| No. 25 Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |
| Cornerback | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: February 13, 1986 | |
| Place of birth: Cleveland, Ohio | |
| High School: L.V. Berkner High School | |
| Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | Weight: 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College: Kansas | |
| NFL Draft: 2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 20 | |
| Debuted in 2008 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |
| Career history | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 16, 2011 | |
| Tackles | 161 |
| Sacks | 0.0 |
| INTs | 17 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
Aqib Talib (born February 13, 1986) is an American football cornerback who plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft.
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Talib was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He attended Berkner High School in Richardson, Texas and lettered in football, basketball, and track. In football, as a senior, he was named the Berkner High School's Defensive Back of the Year while garnering first-team all-district and first-team all-city honors. As a college football prospect during his senior year, he was rated 2 stars by Rivals.com. He was recruited by Kansas, Kansas State, Wyoming, Tulsa, Arizona, and Baylor. He chose to sign a National Letter of Intent to play for Kansas.[1]
After redshirting in his first year at Kansas, Talib contributed substantially to a strong Jayhawk defense. Playing alongside future NFL cornerback Charles Gordon, Talib played in 11 games, starting nine. He recorded two interceptions and led the team by breaking up eight passes. He helped Kansas achieve a 7-5 record, including a 42-13 victory against Houston in the Fort Worth Bowl. For his efforts, Talib was named all-Big 12 Honorable Mention by the conference coaches, the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and a freshman all-American by Rivals.com.
As a sophomore, Talib was the defensive leader of a Jayhawk team that finished 6-6. He led the nation in passes broken up per game and recorded six interceptions. In the final game of the season against the Missouri Tigers, Talib deflected four passes and scored a 42-yard touchdown after lining up as a wide receiver. He picked up first-team all-Big 12 honors from the conference coaches and was named a second-team all-American by Sports Illustrated.
Talib established himself as one of the best defensive college football players in the country as a junior, becoming a consensus All-American. He also continued to play sparingly as a wide receiver, catching four touchdown passes through the first nine games. Against rival Kansas State, Talib preserved a victory by intercepting a Josh Freeman pass in the final moments of the game. He has also returned an interception 102 yards for a touchdown against Florida International. After the season, Talib was a unanimous All-American selection.[2]
In the 2008 Orange Bowl against Virginia Tech, Talib returned an interception for a touchdown and was named the game's Most Valuable Player. He announced on January 6, 2008 that he would forgo his senior season and enter the 2008 NFL Draft.[3]
As one of the nation's top cornerback prospects, Talib received an invitation to the 2008 NFL Combine, held at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana. Talib's results included posting a 38-inch vertical leap, running a 4.44-second 40-yard dash and a 6.82-second 3 cone drill, bench pressing 225 pounds 10 times and notching a broad jump of 10 feet, 11 inches.[4]
Talib was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the 20th pick in the 2008 NFL Draft,[5] becoming the first KU player to be drafted in the first round since 1993 (Dana Stubblefield, 26th overall by the San Francisco 49ers). Talib also became the second cornerback ever taken by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round (Rod Jones, 1986 NFL Draft)[6]
Talib recorded his first career interception in Week 2 of the 2008 season against the Atlanta Falcons. As of the beginning of week 16, Talib was 1st among NFL rookies with 4 interceptions and tied for 10th overall in the NFL along with Rashean Mathis, Terence Newman, Asante Samuel, and teammate Ronde Barber.
In 2009, Talib had 5 interceptions. He also became just the second player in Buccaneers team history (along with Ronde Barber) to record three interceptions in one game when he did it against the Washington Redskins on October 4, 2009.
In 2010 Talib had six interceptions, one which he returned for a touchdown. However in a week 13 game against the Atlanta Falcons he injured his hip in which a tendon tore from his bone which ended his season. At the time of his injury he was tied for second in the NFL in interceptions.[7]
After the 2010 season, Aqib Talib was named Defensive Back of the Year by the NFL Alumni Association.[8]
In his first game, he had an interception returned for a touchdown on September 11.
His first name, Aqib, means "the last one" in the Arabic language. He was named so by his mother as he was the youngest of 4 children.
Talib has had several conduct related issues since his NFL career started. At the NFL rookie symposium in July 2008, Talib was involved in a fistfight with fellow Buccaneers rookie Cory Boyd.[9] On August 20, 2009, Talib allegedly battered a taxi driver,[10] and he was arrested by Florida Highway Patrol and booked into the Pinellas County jail, charged with resisting arrest without violence and simple battery.[11] In March 2011, police in Garland, Texas issued a felony warrant for Talib for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after accusing him of firing a gun at his sister's boyfriend.[12] He was later released on $25,000 bond. Talib was indicted on the charge in May 2011.[13]
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