Mike Sherrard
Encyclopedia
Michael Watson Sherrard (born June 21, 1963 in Oakland, California
) is a former professional American football
player who was drafted
by the Dallas Cowboys
in the 1st round (18th overall) of the 1986 NFL Draft
. A 6'2" wide receiver
from UCLA
, Sherrard played in 11 NFL seasons from 1986 to 1996. He played for the Dallas Cowboys, the San Francisco 49ers
, the New York Giants
, and the Denver Broncos
. He graduated from Chico High School in 1981.
, California
. He was a multi-sport athlete, lettering in football, basketball and track.
Although Sherrard came to UCLA
as an unrecruited walk-on athlete, by his sophomore season in 1983 he was already a starter at wide receiver
, was named to the second-team All-America
after caching 48 passes for 709 yards and also set a UCLA
record for sophomore receptions in a season.
During his senior season, although he broke his collarbone, he returned to earn All-America
honors.
He was a member of three Rose Bowl
-winning Bruin teams and ranks among UCLA
's all-time receiving leaders, with 128 receptions (seventh on the all-time school list) in his career for 1,965 yards (10th on the school list) and 10 touchdown
s.
, he became only the second wide receiver
ever drafted
by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round (Dennis Homan
was the first one in the 1968 NFL Draft
).
Sherrard started what seemed to be a very promising NFL career, by having 41 receptions for 744 yards and leading the team with 5 touchdown
s.
His totals rank fourth for most receptions, second for most receiving yards, and is tied for fourth for most touchdowns by a rookie in Cowboys' franchise history.
In 1987
he came into training camp as the Cowboys best receiver, but was lost for the year when he was tripped by a defender during a scrimmage and shattered two bones (the tibia and fibula) in his right leg.
He also missed the 1988 season
, when he rebroke his right leg tibia and also the shin bone, while jogging on a Santa Monica beach as part of his rehab treatment.
signed Sherrard in Plan B free agency
in 1989
, but put him on the injured list for the entire regular season, allowing him plenty of time to heal for the playoffs, where he caught 3 passes for 40 yards.
In 1990
he was off to a solid start, but broke his right fibula in the San Francisco 49ers' victory over the Cleveland Browns.
Sherrard played in San Francisco for 3 seasons, improving each year.
in 1993
, but lost most of the season after fracturing his left hip socket, during a catch-and-run against the Philadelphia Eagles
. He also had injury complications when he was diagnosed as having a blood clot in the same hip.
His best season came in 1994
when he had career highs with 53 receptions for 825 yards and 6 touchdown
s.
he signed as a free agent with the Denver Broncos
, where he only played one season before announcing his retirement.
Sherrard persevered through multiple injuries and doubts about his future, to play 11 seasons in the NFL catching 257 passes for 3,931 yards and 22 touchdown
s.
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.
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
) is a former professional American football
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...
player who was drafted
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
in the 1st round (18th overall) of the 1986 NFL Draft
1986 NFL Draft
The 1986 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 29–30, 1986...
. A 6'2" wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
from UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
, Sherrard played in 11 NFL seasons from 1986 to 1996. He played for the Dallas Cowboys, the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He graduated from Chico High School in 1981.
Early years
Sherrard attended Chico High School in ChicoChico, California
Chico is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 86,187 at the 2010 census, up from 59,954 at the time of the 2000 census...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He was a multi-sport athlete, lettering in football, basketball and track.
Although Sherrard came to UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
as an unrecruited walk-on athlete, by his sophomore season in 1983 he was already a starter at wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
, was named to the second-team All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
after caching 48 passes for 709 yards and also set a UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
record for sophomore receptions in a season.
During his senior season, although he broke his collarbone, he returned to earn All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
honors.
He was a member of three Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
-winning Bruin teams and ranks among UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
's all-time receiving leaders, with 128 receptions (seventh on the all-time school list) in his career for 1,965 yards (10th on the school list) and 10 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s.
Dallas Cowboys
In the 1986 NFL Draft1986 NFL Draft
The 1986 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 29–30, 1986...
, he became only the second wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
ever drafted
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round (Dennis Homan
Dennis Homan
Dennis Frank Homan is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League for five seasons for the Dallas Cowboys and the Kansas City Chiefs . He later played for the Birmingham Americans and Birmingham Vulcans of the World Football League...
was the first one in the 1968 NFL Draft
1968 NFL Draft
The 1968 National Football League Draft was part of the Common Draft, in the second year in which the NFL and AFL held a joint draft of college players on January 30–31.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...
).
Sherrard started what seemed to be a very promising NFL career, by having 41 receptions for 744 yards and leading the team with 5 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s.
His totals rank fourth for most receptions, second for most receiving yards, and is tied for fourth for most touchdowns by a rookie in Cowboys' franchise history.
In 1987
1987 NFL season
The 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4–6 were played with replacement players...
he came into training camp as the Cowboys best receiver, but was lost for the year when he was tripped by a defender during a scrimmage and shattered two bones (the tibia and fibula) in his right leg.
He also missed the 1988 season
1988 NFL season
The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri to the Phoenix, Arizona area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division....
, when he rebroke his right leg tibia and also the shin bone, while jogging on a Santa Monica beach as part of his rehab treatment.
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
signed Sherrard in Plan B free agency
Plan B free agency
The Plan B free agency was a type of free agency that became active in the National Football League in February 1989. Plan B free agency permitted all teams in the NFL to preserve limited rights of no more than 37 total players a season...
in 1989
1989 NFL season
The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement...
, but put him on the injured list for the entire regular season, allowing him plenty of time to heal for the playoffs, where he caught 3 passes for 40 yards.
In 1990
1990 NFL season
The 1990 NFL season was the 71st regular season of the National Football League. To increase revenue, the league changed the regular season so that all NFL teams would play their 16-game schedule over a 17-week period...
he was off to a solid start, but broke his right fibula in the San Francisco 49ers' victory over the Cleveland Browns.
Sherrard played in San Francisco for 3 seasons, improving each year.
New York Giants
He signed as a free agent with the New York GiantsNew York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1993
1993 NFL season
The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new...
, but lost most of the season after fracturing his left hip socket, during a catch-and-run against the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He also had injury complications when he was diagnosed as having a blood clot in the same hip.
His best season came in 1994
1994 NFL season
The 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season...
when he had career highs with 53 receptions for 825 yards and 6 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s.
Denver Broncos
In 19961996 NFL season
The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end...
he signed as a free agent with the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, where he only played one season before announcing his retirement.
Sherrard persevered through multiple injuries and doubts about his future, to play 11 seasons in the NFL catching 257 passes for 3,931 yards and 22 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s.
Personal
His mother, Cherrie, was a sprinter on the 1964 U.S. Olympic team and his father, Robert, played college basketball and semipro baseball. Robert was also a popular and well loved college professor at Calif State Univ.@ Chico.After retirement, Sherrard worked as a fundraiser for Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks is the world's largest autism advocacy organization that sponsors autism research and conducts awareness and outreach activities aimed at families, governments, and the public. It was founded in February 2005 by Bob Wright, vice chairman of General Electric, and by his wife Suzanne, a...
. He currently lives in Westlake Village, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
with his daughter and two sons and is involved in television production.