL draft, and also played for the Chicago Bears from 2010 through 2013 and the Green Bay Packers from 2014 to 2016. After rejoining the Panthers for the 2017 season, he retired after the 2018 NFL season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tedy Bruschi</span> American football player (born 1973)

Tedy Lacap Bruschi is an American former football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. He played college football for the Arizona Wildcats, where he earned two-time consensus All-American. He was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 1996 NFL draft, and played his entire professional career with them. Bruschi won three Super Bowls and was a two-time second-team All-Pro selection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Hendricks</span> Guatemalan-born American football player (born 1947)

Theodore Paul Hendricks, nicknamed "the Mad Stork," is a former professional American football linebacker who played for 15 seasons with the Baltimore Colts, the Green Bay Packers, and the Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders in the National Football League (NFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Vrabel</span> American football player and coach (born 1975)

Michael George Vrabel is an American football coach and former linebacker. He currently serves as a Coaching and Personnel Consultant for the Cleveland Browns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vince Wilfork</span> American football player (born 1981)

Vincent Lamar Wilfork is an American former professional football player who was a nose tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes and was selected by the Patriots in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft. He also played two seasons for the Houston Texans before retiring following the 2016 season. Along with Tom Brady, Wilfork is the only Patriots player to win the Super Bowl in both decades of the Patriots dynasty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Williams (defensive tackle)</span> American football player (born 1983)

Kyle Derrick Williams is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 13-year career as a defensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Bills in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL draft, playing 13 seasons with them before retiring following the 2018 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chad Eaton</span> American football player (born 1972)

Chad Everett Eaton is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Washington State University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Kruger (American football)</span> American football player (born 1986)

Paul Christian Kruger Jr. is a former American football defensive end. He was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Utah. He also played for the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dont'a Hightower</span> American football player (born 1990)

Qualin Dont'a Hightower is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the inside linebackers coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played in the NFL for nine seasons with the Patriots. Hightower played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, receiving consensus All-American honors and winning two BCS National Championships. Selected in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft by the Patriots, he was named to two Pro Bowls and won three Super Bowl titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geno Atkins</span> American football player (born 1988)

Gene Raynard "Geno" Atkins Jr. is an American former football defensive tackle. He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, and was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL draft. Atkins was twice selected as a first-team All-Pro, once selected as a second-team, and is also an eight-time Pro Bowler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jabaal Sheard</span> American football player (born 1989)

Jabaal Lamar Sheard is an American former football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Pittsburgh, and was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He also played for the New England Patriots, with whom he won Super Bowl LI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T. J. Ward</span> American football player (born 1986)

Terrell Ray "T. J." Ward Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a safety for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks, and was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft. Ward also played for the Denver Broncos, with whom he won Super Bowl 50.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jadeveon Clowney</span> American football player (born 1993)

Jadeveon Davarus Clowney is an American football linebacker for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of South Carolina, where he won the Ted Hendricks Award, and was selected first overall by the Houston Texans in the 2014 NFL draft. Clowney was a member of the Texans for five seasons, earning three consecutive Pro Bowl selections during his final years with the team. Following his departure from Houston, he played with the Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, and Baltimore Ravens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C. J. Mosley (linebacker)</span> American football player (born 1992)

Clint Mosley Jr. is an American football linebacker for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama, and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft. Mosley made 4 Pro Bowls as a member of the Ravens, and has made another as a member of the Jets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malik Jackson (defensive lineman)</span> American football player (born 1990)

Malik Barron Jackson is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers. Jackson was selected by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL draft. He also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Philadelphia Eagles, and Cleveland Browns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheldon Richardson</span> American football player (born 1990)

Sheldon Adam Richardson is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Missouri Tigers, and was selected by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft. Richardson has also played for the Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings twice.

Trysten Hill is an American football defensive tackle for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at UCF.

References

  1. 1 2 Jerry Sherk Archived 2007-10-11 at the Wayback Machine at ClevelandBrowns.com.
  2. ↑ Eugene Register-Guard article: "People In Sports: Comeback in Cleveland – Jerry Sherk Archived 2016-03-01 at the Wayback Machine ."
  3. ↑ The Bryan Times article: "Jerry Sherk retires from Browns Archived 2016-03-01 at the Wayback Machine ."
  4. ↑ Beaver County Times article: "They go about their jobs quietly: Some guys aren't household names Archived 2016-03-01 at the Wayback Machine ."
  5. ↑ NFL.com entry for Jerry Sherk.
  6. ↑ Eugene Register-Guard article: "People In Sports Archived 2016-08-01 at the Wayback Machine ."
  7. 1 2 The Palm Beach Post article: "Browns' Sherk Retires to Pursue Photography [ permanent dead link ]."
  8. ↑ Montreal Gazette article: "Cosell: Monday night football had rocky start Archived 2016-07-02 at the Wayback Machine ."
  9. 1 2 3 The Plain Dealer article: "When They Played the Game: Browns defensive lineman Jerry Sherk Archived 2010-01-04 at the Wayback Machine ."
  10. ↑ Pittsburgh Press article: "Browns Sherk Injured."
  11. ↑ NFL.com page: "Jerry Sherk – 1977 stats Archived 2024-04-28 at the Wayback Machine .
  12. 1 2 Toledo Blade article: "Knee Infection Puts Sherk Out of Action Archived 2024-04-28 at the Wayback Machine ."
  13. 1 2 Cleveland Touchdown Club page: "The Cleveland Touchdown Club Charities Presents "Through The Eyes of a Defensive Lineman: The Cleveland Browns as Photographed by Jerry Sherk" Archived 2011-07-25 at the Wayback Machine .
  14. ↑ Jerry Sherk Photography: "Events Archived 2011-07-17 at the Wayback Machine ."
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.