Last Updated:4:38 PM EST 11/20/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Joe Caruso Sheridan has played a big part in the Cardinals' success on defense this year.

The leader in interceptions for the Cardinals this season was born and raised in the Philippines and is graduating this spring with a degree in Business Marketing.
John (J.D.) Sheridan did not know what football was until he watched the Packers play the Patriots in Super Bowl XXI on TV in 1997. This first experience with football just happened to take place on his first night living in the United States (and also the first time he witnessed snow).
"I remember clearly going to my uncle's house that night. I had no idea what the Super Bowl was, let alone football," Sheridan said.
Sheridan's immigration to the United States started with his father, who ventured here through an exchange program in his late teenage years.
"My dad came to North Dakota for all four years of high school," Sheridan said. "After high school he began traveling back and forth between the Philippines and the States."
Upon moving to the U.S., Sheridan faced several challenges. Knowing only 'Tagalog', the native language of the Philippines, he had to learn English at the age of 9.
"I basically had to teach myself." Sheridan said.
Moving to the U.S. was a huge culture adjustment but members of his family, like his grandparents, influenced him to take advantage of the opportunity to live in America.
"People living in a third world country [like the Philippines] see moving to the United States as the ultimate goal," Sheridan said.
Eventually, the entire family moved to Greece, NY where some of their relatives had already been living. Since then, Sheridan has been back to the Philippine's only once. There are many things Sheridan misses about his former home country. There are also things he does not miss.
"I miss the warm weather, but certainly not Monsoon season," he said. "I think the coldest I remember it ever was (in the Philippines) was 70 degrees."
Although Sheridan feels that the United States is more structured and free of corruption (unlike the Philippines), he is amazed at how children and teenagers act here.
"We were taught to always respect our parents and never mistreat them," Sheridan said. "I can't believe the way some [American] children talk to their parents."
In his time at Fisher, Sheridan is most proud of learning to play a new position on the football field. Prior to playing at the collegiate level he had never played cornerback.

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