The Tampa Bay Buccaneers now have two Shaqs on their roster after they acquired offensive lineman Shaq Mason in a trade with the New England Patriots, but that barely scratches the surface of what Mason and Shaq Barrett share in common when it comes to their names.
Mason’s full name is Shaquille Olajuwon Mason. Barrett’s is Shaquil Akeem Barrett. The first names are spelled differently, but Greg Auman of The Athletic noted on Thursday that both were named after Shaquille O’Neal. Wait, there’s more. Their middle names were both inspired by Hakeem Olajuwon.
This is insane. We mentioned that new Bucs guard Shaq Mason is Shaquille Olajuwon Mason, named after the two former NBA stars. Well, his new teammate, Bucs pass-rusher Shaq Barrett, was born a year earlier in 1992, and is Shaquil Akeem Barrett, named after the same two players.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) March 24, 2022
What are the odds? There are plenty of people in the world named after O’Neal and Olajuwon. The fact that two NFL players who were named after both have now wound up on the same team is probably a once-in-a-million-lifetimes coincidence.
Photo: Aug 9, 2019; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shaquil Barrett (58) reacts on the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the third quarter at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 30-28. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
