On most days, at 4:30 a.m., Donnie Blue would wake up to muffled sounds outside his bedroom. It was never a mystery as to who was making them.

MJ Sherman, Blue’s brother-in-law, would already be well on his way to making breakfast and loading up his backpack as SportsCenter played in the background almost every morning.

For most teenagers, getting ready for the day that early and hitting the road to school by 5 a.m. would be a struggle. Not for Sherman, though. The high schooler had his sights on big things in life – like playing major college football and making it to the NFL.

Playing at Washington D.C.’s St. John’s College High School sharpened Sherman’s football skills because the Cadets compete in one of the top high school leagues in the country, the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference.

Sherman played against some of the best national competition during his St. John’s career. As a senior, he went up against the past two Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks in Caleb Williams (Gonzaga College High School in D.C.) and Bryce Young (Mater Dei High School in California). Other Division I football factories were on St. John’s schedule, too, like IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida), DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Maryland), Deerfield Beach (Florida) and Duncanville (Texas).

The competition made Sherman grow as a player. The national spotlight helped give him exposure to college coaches on the recruiting trail. There was only one drawback about playing at St. John’s: It was an hour drive from where Sherman was living in Laurel, Maryland.

“He’d take his hour nap; that was precious to him,” Blue said. “Then, as we pulled up to St. John’s, I’d help him get everything together, we’d get his tie straightened up, and he’d take off to his day. That was for four years. Most of the time, the kid got me up.”

The word “dedicated” is a good place to start when describing Sherman, one of Nebraska’s 11 offseason transfer additions who plans to make an impact on the Huskers’ defense this fall. But really, it’s a good way to describe the Sherman family in general.

They’ve been through a lot.

Sherman’s first name is Mekhail (pronounced Mee-Ka-El), but he goes by MJ (the J standing for his middle name, Jacques) because it’s easier for others to say. His parents, Varney and Sussie, have African roots. So does MJ.

Varney is Harvard-educated and currently a senator up for re-election in Liberia, a country in West Africa. In the late 1980s, a civil war broke out in Liberia, forcing Sussie and MJ’s older sister, Raisa (pronounced Ry-e-ssah), to flee the country for safety. The two first relocated to the Ivory Coast and then to America in 1998.

Varney stayed in Africa and has been trying to improve Liberia politically. MJ was born in Baltimore and lived with Sussie in Ellicott City, 10 miles outside of Baltimore, until the decision was made that he’d chase his football dreams at St. John’s.

When it became apparent MJ had a future in football, the opportunity presented itself to study and play at St. John’s, but that was over an hour-and-a-half drive. The Shermans got together and decided it was best for MJ to live in Laurel with Raisa and Donnie, both of whom already commuted to D.C. for work and would drop MJ off at school every day.

Dedication? Absolutely. And family support along the way helped Sherman reach the point he’s at now.

“One of the things we talked about was, there are going to be a lot of early mornings and late nights. He understood it to an extent,” said Raisa, a central figure in MJ’s life. “Every morning was not pretty, but he got through it. And after a while, when he got into a routine, he started to get it. My days, I would get home at night, maybe at 7 p.m. Donnie and MJ would get home after practice, maybe 8:30 or 8:45 p.m., then of course we have dinner, homework and then we start the day over again.

“It took a lot of putting your head down and just saying, ‘As long as I have the support I need, I’m going to be fine,’ and that’s exactly what he got.”

Rashod Gillespie has been at St. John’s for 22 years as a coach; 20 years as a teacher. He was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for most of Sherman’s time at the school.

Gillespie knows Sherman well and what kind of support system he had.

“They made a commitment, too,” Gillespie said of Raisa and Donnie. “They made the commitment to get him to practice, because in the summer, for our training, we work out Monday through Friday at 6:30 a.m. And when I say 6:30, I’m not talking about getting here at 6:30. Be ready to go at 6:30. And when he got here, he was always ready to go.”

