Kevin Sherman, 51, has been driving a garbage truck in the streets of Los Angeles, and not even his son's multimillion-dollar contract could change that.

The father of Seahawks corner Richard Sherman says he still wakes up at 3.45am and works holidays for the overtime because he doesn't want his son to worry about taking care of him.

'My son is an NFL player, but I don't want my son taking care of me the rest of my life,' he told NBC Los Angeles.

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On the job: Kevin Sherman, 51, says he won't stop driving the garbage collection truck in Compton until he's retired

His son has the cash to spare - in spite of losing the Super Bowl last Sunday - having signed a four-year $56million contract with Seattle in the off-season last year.

But he told the Los Angeles Times back in 2014 he wanted to keep working towards retirement and his pension.

'People say, "Let your son take care of you,"' the elder Sherman, who lost an eye in a go-karting accident when he was 14, told the paper. 'Yeah, but I've got a few years left until I retire. Why would I mess up my own retirement?

'I have a medical plan that will cover me. Why should my son have to pay my medical bills? It doesn't make sense to me.'

SI reports that Sherman is now only 18 months from retiring after 26 years on the job driving the streets of Compton.

'It's something to keep busy, and it's easy now,' he said. 'If I take a day off, I don't need to worry about where my money is coming from.'

Better luck: Richard Sherman signed a $56million contract in the off-season last year, and came up just shy of a second Super Bowl ring

Proud pop: The Shermans have memorabilia of their son filling a room of their home, and Kevin Sherman remembers being awed by his son's performance at the NFC Championship game

Work ethic: Richard Sherman, who was a straight-A student before attending Stanford and going on to the NFL, credits his parents for instilling a strong work ethic

Richard Sherman has credited his father and his mother, Beverly, who works with disabled kids in poor urban areas, for instilling a strong sense of discipline and work ethic.

And just because he says he's not going to depend on his son, doesn't mean that the elder Sherman isn't proud of his accomplishments.

He played as a kid at Crenshaw High, though his athletic ability was hindered by a go-kart accident that cost him his right eye.

At the NFC Championship game last season where Sherman deflected a would-be touchdown pass to save a Seahawks victory, Kevin Sherman remembers savoring the moment.