Shaun King

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Shaun King
Date of birth	May 29, 1977 (age 29)
Place of birth	St. Petersburg, Florida
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight	228 lb (104 kg)
Position(s)	Quarterback
College	Tulane
NFL Draft	1999 / Round 2/ Pick 50
Stats
Statistics	Pro Football Reference NFL.com CBS.com DatabaseFootball ESPN
Team(s)
1999-2003 2004 2006 2007-present	Tampa Bay Buccaneers Arizona Cardinals Indianapolis Colts Las Vegas Gladiators

Shaun Earl King (born May 29, 1977 in St. Petersburg, Florida) is a professional American football player who is currently the quarterback of the Las Vegas Gladiators of the AFL.

1 College
2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3 Other professional teams
4 External links
5 References

[edit] College

King played college football at Tulane University between 1995 and 1998, ^[1] leading Tulane to an undefeated season and in the process setting the single-season NCAA Division I-A record for passing efficiency in 1998 of 183.3. In the same year he became the first player in NCAA history to both pass for 300 yards and rush for 100 yards in the same game against Army on November 14th.

[edit] Tampa Bay Buccaneers

King subsequently was drafted in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, his hometown team. Near the midpoint of the 1999 season, quarterback Trent Dilfer suffered a season-ending injury, thrusting King into the starting quarterback role.

King took over the offense, and helped rally the team to the NFC Central title, and a victory over the Redskins in the divisional playoffs. A week later, the team fell just short of Super Bowl XXXIV when they lost the NFC Championship 11-6 to the St. Louis Rams with King at the helm.

King's best professional season was in 2000, when he started all sixteen regular-season games for the Buccaneers. A thrilling rematch against the Rams on Monday Night Football proved to be one of King's most memorable games. Trailing 35-31 with 1:21 remaing, Tampa Bay's faced a 4th and 4 at the 29 yard line. King was tripped up, but scrambled 6 yards for a first down. Four plays later, Tampa Bay scored the game-winning touchdown, the seventh lead change of the game, and clinched a playoff berth. A win in week 17 would clinch a second consecutive division title and a first-round bye in the playoffs, potentially propelling Tampa Bay to their first Super Bowl appearance. However, the Buccaneers fell in overtime to the Green Bay Packers, and ultimately lost to the Eagles in the wild card round.

After the disappointing end to the 2000 season, King was replaced by Brad Johnson for 2001 and relegated to a backup role for the following three seasons. In the 2002 season, Brad Johnson was injured and missed a game against the Carolina Panthers. Rob Johnson started at quarterback, but struggled to lead the offense, which managed to tie the game at 9-9 late in the fourth quarter. After a hard hit, Rob Johnson had to sit out a play on the final drive, prompting a cold-off-the-bench Shaun King to run in suddenly and throw an unexpected and decisive first down. A few plays later, Martin Gramatica scored the game winning field goal, which would not have been possible without King's dramatic play.

A few weeks later, starter Brad Johnson was injured once again, and King was placed as the starter against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football. After some fanfare, King has a dismal first half, falling behind 14-0 after two quick turnovers. King was benched, and Rob Johnson salvaged a 17-7 loss. King would not play another down for the Buccaneers that season, and they advanced to the postseason. He suited up as the #3 quarterback for Tampa Bay's victory in Super Bowl XXXVII, but did not play in the game. King returned as the backup quarterback in 2003, but only appeared in three games, starting none. His final game as a Buccaneer was in the final week against the Titans. The Buccaneers, already eliminated from playoff contention, had fallen behind early, and King took over in the second half to wind up the disappointing season.

[edit] Other professional teams

In 2004, he signed with the Arizona Cardinals as a free agent, but only started two games and was released at the end of the season.

On Friday June 2, 2006 he signed a free agent contract with the Indianapolis Colts, but was then released as a free agent on September 3.

On Friday November 29, 2006 Shaun King signed with the Las Vegas Gladiators of the Arena Football League. He threw 10 touchdowns against the Grand Rapids Rampage on March 8, 2007.

The Shaun King Foundation, headquartered in Winter Haven Florida, is the principle supporter for the Kings Kids program in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast, St. Petersburg Florida