Sherman was mature for his age and the alpha on defense, even as a sophomore. That’s saying something, too, because it was a defense that had multiple upperclassmen who are now playing major college football: four defensive linemen who play at Michigan, Maryland, UCF and Syracuse, respectively; two safeties (one at Florida, one at Notre Dame) and a cornerback committed to Oregon.

“MJ was surrounded by talent,” Gillespie said. “But he was special on a team full of special kids.”

Sherman eventually became the No. 39 overall recruit in the 2020 class. He was rated the No. 2 player in D.C. and the No. 4 outside linebacker in the country.

“He’s a hunter. He’s attacking something on every play. And he’s not just coming to tackle you, he’s coming to knock your head off,” Gillespie said. “He usually sets the tone within the first couple of snaps on how he takes on blocks or how he tackles with his physicality.”

Sherman made the varsity team as a freshman — linebacker on defense, running back on offense. While he’s always been a bigger kid, Sherman was fast for his size.

“He was a pretty good running back, too. He was giving us such a great look on scout team, we’d refer to him as Derrick Henry,” Gillespie said. “Most kids would want to tone it down. Some of the older guys would be like, ‘Hey man, it’s Wednesday. We don’t have to prove anything.’ But MJ would keep running hard. He didn’t mess with any of that.”

There was a presence about him, too. Sherman commanded respect from his teammates. The leadership was easy to see.

“Before practice, us coaches have our meeting and the kids go out on the field,” Gillespie said. “They’re usually laughing, joking, throwing the ball around, just being teenagers. Well, when MJ would come out of the locker room and he’d start walking down to the field, you’d see the other players be like, ‘Alright, let’s get our stuff on. Here comes MJ.’”

Sherman was usually bigger, stronger and faster than many on the field, which naturally led to others listening to and following him. But there was more to it. Sherman wasn’t someone who just looked the part and ran a laser-timed 4.53-second 40-yard dash as a 6-foot-2, 225-pounder at Nike’s The Opening 2018 Finals.

He was producing on the football field and in the classroom, as well.

“The only reason he was able to hold people accountable was because he was doing what he was supposed to be doing, both in the classroom and on the field, he was making plays,” Gillespie said. “So because he was making plays, doing what he was supposed to do, winning in and out of the classroom, kids respected him.”

Another thing about Sherman? Grades won’t be a problem. Varney received his law degree from Harvard, so you could say there was a certain standard to meet in the classroom for his children.

“Growing up with dad, getting a C was not pretty,” Raisa said with a laugh. “If you got a C, he wanted to know why. His thing was, ‘If you got a C, you only wrote your name on the paper, you didn’t pay attention to anything.’ So, we already had that inside of us, to do well.”

MJ graduated St. John’s with a 3.5 grade-point average. Like many, there were some classes that came along slower than others. At first, Sherman struggled with algebra. That was quickly remedied when he got extra help from tutors.

Sherman ranks high on Gillespie’s chart of best natural leaders he’s ever coached. Sherman would have one-on-ones with teammates at halftime, always trying to motivate and pull out the best someone had to the field.

“He would constantly remind them that, in order to win a championship, we can’t be playing. We have to be focused,” Gillespie. “It was big of him to do that, because I’ve been on some teams where the coaches have had to do that. But with MJ, he would say stuff the coaches didn’t have to say. He would police the team and get guys right.”

If you ask Raisa, the best trait MJ possesses is an ability to adapt and keep moving forward, even when adversity hits.

He showed it during the difficult time when he moved away from his mother for high school. He then went with the flow at St. John’s, which has a dress code for its students – something new to him. He adapted to entering a football program at Georgia where he wasn’t the alpha anymore.

But Sherman also had to adapt to his relationship with his father. The last time MJ and Varney saw each other in person was before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Varney routinely stays in touch with his children, making weekly calls and video chats.

Still, the long distance can test you.

