Jamie Sheriff spent the summer delivering beer for Southern Beverage Company in Ridgeland, Mississippi. On Saturday night, the former South Alabama star recorded two sacks for the Seattle Seahawks in a 37-33 win over the Cleveland Browns.
Normally, Sheriff’s backstory would set the stage for the linebacker’s name to appear on the NFL’s waiver report in the next two days. NFL teams’ rosters must be trimmed down from the 90 players they had in the preseason to the 53 men who will advance to the regular season as active members of the roster.
Sheriff is a non-drafted rookie who joined the Seahawks on August 6 and is ranked fourth-team rush linebacker.
But Sheriff’s preseason performance appears to give him a strong chance of making the regular season roster.
Four days after his trade to Seattle, Sheriff played 16 defensive snaps in the Seahawks’ season opener. His playing time increased to 42 defensive snaps and eight special teams plays in the second preseason game and 60 defensive snaps and 20 special teams plays in the finale.
Sheriff recorded seven tackles on defense, one tackle on special teams, three sacks and five quarterback hits in the preseason.
“It’s a blessing,” Sheriff said after Sunday night’s game, “because three weeks ago I didn’t know where I was going to be. I was at home delivering beer for a brewery. And when I got the call, I just made the most of my opportunity.”
On Saturday night, Sheriff sacked Cleveland quarterback Tyler “Snoop” Huntley on a third-and-5 snap at the Browns’ 35-yard line in the third quarter for a 10-yard loss. With 9:10 left, Sheriff sacked Huntley again, this time on a fourth-and-3 snap at the Cleveland 49 for an 11-yard loss.
During his final season at South Alabama, Sheriff recorded three sacks.
“I think it’s because of the different scheme,” said Sheriff, who also dropped his weight from 265 to 254 pounds. “This scheme is a lot more fun. It opens up the opportunity for me to be in the pass rush and be who I really am – a pass rusher – so I think this scheme allows me to be who I really am.”
Sheriff came to South Alabama in 2020 after being a visiting student at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. An injury forced Sheriff to sit out 2021 before returning to the Jaguars for two seasons.
“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 just never settle. I never get complacent. I work every day to get better and try to improve.”
In May, Sheriff attended Seattle’s rookie minicamp for a tryout, but he was not asked to participate in the offseason program as part of his contract.
“He’s a guy that really stood out at the rookie tryouts,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said Sunday night. “The message to all the guys is, 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, so he can be proud of the way he’s played.”
Sheriff said he was surprised he wasn’t signed as a free agent rookie “because I believe I have the talent to play in this league.”
“They told me I was on the shortlist,” Sheriff said. “They told me I had a great rookie minicamp because my flight was delayed and I came in a day late. They told me, for a guy who came in a day late, they were impressed with how well I picked up the plays and how quickly I could execute them. They told me I was on the waitlist, and when I heard that, I just stayed prepared for the moment. I just kept working every day. …
“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 prepared for the moment.”
That moment came when Seattle suffered some injuries early in training camp and signed Sheriff three months after his tryout.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
