It's hard to fathom a player as important to his team's success as Seattle Seahawks cornerback, Richard Sherman, missing Super Bowl XLIX.
But there are also few things in the world that are more important than the birth of your first child.
Sherman, expected to start and play a major role against the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, is also expecting the birth of his son with girlfriend Ashley Moss, sometime in the next week.
He said that he's made no final determinations yet on what he would do if Moss - she's in Arizona with Sherman - were to go into labor prior to game time.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Sherman said, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN. "We're not thinking about the possibility."
A recent doctor visit assuaged most of Sherman's fears that Moss could go into labor in the next few days, but the possibility remains that Sherman, one of the most important pieces of the vaunted Seahawks "Legion of Boom" defensive backfield, could miss the game.
If the unthinkable were to happen, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said today that he would understand and respect Sherman's decision, either way.
"It's about family first, and we will support his decision," Carroll said in a Friday press conference, according to Yahoo! Sports.
If Sherman is unable to go, Tharold Simon would be next in line to take his spot on the left side of the defense. Simon, a quality backup, is not the same caliber of player as Sherman.
In only his second season out of LSU, Simon played in ten games this year, starting five, and finished with 13 tackles, three passes defensed and one interception.
While fans of the Seahawks would no doubt be livid if Sherman missed the game, the All-Pro cornerback, while offering a serious dose of perspective, said that the impending birth actually gives him extra motivation to win.
"It's someone that actually depends on you for everyday living," Sherman said. "Everything they do is dependent on you and how you provide and how successful you are.
"As a parent, you want to set a great example for them, so I guess, to a degree, a lot of things are riding on it."