“I grew up in Africa,” Raisa said, “so I had the opportunity to see dad almost all the time. Whereas with MJ being born here, he had to see dad when he could, when he traveled here. Unfortunately, we haven’t had the opportunity to take MJ back home yet, but once he does go back home he’ll be able to see where he comes from.”

While at Georgia, MJ was given the opportunity to talk about his African background, and about his gold medallion in the shape of Africa, a gift from his dad.

“It really represents my roots, for real,” Sherman said during a press conference in September. “Yeah, I’ll claim Baltimore to the day I die. But anybody who truly knows me, my family’s from West Africa, Liberia. Some people ask me why I got so big. Well, I’ve been eating rice and chicken since I was young, just carbs and protein forever. Basically, I can’t forget about my roots. Plus, this (medallion) is one of the first true gifts my daddy gave to me. Not a lot of people get to re-establish their relationship with their dad. Me and my dad, we hold strong until this day. I wear this to remind me of him.”

Varney and Sussie eventually separated, but both parents are very much involved with MJ's academics and college football career. Varney being in Africa most of the time wasn’t difficult, Raisa said. But there were, and still are, challenges.

“It was even more challenging from the standpoint of, ‘My parents are not together,’ and then, ‘One of my parents only comes to this country a couple times a year.’ What do you do at that point?” Raisa said. “Thank goodness for WhatsApp, FaceTime, they really help. So we call each other frequently.”

Sherman spent three seasons with the back-to-back national champ Bulldogs, playing in 39 games. Much of his playing time came on special teams, not defense.

When Sherman did get on the field, he was used in a variety of ways as an outside linebacker. Sometimes he'd be in a three-point stance as a rush end. Other times he'd be in a two-point stance, setting edges in the run game. But playing time was sparse.

For some college football players, they wouldn’t have stuck it out for as long as Sherman did. Many would have entered the transfer portal much sooner.

That’s not really Sherman’s style, though.

“He’s not a complainer, and he’s not a whiner,” Gillespie said. “So rather than sit and complain and be a cancer to the team, he was like, ‘Let me help the team on special teams.’”

Sherman recorded 15 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks during his Bulldog career. It’s a part of his life he’s always going to cherish, even if it didn’t end the way he envisioned.

“Let’s be honest and fair — Georgia is not at the national championships because they have the little sisters of the poor on the sideline,” Gillespie said. “They have NFL draft picks who were playing ahead of him. One thing I remember MJ saying was, he used to always soak up what those guys who were getting drafted were telling him. So, even though he wasn’t playing as much on defense, he wasn’t just there to be happy on the team. He was still going hard, still ready if his name was called.

“And if he was going to help the team through special teams, that was his role and that’s what he was going to do. Nebraska provides a fresh start with the opportunity to come in and make an impact and compete. He’s not looking to start, but he’s definitely looking to come in and compete.”

The decision to leave Athens wasn’t easy. Sherman loved it there. He made life-long bonds with teammates. His family enjoyed it, too.

“Trust me, we love Nebraska. We’re home. But it was bittersweet for the young man,” Donnie said of MJ leaving Georgia. “You have to understand, you’ve been there since you were 17 or 18 years old, you were there throughout the pandemic, so you made a lot of close friends and close relationships.”

There were hesitations about entering the transfer portal. Raisa knows how the portal can operate at times. Some players who go in never get out and don’t find a home. Others realize the grass is not always greener on the other side until it’s too late.

But then Nebraska called. And it changed everything.

“We wanted to go to a school where he’d have an impact,” Raisa said. “When Nebraska called him, the approach was, ‘Listen, we need a linebacker. Are you him?’ I said to MJ, ‘Are you the linebacker Nebraska needs?’ He said, ‘I don’t know, let’s go for a visit.’ And that’s what happened, we went for a visit.”

