1. Darius Shaquille Leonard was born on July 27,1995 and is an American professional football linebacker.
42 Facts About Shaquille Leonard
1. 2.
Shaquille Leonard played college football for the South Carolina State Bulldogs and was selected in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts.
3.
Shaquille Leonard has been informally nicknamed "Maniac" due to his energetic and productive on-field play.
4.
Shaquille Leonard attended and played high school football at Lake View High School in Lake View, South Carolina.
5.
Shaquille Leonard led SCSU in tackles as a redshirt freshman in 2014, compiling 86,14 for loss, five sacks, and two forced fumbles.
6.
Shaquille Leonard posted 70 stops the following year, 13.
7.
Shaquille Leonard had an impressive game against Atlantic Coast Conference powerhouse Clemson, totaling 19 tackles.
8.
Shaquille Leonard saved his best for last, as he posted career highs in total tackles and sacks as a senior while picking off two more passes and forcing one fumble.
9.
Shaquille Leonard won the MEAC defensive player of the year award again after the 2017 season.
10.
On November 20,2017, it was announced that Shaquille Leonard had accepted his invitation to play in the 2018 Senior Bowl.
11.
Shaquille Leonard attended the NFL Scouting Combine, but was unable to complete all of his combine drills after injuring his quadriceps while running his 40-yard dash.
12.
Shaquille Leonard completed the bench press, 40-yard dash, 20-yard dash, and 10-yard dash at the NFL Combine.
13.
On March 20,2018, Shaquille Leonard participated at South Carolina State's pro day and performed the rest of his combine drills.
14.
Shaquille Leonard was ranked as the sixth best inside linebacker prospect in the draft by NFL analyst Mel Kiper Jr.
15.
On July 23,2018, Shaquille Leonard signed a four-year, $7.24 million contract that included $4.16 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $3.35 million.
16.
Shaquille Leonard entered training camp slated as the starting weakside linebacker.
17.
Head coach Frank Reich named Shaquille Leonard the starting weakside linebacker to start the regular season in 2018, alongside Najee Goode and middle linebacker Anthony Walker Jr.
18.
On October 4,2018, after totaling 54 combined tackles and four sacks in September, Shaquille Leonard was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month.
19.
Shaquille Leonard was inactive for the Colts' Week 5 loss at the New England Patriots due to an ankle injury he sustained the previous week.
20.
Shaquille Leonard intercepted a pass by Titans' backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert, that was intended for wide receiver Tajae Sharpe, and returned it for a ten-yard gain during the third quarter.
21.
Shaquille Leonard finished his rookie season in 2018 with 163 combined tackles, eight pass deflections, seven sacks, and two interceptions in 15 games and 15 starts.
22.
Shaquille Leonard led the NFL in solo tackles and combined tackles.
23.
Shaquille Leonard was ranked 26th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2019.
24.
Shaquille Leonard made his return in Week 7 against the Texans.
25.
Shaquille Leonard became the first NFL player since 1982 to have 10-plus sacks and five-plus interceptions in his first 25 games.
26.
Shaquille Leonard was ranked 50th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2020.
27.
Shaquille Leonard was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance.
28.
Shaquille Leonard was named to his second Pro Bowl and earned first team All-Pro honors.
29.
Shaquille Leonard was ranked 37th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2021.
30.
Shaquille Leonard's eight forced fumbles led the NFL in the 2021 season.
31.
Shaquille Leonard has the most total All-Pro selections and the most First Team All-Pro selections by a linebacker in Colts history.
32.
Shaquille Leonard was named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl.
33.
Shaquille Leonard was ranked 18th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2022.
34.
Shaquille Leonard missed the first three weeks of the season while recovering from offseason back surgery.
35.
Shaquille Leonard returned in Week 4, and suffered a concussion and broken nose in the game, missing the next three games.
36.
Shaquille Leonard suffered a setback in his back injury leading up to Week 10 and was placed on injured reserve on November 12,2022, ending his season.
37.
In early November 2023, Shaquille Leonard expressed his frustration over the Colts coaches choosing to give him limited defensive snaps in the 2023 season compared to previous seasons despite him feeling recovered from his back surgery.
38.
Shaquille Leonard was waived by the Colts on November 21,2023.
39.
Shaquille Leonard is one of nine children born to a single mother.
40.
In December 2018, Shaquille Leonard announced that the couple were expecting a baby girl.
41.
Shaquille Leonard appeared on the July 12,2020, episode of Celebrity Family Feud in which several NFL rising stars took on retired NFL Hall of Famers, including Michael Irvin and Cris Carter.
42.
On July 26,2022, at the Colts' training camp, Leonard told reporters that he preferred to be called by his middle name, Shaquille, rather than by his first name, Darius.