Jerry Sherk
Encyclopedia
Jerry Martin Sherk is a former American football
defensive tackle who played for the Cleveland Browns
of the National Football League
for 12 seasons between 1970 until 1981. He made the Pro Bowl
lineup for four straight years from 1973 through 1976, and is widely considered to be among the best defensive players in Cleveland Browns history.
. He attended Grants Pass High
, where he joined the school's wrestling
and football teams.
Sherk attended Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma
. As 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.
by the Cleveland Browns. His first game was on September 21, 1970, and was coincidentally the first regular edition of Monday Night Football
. He became a starting player
immediately, and soon became noted as having a knack for getting to the quarterback
. 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
.
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 team's defensive linemen in tackles
with 91, after totaling three sacks and 83 tackles in 1970 and 84 tackles with four 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 Brown 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 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. Consequently, he was only able to play in seven games during the 1977 season
. 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; a staph infection from the field's astroturf
entered his body through the wound and traveled to his knee. He was nearly killed by the infection. Sherk missed the last six games of the 1979 season. His substitute on the field was Henry Bradley
. The injury eventually proved to be more problematic than first imagined, and prevented Sherk from recovering for a healthy 1980 season: he played in only one game and recorded only one tackle.
He spent his final season, 1981, as a designated pass rusher, coming in to play defensive tackle when the Browns switched from a 3-4 defense
to 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. Along the way, blocked 6 kicks, intercepted three passes, and recovered ten fumbles.
, 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. The photo show was held December 14, 2010 at Baldwin Wallace College in Berea, Ohio
, and was sponsored by the Cleveland Touchdown Club Charities.
. 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.
in San Diego county, with his wife Ann.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive tackle who played for the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for 12 seasons between 1970 until 1981. He made the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
lineup for four straight years from 1973 through 1976, and is widely considered to be among the best defensive players in Cleveland Browns history.
College
Jerry Sherk was born July 7, 1948 in Grants Pass, OregonGrants Pass, Oregon
-Rogue River:The Rogue River runs through Grants Pass.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,003 people, 9,376 households, and 5,925 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 9,885 housing units at an average density of 1,303.3 per square mile . By 2008,...
. He attended Grants Pass High
Grants Pass High School
Grants Pass High School is a public high school located in Grants Pass, Oregon, United States. The school's sports teams wear blue and white as the school colors. The school mascot is the Caveman, and the sports teams are referred to as the Cavemen...
, where he joined the school's wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
and football teams.
Sherk attended Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma
Stillwater, Oklahoma
Stillwater is a city in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. 177 and State Highway 51. It is the county seat of Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 45,688. Stillwater is the principal city of the Stillwater Micropolitan Statistical...
. As during high school, he played on both the football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
and wrestling
Collegiate wrestling
Collegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...
teams in both his junior and senior years. He was an All-Big Eight
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
selection on the gridiron
Gridiron football
Gridiron football , sometimes known as North American football, is an umbrella term for related codes of football primarily played in the United States and Canada. The predominant forms of gridiron football are American football and Canadian football...
in 1969 and an All-American as a Cowboy grappler in 1969. He was inducted to the Oklahoma State Hall of Honor in 2000.
NFL career
Sherk was selected in the second round (47th overall) of the 1970 NFL draft1970 NFL Draft
The 1970 National Football League Draft was held on January 27–28, 1970.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
by the Cleveland Browns. His first game was on September 21, 1970, and was coincidentally the first regular edition of Monday Night Football
History of Monday Night Football
The following article details the history of Monday Night Football, the weekly broadcast of National Football League games on U.S. television.-Pre-1970:...
. He became a starting player
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
immediately, and soon became noted as having a knack for getting to the quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. Sherk was part of an AFC Central Division in which each team boasted All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
quality defensive tackles: the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
' Joe Greene
Joe Greene (American football)
Charles Edward Greene, known as “Mean Joe” Greene, is a former all-pro American football defensive tackle who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. Throughout the early 1970s he was the one of most dominant defensive players in the National Football League...
