5 things to know about new 49ers WR Trent Sherfield

Trent Sherfield is a name quite a few 49ers fans weren't too familiar with before he agreed to terms with the team on a one-year free-agent deal yesterday. But once they learn more about who he is, they'll discover he's impossible not to cheer for.

So, who is Trent Sherfield? Here are five things for fans to know about the new 49ers wide receiver.

A special teams ace who will get a shot at receiver

Sherfield, 25, caught 28 passes for 340 yards and one touchdown in three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Vanderbilt in 2018. He has four career starts under his belt and had season career highs of 19 catches for 210 yards as a rookie. He played 36 percent of the snaps on offense during his rookie season, but his snaps dropped to 25 percent in 2019 and seven percent in 2020. Meanwhile, his role on special teams grew, playing on 18 percent of the special teams snaps as a rookie, 43 percent in 2019, and 50 percent in 2020. Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury singled Sherfield out in December as one of the team's "special teams aces."

Sherfield (6-1, 205) headed into the offseason slated for restricted free agency, but the Cardinals decided not to extend a tender offer. He now heads to the 49ers, for whom he may have a better chance of contributing as a receiver than he would have in Arizona. The 49ers will be looking for someone to step up depth-wise after the free agency departure of Kendrick Bourne to New England.

He can run

As we know, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan loves speed in his offensive players. Sherfield certainly fits that bill well enough as he clocked 4.45 seconds in the 40-yard dash during his Pro Day in 2018 (per NFLCombineResults.com). Sherfield also posted a 32.5-inch vertical leap, a 125-inch broad jump, a 4.20-second 20-yard shuttle, and a 6.90-second three-cone drill.

A successful wide receiver convert

Sherfield was a quarterback and a defensive back in high school at Danville High School in Danville, Illinois. He was converted to wide receiver at Vanderbilt and proved to be a success, catching 136 passes for 1,869 yards and nine touchdowns over four seasons. He caught 50 passes for 729 yards and five touchdowns as a senior and set a school record with 240 receiving yards on 16 catches in a game against Austin Peay as a sophomore.

But what he's been able to accomplish on the field is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Sherfield's life story.

Overcoming the odds

According to a November 2016 article published by the Nashville Tennesseean, Sherfield's mother, Tedron Gouard, gave birth to him when she was 16 years old. Gouard went to high school while her stepfather looked after Sherfield during the day and worked a job at Burger King during the evening. Sherfield's grandparents and two uncles also did their part to raise Trent while they all lived under the same roof. The family moved around during Sherfield's youth and at one time lived in a motel together for five months.

It may all seem like a struggle from the outside looking in, but Sherfield told the Tennessean that his family gave him everything he needed.

"Was I poor? Some people would probably say that I was. But I don't look at it that way," Sherfield said. "I was well taken care of in all the ways that matter because my family and mom did everything for me."

Sherfield grew close to his stepfather, Tomas Reed Sr., who separated from his mother when Sherfield was 14. Heartbreak came when Reed died of drowning when Sherfield was at Vanderbilt in May of 2016.

Gouard told the Tennessean, "He [Reed] helped me raise Trent, and he gave him the drive that he has now. It's still weighing heavy on Trent that he's gone."

According to VUCommidores.com, Gouard told Sherfield in high school that she wouldn't be able to afford to send him to college. He became determined to attend college on a football scholarship, which became a reality when he signed with Vanderbilt in 2014.

Giving back

Sherfield graduated from Vanderbilt in 2018 with a degree in medicine, health, and society, and a minor in corporate strategies. He knew early on that one day he would want to do something to give back to his hometown of Danville, which he was able to do in 2019 when he started a free football camp at Danville High School. He also raised over $1500 for the Danville football team earlier in the year when he raffled off a pair of game cleats.

"Before even going to the NFL and reaching that goal, this has always been one of my dreams is just being able to have a camp," Sherfield said in 2019, per WCIA.com.

Sherfield's next chapter officially began Friday when the 49ers publicly announced his signing. He'll now get the opportunity to find a home with the 49ers in the months ahead, but regardless of how things go from here, there's no doubt he's already made himself into a success. He'll certainly be someone to watch when the competition for depth spots at wide receiver begins.