Long after Twitter feud, Darrelle Revis, Richard Sherman pledge respect

PHOENIX – Darrelle Revis long reigned supreme among cornerbacks.

Then came along this upstart Richard Sherman, who proclaimed himself the best then backed it up.

Now they get to state their case on the NFL’s biggest stage – Revis’ New England Patriots against Sherman’s Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl.

They have a bit of history, these two, a Twitter feud from a couple of years ago. The gist of it: Revis was the proven pro and Sherman hadn’t done enough yet to start crowing.

At Tuesday’s media day, any animosity was buried. Each expres- sed respect for the other, although Revis referred to the fact in Seattle’s defense, Sherman plays only half the field.

“Sherman, he plays left corner and he does great,” Revis said. “He’s great at what he does. I’m not really knocking him on what he does. He’s a playmaker and that’s what he does for his team.”

Cornerback, Revis said, is “by far” the hardest position to play in football.

The handful of those who excel at the position may bicker, Sherman said, but they share a common bond.

“There’s a respect level between elite cornerbacks in the National Football League,” he said. “It takes a certain mentality to play at a high level in this game, to deal with the pressure, to deal with the intensity of being out there against the best athletes in the world. … There’s a definite admiration for their ability.”

Sherman’s a talker – opinionated, self-assured. And he says he cares little what people think of him.

“It doesn’t bother me too much, honestly,” he said. “I kind of go to the beat of my own drum. … I have my own way of doing things and it might not align with everybody, but I’m going to keep it that way.”

A small crowd gathered around Revis on media day. Sherman drew a mob, and he reveled in it, answering bizarre questions – such as what super power would he like to have while playing (he would fly). To the young Seattle star, media day was no chore.

Sherman earned a Super Bowl ring last year, in his third NFL season. Revis is playing in the big game for the first time in his eight years in the league.

“It’s pretty awesome,” Revis said. “I mean, this is what you play for every year. In the offseason you work hard to get to this point and when you get there, like right now, it’s so surreal.”