, the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
' Mike Reid, and the Houston Oilers
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
' Curley Culp
Curley Culp
Curley Culp is a former professional American football player. An offensive and defensive lineman, he played college football at Arizona State University, was the NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion while at ASU, and played professionally in the American Football League for the Kansas City Chiefs...
.
He was part of a 1972 Browns team
1972 Cleveland Browns season
The 1972 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 23rd season with the National Football League.-Exhibition schedule:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:...
that went 10-4 and advanced to the playoffs, losing to the undefeated Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Sherk led the Browns in sacks
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
with 10½ sacks and led team's defensive linemen in tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
with 91, after totaling three sacks and 83 tackles in 1970 and 84 tackles with four 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 Brown 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 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
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, PFWA
Pro Football Writers Association
Technically known as the Pro Football Writers of America, this organization purports to be "The official voice of pro football writers, promoting and fighting for access to NFL personnel to best serve the public." Goals of the organization include improving access to practices and locker rooms,...
, 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. Consequently, he was only able to play in seven games during the 1977 season
1977 NFL season
The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central....
. 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
Veterans Stadium
Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
in Philadelphia, an infected boil
Boil
A boil, also called a furuncle, is a deep folliculitis, infection of the hair follicle. It is always caused by infection by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, resulting in a painful swollen area on the skin caused by an accumulation of pus and dead tissue...
on Sherk's arm was scraped off; a staph infection from the field's astroturf
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
entered his body through the wound and traveled to his knee. He was nearly killed by the infection. Sherk missed the last six games of the 1979 season. His substitute on the field was Henry Bradley
Henry Bradley (American football)
Henry Averson Bradley is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the ninth round of the 1978 NFL Draft. He played college football at Alcorn State.Bradley also played for the Cleveland Browns....
. The injury eventually proved to be more problematic than first imagined, and prevented Sherk from recovering for a healthy 1980 season: he played in only one game and recorded only one tackle.
He spent his final season, 1981, as a designated pass rusher, coming in to play defensive tackle when the Browns switched from a 3-4 defense
3-4 defense
In American football, the 3–4 defense is a defensive alignment consisting of three down linemen and four linebackers.The 3–4 defense declined in popularity over the years, but has found renewed use by modern professional and college football teams. The 3–4 defense is so named because it involves 3...
to a four down lineman nickel defense
Nickel defense
In American football, a nickel defense is a defensive alignment that uses five defensive backs, of whom the fifth is known as a nickelback. Although the modern definition of the term encompasses all formations featuring five defensive backs, the original and still most common form of the nickel...
. In that limited role he recorded 12 tackles and three sacks. In all, Sherk totaled 864 career tackles and 69½ sacks. Along the way, blocked 6 kicks, intercepted three passes, and recovered ten fumbles.
Photography
After leaving football, Sherk worked as a sports photographer for roughly ten years. His work was featured in Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
, 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. The photo show was held December 14, 2010 at Baldwin Wallace College in Berea, Ohio
Berea, Ohio
- History :The first European settlers were originally from Connecticut. Berea fell within Connecticut's Western Reserve and was surveyed and divided into townships and ranges by one Gideon Granger, a gentleman who served as Postmaster General under President Thomas Jefferson...
, and was sponsored by the Cleveland Touchdown Club Charities.
Mentoring
In 1991 Sherk returned to college, earning a master’s degree in counseling psychologyCounseling psychology
Counseling psychology is a psychological specialty that encompasses research and applied work in several broad domains: counseling process and outcome; supervision and training; career development and counseling; and prevention and health...
. 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, CaliforniaEncinitas, California
Encinitas is a coastal beach city in San Diego County, California. Located within Southern California, it is approximately north of San Diego in North County and about south of Los Angeles. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 59,518, up from 58,014 at the 2000 census. Encinitas is...
in San Diego county, with his wife Ann.
External links
- Jerry Sherk's official site
- Jerry Sherk at tv.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
- Jerry Sherk at the Cleveland BrownsCleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
official site - Jerry Sherk at NFL.com
- Jerry Sherk at Mistake by the Lake: the Sporting Times Blog