Sheriff, a rookie out of South Alabama, not only went undrafted last spring, but also failed to find a place on a team among the hundreds of signings that immediately followed the draft. Sheriff earned an invite to the Seahawks’ rookie minicamp as a tryout, and although he didn’t get a contract after that weekend, he made enough of an impression that the Seahawks kept an eye on him for the rest of camp.
The Seahawks eventually signed Sheriff on August 6, and despite being a late addition to the team, he finished the preseason with seven tackles and three sacks and had a good chance of remaining on either the 53-man roster or the practice squad.
“He’s a guy that really stood out at the rookie tryouts,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. “That’s kind of the message to all the guys: If there’s not a spot for you right now, we’re still going to invest in your growth and development. To his credit, he hasn’t missed a beat since he got here. He should be proud of the way he’s played.”
After his tryout failed to land him a spot on Seattle’s 90-man roster or any other team’s, Sheriff finally got a job with Southern Beverage in early July and continued training in the hopes that a team would call.
“I trained every day after work to be prepared for the moment and I was ready when it came,” he said.
Just days before Seattle called, the sheriff quit his job.
“I actually quit two days before and then two days after I got the call I thought, ‘Look at God!'” he said.
Sheriff thought his chance with an NFL team would come sooner, but he didn’t let the wait discourage him and is taking full advantage of his opportunity now that he’s with the Seahawks.
“Honestly, I was surprised because I believe I have the talent to play in this league,” he said. “But I was just ready for the moment. I didn’t give up, I didn’t let it discourage me. I kept training every day. My agent told me, ‘Stick with it, we’ll be on a team in the fall.’ I just trusted him and was ready for the moment.”
And it should come as no surprise that Sheriff is taking advantage of opportunities despite difficult circumstances. After graduating from Terry High School, Sheriff began his college career as a walk-on at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. He then transferred to South Alabama in time for the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season and missed the 2021 season due to injury. After two productive seasons in 2022 and 2023, Sheriff was hoping for a chance in the NFL, but even that took longer than expected.
“It made me who I am today,” Sheriff said. “I went to community college and that gave me that fire, that drive, that motivation to get better every day. I never settle. I never get complacent. I work every day to get better and try to improve.”
