No. 86, 88 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||
Personal information | |||||||
Born: | Oakland, California, U.S. | June 21, 1963||||||
Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||
Weight: | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||||
Career information | |||||||
High school: | Chico (Chico, California) | ||||||
College: | UCLA | ||||||
NFL draft: | 1986 / round: 1 / pick: 18 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||
| |||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||
| |||||||
Player stats at PFR |
Michael Watson Sherrard (born June 21, 1963) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants, and Denver Broncos. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins. Sherrard was selected in the first round of the 1986 NFL draft.
Sherrard attended Chico High School in Chico, California, where he was a multi-sport athlete, lettering in football, basketball, baseball and track.
He moved on to UCLA as an unrecruited walk-on athlete and was redshirted after breaking his finger in fall practice. The next year, he suffered from mononucleosis when he reported for spring practice and registered only 2 receptions during the season, while backing up wide receivers Dokie Williams and Jo-Jo Townsell.
Sherrard became a starter as a sophomore in 1983, posting 48 receptions (school record) for 709 yards. He also was the first player in school history to have 2 games of more than 135 receiving yards; 136 yards against the University of Washington and 140 yards against Arizona State University. The next year, he had 43 catches, becoming the first player in school history to have two seasons with more than 40 receptions, while also tallying a career-high 729 receiving yards.
As a senior, he was having his best season until breaking his clavicle in the first half of the fifth game against Arizona State University. He missed five contests and returned for the season finale against USC. He also played in the 1986 Rose Bowl 45–28 win against the University of Iowa, where he had 4 receptions and one touchdown.
Sherrard left as the school's all-time leading receiver in a season and a career with 124 receptions for 1,937 yards and 9 touchdowns.
In the 1986 NFL draft the Dallas Cowboys traded up from the 20th to the 18th position with the San Francisco 49ers, in exchange for a fifth round draft choice (#131-Patrick Miller), in order to select Sherrard, who became only the second wide receiver ever drafted by the franchise in the first round (Dennis Homan was the first one in 1968). [1] [2]
Sherrard started what seemed to be a very promising NFL career, becoming a starter in the thirteenth game against the Seattle Seahawks. He played in all 16 games (4 starts), registering 41 receptions for 744 yards, an 18.2-yard average (led the team) and 5 receiving touchdowns (led the team). At the time his totals ranked third for most receptions, third for most receiving yards, and second for most receiving touchdowns by a rookie in franchise history.
In 1987, he came into training camp as the Cowboys best wide receiver, but was lost for the year when he was tripped by a defender during a scrimmage on August 5, shattering two bones (the tibia and fibula) in his right leg. [3] He also missed the 1988 season, when he re-fractured his right leg tibia and also the shin bone, while jogging on a Santa Monica beach as part of his rehab treatment in March. [4]
The San Francisco 49ers signed Sherrard in Plan B free agency in 1989, but put him on the Physically Unable to Perform list for the entire regular season, allowing him plenty of time to heal for the playoffs, where he caught 3 passes for 40 yards and was a part of the Super Bowl XXIV winning team. [5]
In 1990, he was off to a solid start, but broke his right fibula in a 20–17 win over the Cleveland Browns during the seventh game and was placed on the injured reserve list on October 29. He finished with 17 receptions for 264 yards and 2 touchdowns. The next season, he played in all 16 games, posting 24 receptions for 296 yards and 2 touchdowns.
In 1992, he appeared in all 16 games (8 starts), tallying 38 catches for 607 yards, including 6 catches for 159 yards against the Buffalo Bills.
On April 7, 1993, he signed as a free agent with the New York Giants. He was off to a great start with 24 receptions for 433 yards and 2 touchdowns through the first 6 games, but lost the rest of the season after suffering a partially dislocated left hip and a fractured hip socket against the Philadelphia Eagles. He also had injury complications when he was diagnosed as having a blood clot on the same hip. [6]
His best professional season came in 1994, when he had career-highs in starts (14), receptions (53), receiving yards (825) and touchdowns (6). The next year, although he missed most of the preseason with a hamstring injury, he played in 13 games (13 starts), catching 44 receptions for 577 yards and 4 touchdowns. He missed the 12th and 13th games with a ruptured blood vessel above his right knee.
