Sherman — well-known to be a Stanford alum who came out of high school in Compton — was the salutatorian at Dominguez High School, finishing with a 4.2 GPA. In a memorable section of Lee Jenkins' Sports Illustrated profile, he revisited his former high school football team. "'Who wants to make the NFL?' he asked. Fifty-odd hands shot up. 'Now, tell me how long the average NFL career lasts?' he said. One boy guessed 10 years, another seven, another five. 'Three-and-a-half years,' Sherman interrupted. 'So what are you going to prepare for: Three-and-a-half years? Or the rest of your life?'"