SANTA CLARA – Richard Sherman crouched closer to the Levi’s Stadium grass, put his hat over his face and took a moment for himself. Chaos reigned around him, with workers setting up the NFC Championship trophy ceremony and those in red and gold reveling in the 49ers’ seventh Super Bowl appearance, clinched in a dominant 37-20 victory over the Green Bay Packers.

That game essentially ended, fittingly enough, with a Sherman pick. The 31-year-old didn’t pause a beat to honor that play. He has four playoff interceptions and some familiar game-sealing moments in his past.

The 30 or so seconds spent with his face covered, seemingly shedding a tear or two in private despite cameras all around, was about the bigger picture. It was about making his third Super Bowl in nine NFL seasons. It was about coming all the way back from an Achilles tear few thought he’d fully recover from. It was about being older and wiser and more appreciative of the journey to this point.

His brother Branton, of all people, asked him about that wild Super Bowl ride Sunday in his postgame press conference.

“Six years ago, there was a different team with a different feel,” Sherman said. “We had a top team then. I feel the same way about this team. We’re incredibly talented. We have great coaches and weapons all around. I’m just a little bit older. Back then, they didn’t call me ‘Uncle Sherm.’ They do now. In Year 9, it is a different feel for me. You appreciate things a little more. My son gets to see me play. He turns six a few days after the Super Bowl and he wants a ring for his birthday. I’m going to do my best to try to get that for him.”

Being a proud papa and an “uncle” to the 49ers locker room hasn’t taken the edge off. He’s still the same man demanding respect, scrounging the floor for chips to place on his shoulder. His All-Pro-level play and experience will be invaluable when the 49ers descend upon Miami for a media circus unlike any other.

His goal is to keep the roster loose yet focused, confident yet respectful as the 49ers prepare to play the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb. 2 in Super Bowl LIV.

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Sunday night, however, he took time to reflect on all the behind-the-scenes work required to get here.

“You give up your body and your time and your health and your mind,” Sherman said. “You're usually somewhere between going psychotic and you're locked in, you know what I mean? Because, it's such a crazy edge you've got to be on. That's why it's a little emotional. You get to appreciate it a little more.”

Sherman enjoyed a big moment against Green Bay but understands there’s more work to be done. He should know, after winning one and losing another in heartbreaking fashion while with Seattle.

“It's always awesome to fight hard and everybody wants to be standing at the end, but it doesn’t matter unless you win the game,” Sherman said. “It could be the best day in your life if you win. It can be the worst day if you lose. That's the perspective that I'll keep putting through to these guys, somebody who has been there who has won and lost. We've got to put in the work. It's not a holiday. It's not a vacation. I'm sure it will be good for the families. It will be cool for everybody's experience, get their phones out, get the Instagram videos and all that. But at the end of the day, it's going to be a challenging game and it's going to be a dogfight.”