Over the weekend, Shaquil Barrett declared his retirement. After agreeing to a contract with the Miami Dolphins in the summer, the 31-year-old linebacker finally made the decision that he was ready to give up on football and spend more time with his family.
Barrett was an extraordinary person who worked extremely hard to become a Super Bowl champion, All-Pro, and two-time Pro Bowler. He was also a devoted father and a fierce pass rusher.
Following his freshman year, Barrett’s football program at Nebraska-Omaha was terminated, and the future NFL star ended up attending Colorado State. During his three seasons with the Rams, Barrett was a reliable player who even led the club in tackles in his rookie season. However, it was Barrett’s 2013 campaign that catapulted him to stardom—at least in his hometown.
Barrett was among the top 5 in the nation with 12 sacks as a senior, setting a conference record with 20.5 tackles for loss. Because of his incredible tenure with the Rams, he was selected Mountain West Player of the Year. He also finished his CSU career with a fantastic effort in the 2013 New Mexico Bowl victory, which is regarded as one of the most insane games in history.
Barrett totaled 246 tackles in three years with the Green & Gold, including 32.5 tackles for loss and 18 sacks. In addition, he recorded seven forced fumbles and three interceptions. His ability to come up with timely turnovers always appeared to come naturally to him, much like what we witnessed in Albuquerque in 2013. His professional career saw him continue this pattern, which helped him outperform players who had far simpler routes to the field than he had.
Barrett was not selected in the 2014 draft, in spite of his large body of work and invitation to the East-West Shrine Game. Thankfully for Broncos supporters, though, he signed a contract with Denver, and we all know how that turned out.
Barrett evolved from being a quirky little local legend to a vital and involved player of Denver’s front seven very rapidly. In addition, despite occasionally seeing fewer snaps due to unsuccessful selection picks like Shane Ray, he managed to earn 14 sacks and seven forced fumbles in his four years with the squad.
It’s unfortunate that the Broncos did not want to commit Barrett long-term after witnessing how he routinely outperformed players with greater status. Barrett was trusted enough to earn his first opportunity and even made six starts as a rookie in 2015. In all honesty, though, Barrett’s situation probably turned out better in the end because he was eventually let loose in Tampa Bay.
Barrett had 45 sacks and 15 forced fumbles in five seasons with the Buccaneers. With 37.5 sacks in just 2019–2021 alone, Barrett was one of the NFL’s most dominant defensive players before suffering injuries in the last several years. While bringing in Tom Brady was undoubtedly the biggest factor, his ability to pressure the quarterback was a major factor in Tampa Bay’s success in the Super Bowl.
In Super Bowl LV, Barrett had a sack and a team-high four hits on Patrick Mahomes as the Patriots crushed the Chiefs 31-9. With 59 sacks and two Super Bowl rings to his credit, he retires from professional football. Not bad for a Mountain West kid who 32 NFL teams passed on in the draft.
In July of 2023, the Barrett family experienced a devastating tragedy when their 2-year-old daughter, Arrayah, drowned in the family pool. Barrett was able to play this past fall, but it’s hardly shocking that Shaq is choosing to put up his cleats and spend more time at home given that he and his wife, Jordanna, recently welcomed another kid and his two oldest boys are getting ready to start high school.
Shaq has always been a family man first and foremost, even during his time in Fort Collins when he and Jordanna were juggling the turmoil of being new parents while he was playing college football. He is the type of person who realizes that while athletes come and go in sports, family is something that endures a lifetime.
Congratulations on a remarkable career and a legacy that will live on for a very long time. In Ram Nation, Shaquil Barrett’s name will always have particular meaning.
