Aqib Talib: A Cornerback’s
Story
Early Life
Aqib Talib is the cornerback for the Denver Broncos in his 10th season in the NFL and was part of the Super Bowl 50 Championship team. He grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, with his parents, Theodore and Donna Henry, and three other siblings. At the age of 13, his parents divorced and Aqib moved to Texas with his mother, where he attended Berkner High School in Richmond.
Date of birth: | February 13, 1986 |
---|---|
Place of birth: | Cleveland, Ohio |
Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
Weight: | 205 lb (93 kg) |
High School Career
Aqib excelled in football, track and field, and baseball during his high school days; he was named the Defensive Back of the Year at Berkner High School and was awarded first-team all-district and first-team all-city honors. Despite being considered to play college football at Wyoming, Tulsa, Kansas State, and Baylor, Aqib chose to play for the University of Kansas. By his junior in college, Aqib was known as one of the best defensive players in college football.
NFL Draft
His biggest accolade came in the 2008 Orange Bowl when he returned an interception for a touchdown and won the game’s Most Valuable Player award. After a great junior season, Aqib decided to skip his senior year and enter the 2008 NFL draft. Aqib Talib was drafted in 2008 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the 20th pick of the 1st round. There he racked up many interceptions and proved why he was a first round pick. Due to tensions with the coaching staff and a suspension due to taking performance enhancing drugs, Talib was traded to the New England Patriots in 2012. During his first game as a Patriot, Aqib Talib returned an interception 59 yards for a touchdown, proving his tenacity on the defensive end.
Career History
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2008–2012)
- New England Patriots (2012–2013)
- Denver Broncos (2014–present)
Aqib Talib NFL Career
In his one year with the Patriots, Aqib Talib proved to be one of the leagues best defensive players, racking up multiple interceptions and suppressing some of the leagues greatest wide-receivers such as Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons and Jimmy Graham of the New Orleans Saints.
Though he suffered a hip injury during the AFC Championship Game, he was selected for the 2013 Pro-Bowl and honored for the 2013 All-Team at cornerback. In March 2014, Aqib Talib signed a six-year, 57-million dollar contract with the Denver Broncos. During the 2015 season, Talib improved the Broncos defense with his strict coverage on some of the league’s premier receivers, ultimately helping the Broncos make a run for the championship in Super Bowl 50. The Broncos faced the Carolina Panthers, and it was the first Super Bowl appearance for Talib.
He picked up 2 personal fouls during the game, but racked up five tackles and two deflected passes, as the Broncos went on to defeat the Panthers and win their 3rd Super Bowl Championship. Some of Aqib Talib’s best stats include: 33 career interceptions, 337 combined tackles, and 3 fumbles forced. Aqib Talib had 12 pass deflections in the 2016 season with the Broncos. One of those interceptions was returned for a 46-yard touchdown to win the game in week 2 of the season, Marking his 5th return for a touchdown and setting a new franchise record. Talib was ranked 34th in the 2016 Top 100 players in the NFL. He is now a 4-time Pro Bowl attendee and was named First Team All-Pro in 2016.
Career stats
Aqib Talib picked up 2 personal fouls during the game, but racked up five tackles and two deflected passes, as the Broncos went on to defeat the Panthers and win their 3rd Super Bowl Championship.Some of Aqib Talib’s best stats include: 33 career interceptions, 337 combined tackles, and 3 fumbles forced. Aqib Talib had 12 pass deflections in the 2016 season with the Broncos. One of those interceptions was returned for a 46-yard touchdown to win the game in week 2 of the season, Marking his 5th return for a touchdown and setting a new franchise record. Talib ranked 34th in the 2016 Top 100 players in the NFL. He is now a 4-time Pro Bowl attendee and was named First Team All-Pro in 2016.
Aqib Talib Career stats at Broncos
Year
|
Team
|
COMB
|
AST
|
Sack
|
INT
|
YDS
|
TD
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016
|
Broncos
|
43
|
11
|
0.0
|
3
|
86
|
1
|
2015
|
Broncos
|
45
|
6
|
0.0
|
3
|
123
|
2
|
2014
|
Broncos
|
64
|
9
|
1.0
|
4
|
62
|
2
|
See also