30 Surprising Facts About Shaquil Barrett You Didn’t Know Before

Shaquil Barrett, one of the best pass-rushers the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had ever had, has constantly exceeded expectation at every turn. While he first signed as an undrafted free agent with the Denver Broncos, he worked harder and harder every year, becoming one of the best players in the NFL. Here are some really interesting facts about the footballer that will blow your mind away:

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1.  He signed a four-year contract extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, worth $72 million, in which $36 million was guaranteed, on March 17, 2021.
2.  In the 2014 NFL Draft, he went undrafted, while the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers wanted to sign him as an undrafted free agent.
3.  On May 10, 2014, the Denver Broncos signed Barrett to a three-year, $1.53 million contract that included a signing bonus of $3,500.
4.  The Broncos placed a second-round restricted free agent tender on him on March 12, 2018. He signed his exclusive rights tender on April 23, 2018.
5.  In the 2021 season, in the Week 12 game against the Indianapolis Colts, Barrett recorded 7 total tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery in a 38–31 win.
6.  Shaquil Akeem “Shaq” Barrett was born on November 17, 1992 to Steven Barrett and Donyetta Hawkins in Baltimore, Maryland.
7.  His father was a youth football coach. Steven coached the Charm City Buccaneers. In fact, it was his father who introduced Shaquil to football.
8.  Barrett, along with his five siblings, was raised well in Baltimore. However, it was an unsafe place for kids, so his father sent them to a private school in Nebraska.
9.  He attended Boys Town (Neb.) High School, Nebraska, where he was an all-state defensive lineman. He was named Athlete of the Year at Boys Town.
10.  Following his high school, Barrett chose to attend the University of Nebraska, Omaha. However, after his freshman year, the college removed its football programs.
11.  This led to Shaquil transferring to Colorado State University, in an effort to continue his collegiate football career.
12.  Furthermore, he didn’t have to sit out a year and was eligible to play immediately, as he was transferring from a school that cut its program.
13.  With the Colorado State Rams, he played for three seasons, during which he started 35 of 38 games. He started receiving a lot of attention for his defensive skills.
14.  In his senior year, Shaquil was named as the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year after ranking fifth in the nation with 12 sacks and 20.5 tackles for a loss.
15.  In his career with the CSU, he totaled 246 tackles (116 solos), 18 sacks, 32.5 tackles for a loss, three interceptions, six passes defended, seven forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, and three blocked kicks.


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16.  After his collegiate career, he decided to enter the 2014 NFL Draft, although he was a lightly regarded prospect, coming out of college. He was not selected by any NFL teams.
17.  He decided to sign with the Denver Broncos and not the Pittsburgh Steelers, as he claimed that the Broncos was willing to look past draft rankings.
18.  In his training camp with the Broncos, he competed for a roster spot as a backup linebacker against Steven Johnson, L. J. Fort, Jamar Chaney, Jerrell Harris, and Corey Nelson.
19.  On August 30, 2014, he was waived as part of Denver Broncos’ final roster cuts, subsequently signing to their practice squad, after clearing waivers the following day.
20.  Following an injury to the starting linebacker Danny Trevathan, the Broncos promoted him to their active roster on October 14, 2014.
21.  He switched to jersey No. 56, but just a few weeks later sold it to rookie linebacker and 2015 first round Shane Ray for $2000, and reverted back to his rookie No. 48.
22.  He saw action in all 16 games (six starts) and three postseason games, posting 41 tackles (28 solo), 5.5 sacks, four passes defensed, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and nine special-teams tackles.
23.  In his NFL debut against the Baltimore Ravens, he made one tackle and one special-teams stop on September 13, 2015.
24.  During the 2016 season, he played all 16 games and totaled 36 tackles (20 solo), 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and two passes defensed.
25.  Barrett appeared in 16 games (nine starts), totaling 37 tackles (30 solo), four sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one blocked punt in 2017.
26.  On February 2, 2012, he married his wife Jordanna. The couple have three children together. They currently reside in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.
27.  He signed a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on March 15, 2019. He sacked Cam Newton a then career-best three times in the Week 2 game, against the Carolina Panthers and earned the NFC Defensive Player of the Week.
28.  He recorded his first NFL interception and a strip-sack on Jared Goff in a 55–40 road victory over the Los Angeles Rams. His strong first month of play in the 2019 season, earned him the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for September.
29.  The Buccaneers placed the franchise tag on Barrett on March 16, 2020, following which he signed the one-year tender on July 15, 2020, worth around $15.8 million.
30.  He recorded five total tackles as well as three sacks on Aaron Rodgers during the NFC Championship Game as the Buccaneers defeated the Green Bay Packers 31–26 to advance to Super Bowl LV.
31.  Shaquil Barrett Net Worth: $9 Million