Shaq Thompson Bio, Height, Weight, Body Measurements, NFL Career 

Quick Facts

Shaq Thompson is an exceptional Hornung Award recipient American footballer who plays as a linebacker the Charlotte-based football team, the Carolina Panthers. He began exploring the National Football League (NFL) in the year 2015 after he was selected in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

A man of many talents, Thompson is also a baseball star and a talented sprinter. He had a brief stint in the Major League Baseball (MLB) and was a representative of the Boston Red Sox in the MLB following his selection in the 18th round of the MLB Draft in 2012. The NFL star, however, decided to pursue a career in football after recording 0–39 with 37 strikeouts over 13 games.

Thompson also did a four-year programme on track & field after which he perfected his talent as a sprinter. His career as a sprinter was very productive and also fetched him admirations for his performance at CIF San Joaquin Master Finals held in 2010. He is said to have recorded a personal-best time of 10.96 seconds in the 100-meter dash at the event, taking the seventh position.

He also holds the record for winning the fifth position (21.69 s) at the 2010 CIF State Track and Field Championships in the 200-meter dash. Thompson was placed seventh in the 200 meters at the 2011 CIF State Track and Field Championships, where he competed with renowned sprinter Remontay McClain.

Age and Bio

Shaq is the son of Patrice Thompson (mother), who single-handedly raised the footballer along with his three other siblings in Del Paso Heights, a town in Sacramento, California, in the United States. She gave birth to the linebacker on April 21, 1994, in Sacramento, California. Shaq Thompson, whose father is missing on the map, has an older brother called Syd’Quan Thompson, a footballer who plays for the Broncos in the NFL.

The Carolina Panther player studied at Grant Union High School, where he was part of the school’s baseball, track, and football teams. During his sophomore year at Grant, he played influential roles in thrusting the Pacers to a 12-1 overall record. Thompson also rushed for 25 touchdowns on 164 carries and 1,882 as well as helping his school achieve an 8-4 record and move over to the quarterfinals of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoffs as a junior.

As a senior, he rushed for 15 touchdowns on 120 carries and 1,134 yards; passed for 893 yards and 8 scores, as well as 57 tackles. Following an impressive outing as a senior, Shaq was listed as one of the representatives in the 2012 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

The exceptional linebacker initially joined the University of California, Berkeley, after which he changed his mind in 2012 and enrolled at the University of Washington. He played football at the university as a linebacker, running back, slot corner, and safety, from 2012 to 2014, receiving the fifth annual Paul Hornung Award as the most versatile player in his final year. He forwent his senior season to pursue a full-time career in the NFL in 2015.

Shaq Thompson’s NFL Career 

Shaq’s professional career began in 2015 after he was selected by the Carolina Panthers as the 25th overall pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He would sign a four-year deal worth $8.80 million with the football team on May 7, 2015. The contract, as gathered, came with a signing bonus of $4.66 million as well as $7.17 million guaranteed.

The linebacker made his debut for the Carolina Panthers in a 20–9 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The footballer’s 2015 rookie season ended with ten starts, two pass deflections, a sack in 14 games, and a total of 50 combined tackles.

The Carolina Panther star kicked off his 2016 season with an impressive record as well, giving an assistance during his team’s 31–24 victory in the NFC Divisional round against the Seattle Seahawks. He also featured in Super Bowl 50 on February 7, 2016, recording five combined tackles against the Denver Broncos. Shaq suffered a knee sprain in 2016 and was forced to miss two games. He, however, made a comeback that gave birth to more impressive performances.

Check Out: 

Shaq Thompson continued his career with the Panthers in 2017 as the starting strongside linebacker, recording two solo tackles and suffering from plantar fasciitis, which led to him missing two games again in week 14 – 15. The Carolina Panthers selected the fifth-year option on the Sacremento-born NFL star’s contract on April 23, 2018, making the No. 54 jersey man one of the team’s most cherished players.

Body Measurements, Height & Weight

The Carolina Panthers linebacker stands at a height of 6 feet 0 inch, which translates to 1.83 meters, making him one of the NFL stars with the most impressive stature. His weight, as culled from his profile, is measured at 104 kilograms or 230 lb.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.