On May 5, 1996, he signed as a free agent with the Denver Broncos, where he only played one season as a reserve, before announcing his retirement on August 6, 1997. [7] Sherrard persevered through multiple injuries and doubts about his future, to play 11 seasons in the NFL, recording 257 receptions for 3,931 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Legend | |
---|---|
Won the Super Bowl | |
Bold | Career high |
Year | Team | Games | Receiving | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
1986 | DAL | 16 | 4 | 41 | 744 | 18.1 | 68 | 5 |
1990 | SFO | 7 | 2 | 17 | 264 | 15.5 | 43 | 2 |
1991 | SFO | 16 | 0 | 24 | 296 | 12.3 | 31 | 2 |
1992 | SFO | 16 | 8 | 38 | 607 | 16.0 | 56 | 0 |
1993 | NYG | 6 | 5 | 24 | 433 | 18.0 | 55 | 2 |
1994 | NYG | 16 | 14 | 53 | 825 | 15.6 | 55 | 6 |
1995 | NYG | 13 | 13 | 44 | 577 | 13.1 | 57 | 4 |
1996 | DEN | 15 | 0 | 16 | 185 | 11.6 | 25 | 1 |
105 | 46 | 257 | 3,931 | 15.3 | 68 | 22 |
Year | Team | Games | Receiving | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
1989 | SFO | 3 | 0 | 3 | 34 | 11.3 | 15 | 0 |
1990 | SFO | 2 | 0 | 5 | 24 | 4.8 | 8 | 1 |
1992 | SFO | 2 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | 15 | 0 |
1996 | DEN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
8 | 0 | 9 | 73 | 8.1 | 15 | 1 |
Sherrard's mother Cherrie, ran the 80-yard hurdles in the 1964 Summer Olympics, where she was a teammate of Bob Hayes. She won a gold medal in the 1967 Pan American Games. His father Robert, played college basketball, semi-pro baseball and was a college professor at California State University. He is a cousin of Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Darrell Green.
After retirement, Sherrard worked as a fundraiser for Autism Speaks. He currently lives in Westlake Village, California with his daughter and two sons and is involved in television production.
In 2010, he was hired as the wide receivers coach at Oaks Christian School. [8] In 2014, he was the offensive coordinator at Oaks Christian. [9] In 2015, he was hired as the wide receivers coach at Newbury Park High School. [10]
John Wesley "Lam" Jones was an American athlete who won a gold medal in the 4×100 meter relay at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and played professional football in the National Football League (NFL) as a wide receiver for the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys. Prior to that, he played college football and ran track at the University of Texas.
Drew Pearson is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. He was elected for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
Miles Jonathon Austin III is an American football coach and former wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for the Monmouth Hawks, where he set the school's record for receiving yards.
Kevin Ray Williams, Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning first-team All-American honors in 1991.
Vernest Raynard Alexander is a former gridiron football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys. He also played eight seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for three teams. He played college football at Florida A&M University.
Robert Thomas Woods is an American professional football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans, earning consensus All-American honors in 2011. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft. He previously played for the Los Angeles Rams and Tennessee Titans.
Alfred Alonzo "A. J." Jenkins Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft. He was also a member of the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys.
Terrance Tyrone Williams is an American professional football wide receiver who last played for the Galgos de Tijuana of the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA). He played college football for the Baylor Bears, earning unanimous All-American honors in 2012. He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft, and played six seasons with the Cowboys.
Amari Cooper is an American professional football wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, winning the Biletnikoff Award winner as the nation's top receiver and earning unanimous All-American honors in 2014. Widely considered the top wide receiver prospect of the 2015 NFL draft, Cooper was selected with the fourth overall pick by the Oakland Raiders.
Kelvin Mack Edwards is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Dallas Texans of the Arena Football League (AFL). He played college football at Liberty University.
Christian Conley is an American professional football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Georgia. He was selected in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft by the Kansas City Chiefs and has also played in the NFL for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, and Tennessee Titans.
Christian Davon Kirk is an American professional football wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies, and was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft.
Sterling Clay Shepard is an American professional football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners. Shepard was selected by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft.
Noah Brown is an American professional football wide receiver for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, winning a national championship in 2015 before being selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL draft. Brown has also played for the Houston Texans.
Kendrick L. Bourne is an American professional football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Eastern Washington. He also played for the San Francisco 49ers.
Tyshun Raequan "Deebo" Samuel Sr. is an American professional football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was selected by the 49ers in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft. In 2021, he was selected to the Pro Bowl and received first-team All-Pro honors.
Cedrick Wilson Jr. is an American professional football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Boise State.
Cedarian DeLeon "CeeDee" Lamb is an American professional football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners where he was a consensus All-American in 2019, and was selected by the Cowboys in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft.
Malik Turner is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at Illinois, and was originally signed by the Seattle Seahawks in 2018 as an undrafted free agent. He also played for the Dallas Cowboys.
Tony Randall Pollard is an American professional football running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Memphis, and was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL draft.