Trent Sherfield – March 21, 2022
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Monday, March 21, 2022
WR Trent Sherfield
(Obviously you have the previous connection with Head Coach Mike McDaniel and while you’ve mainly contributed on special teams, you did find some opportunities on offense. Just what stood out to you about Mike McDaniel as an offensive mind and the way he worked with you guys on offense in San Francisco?) – “Honestly, I’ve got asked this question before, and Mike (McDaniel) is a genius. The way that he’s able to break down just the defense and he’s able to put players in position to make plays, it’s honestly really amazing. With him – Kyle Shanahan also had a big part of that as well, too – that whole offensive staff over there in San Fran. They both did a great job. Mike being in charge of the run game and having the ability with the pass game and everything like that. Like I said, he’s a mastermind and I can’t wait to get into the offense. Obviously I know a little bit of it and everything like that should be a little bit of carryover but I’m just getting ready to get to work.”
(My question to you – just doing some research – you attended high school in Danville and you played multiple sports and even in football on both sides of the ball. How do you feel that’ll help you where you’re at right now today just from that experience as an athlete in general?) – “Yeah, that’s a good question. I think honestly just being able to do more. Obviously not coming in to play defensive back like I did in high school or whatever it may be, but just being able to play different positions as far as whether that be with special teams, receiver, those type of things. I think that has contributed to the fact of why I’ve been able to stay in the league and last in the league as an undrafted free agent. Just being able to play offense and be able to use special teams with the athleticism and stuff like that, so it’s something that definitely played into my favor a lot just being able to play both sides whether that be on (special) teams or whether that be on offense and those type of things. So it’s definitely played a huge factor in my career.”
(You played a couple years with RB Chase Edmonds obviously in Arizona. Just impressions of his skills as a running back. What does he bring to the table?) – “Oh man, he brings – Chase (Edmonds) is my guy. I’m not just saying this because he’s my guy, but Chase, he is a wide receiver-running back guy that can really run routes, really has great hands. (He has a) very, very high IQ of the game. Somebody who really takes his job serious day-in and day-out. Somebody that you can depend on and just somebody who really like I said, just loves the game. And like I said, he’s just very, very dependable. Very, very high IQ when it comes to learning plays and just scouting the defense and everything like that. He’s just not your typical running back. He’s not one-dimensional whatsoever. He can run routes out of the backfield really well, carries the ball really tough and I’ve noticed that. It’s amazing to be able to see him actually grow. We actually came in together in Arizona and just being able to see how far he’s come as far as route-running and doing all of those different things so. So Chase is, he’s a once-in-a-lifetime back in my opinion.”
(And one other quick thing for you. How much of an advantage if any do you think it is for you and WR River Cracraft knowing this offense? Obviously there will be a lot of similarities from the 49ers offense. I’m sure that Head Coach Mike McDaniel will put his own sort of nuances in it. Is that any kind of advantage for both of you guys?) – “I think it can be, but then I also think that it honestly doesn’t really matter because we’ve still got to come in and compete at the end of the day. Because it doesn’t matter if you know the plays or whatever it may be, you’ve still got to go out and execute, you’ve still got to go out and catch balls, you’ve still got to go out and like I said, you’ve got go out and make plays. So to me, I definitely do think that obviously it plays into our favor. Obviously coming from the system and everything like that, but I think at the end of the day, you’ve still got to go out and strap up your cleats and everything like that.”
(My question is similar to the previous in the sense that you’ve come over here with Wide Receivers Coach Wes Welker. Do you kind of view that as an opportunity? Once we hit OTAs, the first kind of time on the field with this team, does it kind of hit you as an opportunity to kind of help get his message across to the rest of the receivers room and say to the rest of the guys ‘here’s what you can expect?”) – “I think for me, I just want to come in and if I have to lead, I just lead by the way that I work and lead by the example of the way I carry myself and those types of different things. I know that DeVante Parker is a great receiver that’s in the room and Jaylen Waddle and these guys have done tremendous things in this league, and honestly they are the leaders. For me, I think it’s just knowing what Wes expects from the guys, and not only what Wes expects from us as a group, but what I expect for myself. I hold myself to a high standard when it comes to my work and everything like that. Just going in every single day. Just doing what I’m coached to do and doing it at an extremely high level.”
(I wanted to get your impressions of QB Tua Tagovailoa, watching him from afar, and have you had any communication with him?) – “I haven’t had any communication with him just yet. I’m pretty sure that will change here in the coming weeks. But yes, I have had a lot of time to watch him. I’ve had a lot of time to really dive into his film and just watching games from afar on different teams. Travis asked me this question when I was down there not too long ago, if I had seen a play that really struck me to really like Tua. The one that I really can’t get out of my head is the one when they played against New Orleans. I think he made a mistake, then he came back and threw a touchdown. Seeing little things like that is something that is very, very encouraging. Not only as a receiver, but also as a teammate. He’s somebody that you can get behind. He’s a winner. It goes all the way back to Alabama and you can see that and the type of player that he is. I’m excited to get with him and excited to play with him.”
