Richard Sherman knows what it's like to win a Super Bowl. He also knows what it's like to lose a Super Bowl. The cornerback knew that before joining the San Francisco 49ers and relived the experience in February.
Sherman feels there are valuable lessons to be learned in a Super Bowl loss, though, especially for a young and less-experienced team. He remembers a playoff loss to the Atlanta Falcons while with Seattle, and how it made his Seahawks hungrier than ever.
"The next year, it was like the season couldn't start fast enough, and it couldn't go by fast enough," Sherman said during an Instagram interview with Pro Football Focus. "Everybody in our way was just simply that — they were in our way."
Sherman sees the same thing with these 49ers after the team suffered a heartbreaking collapse in Super Bowl LIV.
"I don't think much needs to be said," Sherman continued. "I think these guys are hungry; they're committed. It's much different when you're on a Super Bowl journey, and it's everybody's first time, and they're like, 'Man, what should we expect? Does this seem like a Super Bowl team? Hey, man, how does it feel?'
"And now, they all know. They're all Super Bowl experienced. They've all been there. So they can all answer those questions. So, it's not about the journey anymore. It's about the finish."
The 49ers sound eager to get the season started and fight their way back to the Super Bowl. Several defensive players, including Sherman, said in June that returning to the big game, and this time winning it, is this season's focus.
"I think the focus is obviously to make it back to the big game and winning it, this time around," said linebacker Fred Warner. "I think that's the focus every year, is to make it to the Super Bowl. But we all understand that there's a lot of time and effort required to get to that point."
Added defensive end Nick Bosa: "We're just trying to be better than we were last year."