Seattle CB Richard Sherman: Cam Newton’s celebrations don’t bother me

When Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton dances and celebrates after he scores a touchdown, it bothers some people.

Not Richard Sherman.

“No, you get to the end zone in an NFL game, you deserve the right to celebrate,” said Sherman, the Seattle Seahawks’ star cornerback who will face Newton and the Panthers in an NFC divisional playoff game Sunday. “I mean you’ve worked hard, you’re a professional athlete. If you don’t get to celebrate in the pros, when do you get to celebrate? When do you get to show what you can do to enjoy yourself?”

Newton has thrown for 35 touchdowns this season and run for 10 more. His 43 career rushing touchdowns are tied with Steve Young for most in NFL history by a quarterback.

When Newton scores, he will give the ball to a youngster in the stands. He will go into his Superman pose. He will “dab” on them.

The routines draw a lot of negative attention from fans on social media (and in letters to the editor) and, even, opponents. When Newton scored against Tennessee in a 27-10 Panthers victory in November, Titans linebacker Avery Williamson confronted him in the end zone.

Sherman doesn’t get it with the protests. He is no stranger to the kind of controversy that comes from drawing attention, as evidenced by his on-air tirade aimed at San Francisco 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree after a 2014 playoff game.

“I mean, this is a game,” Sherman said. “I think some people who’ve never played it, who’ve never expressed passion, sit behind desks all day and do that. Maybe you celebrate sometimes when you do something great, and nobody judges you, because nobody’s watching. But as you’re watching him, enjoy it. He’s enjoying it, he can enjoy his craft. If he wants to celebrate, that’s fine.”

Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett agrees with Sherman, but understands where the resentment comes from.

“I don’t think anybody likes anybody who wins and rubs it in a little bit,” said Bennett. “But if you want someone not to do something, stop them, hold them to zero points and they won’t do something. More people are worried about his dancing than stopping him.”

Sherman, a Stanford grad, is now better known as a player who is thoughtful and measured when being interviewed. He’s respectful of Newton’s emergence as one of the league’s top players. He’s also aware that Sunday will match Newton and the Seahawks’ Russell Wilson, two dual-threat quarterbacks who also happen to be African-American.

“Yeah, I think that’s awesome,” said Sherman. “I mean (Newton’s) in the running for MVP. That’s awesome how the league’s changed in that way. There’s a lot of different types of quarterbacks out there, black, white, whatever, and I don’t think it’s always been that. It’s always been kind of a knock on black quarterbacks. They only can run, they only can do this, they can’t throw from the pocket, they can only do play actions, and things like that, and I think the rhetoric is changing a little bit.”

Sherman grew up in Compton, Calif., where he wasn’t a fan of either the Los Angeles Rams or Los Angeles Raiders.

“Houston Oilers and Warren Moon,” Sherman said of his rooting interests. “Black quarterback. There weren’t a lot of them back then. I was like, ‘That’s one black quarterback, I hope he wins.’”

This story was originally published January 14, 2016 at 2:24 PM with the headline "Seattle CB Richard Sherman: Cam Newton’s celebrations don’t bother me."