Raisa called the Shermans’ time in Lincoln “refreshing.” Naturally, there were questions about the state. The Shermans had never been there and were used to the East Coast and the South. They weren’t sure what Nebraska would be like.

“It was the family’s first time in the Midwest; we had never thought about visiting Nebraska. You go on vacation, you’re not thinking about going on vacation in Nebraska,” Raisa joked. “So we were like, ‘Midwest? OK. Flatland? OK. Life’s a little bit slower? OK, all right.’”

After meeting with head coach Matt Rhule and his staff, as well as touring the stadium and the new $165 million facility that’s scheduled to open next summer, it hit the Shermans.

“I was like, ‘You know what? I think MJ can fit in. I think he has the necessary foundation that he needs to move forward,’” Raisa said.

Academics are important to the Shermans, and they had questions about what Nebraska offered and how it lined up with what MJ was majoring in at Georgia — sports management. Nebraska’s academic guru, Dennis Leblanc, answered every question the Shermans had, making them feel comfortable.

The Shermans were also interested in energy. What kind of energy was the Husker staff bringing when MJ was on his visit?

Donnie is the owner of his own renovation company, DB Home Improvement, and Raisa works with him, so meeting new people and clients is nothing new to her.

Raisa knows when the energy is right or wrong. And it was right with the Huskers’ staff – like director of player personnel Omar Hales, director of football advancement Mike Wallace and running backs coach E.J. Barthel, a familiar face. Barthel was the recruiting coordinator at Penn State in 2016 and knew MJ.

“It was very refreshing, and I felt comfortable knowing I could leave my brother with these men, who will have an impact on him as an adult, a father, a friend,” Raisa said. “I felt comfortable. I felt like it was a good mix of influence. MJ will be fine. He’ll be totally OK.”

Like he’s shown time and again since being Nebraska’s head coach, Rhule connected with the Shermans.

“He’s very sincere. I feel like he’s approachable. I feel like he keeps it real and that he knows what he needs at Nebraska, and he also knows MJ is that piece to build what he needs at Nebraska,” Raisa said. “The entire family appreciates the fact that he (Rhule) was 100 percent, ‘Listen, I need a linebacker. You’re a linebacker. I need you to bring your skillset here because I believe that your skillset here will help us build Nebraska.’ He was very honest and straight to the point. That’s a man who’s about his business.”

Sherman is one of three former Georgia players who have transferred to Nebraska, joining tight end Arik Gilbert and offensive lineman Jacob Hood. He’s also one of seven transfers from SEC territory, the others being outside linebacker Chief Borders (Florida), safety Corey Collier Jr. (Florida), long snapper Marco Ortiz (Florida) and defensive lineman Elijah Jeudy (Texas A&M).

Rhule and his staff have shown a willingness to take players who entered a program as a highly touted recruit but are looking for a fresh start and playing time. To Raisa, she can see a trend potentially starting.

“I think that’s the approach — you get the caliber of player like MJ at Nebraska, and these kids are watching him. Kids coming up after him are watching him, they’re watching everything he’s doing. They see what he’s doing and are paying attention,” Raisa said. “All it takes is one caliber of player in Nebraska where everyone goes, ‘I never thought of Nebraska, I never thought of going that way,’ and all the sudden it goes to, ‘Well, MJ Sherman did it. Arik Gilbert did it. Jacob Hood did it. I could do it, too.’ It’s all a matter of the mindset, and the most important thing is, representation matters.”

Sussie’s advice to her children will always stay with them: You know where you come from, but you don’t know where you’re going. Always remember where you come from.

That’s why MJ wears the continent of Africa around his neck. It’s why he’s not going to forget those days that started at 4:30 a.m., or that precious nap he was able to take while brother-in-law Donnie drove.

“Remember how you got here. Remember who you are. Remember your source, your higher power, remember God.” Raisa said. “So you never want to forget the struggle, the sweat, the blood, the tears, the sacrifice. You don’t want to forget that because those are the things that are going to help you move forward.”