Shaun King (American football)

Last updated

Shaun King
No. 10, 4
Position: Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1977-05-29) May 29, 1977 (age 47)
St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:228 lb (103 kg)
Career information
High school: Gibbs (St. Petersburg)
College: Tulane
NFL draft: 1999  / round: 2 / pick: 50
Career history
As a player:
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
As a coach:
  • Gibbs HS (FL) (2006)
    Assistant head coach & quarterbacks coach
  • Gibbs HS (FL) (2008)
    Quarterbacks coach
  • South Florida (2016)
    Quarterbacks coach
  • South Florida (2017–2019)
    Running backs coach
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
TDINT:27–24
Yards:4,566
Passer rating:73.4
Stats at Pro Football Reference
Career Arena League statistics
Comp. / Att.:132 / 228
Passing yards:1,635
TDINT:27–8
Passer rating:95-19
Rushing touchdowns:2
Stats at ArenaFan.com

Shaun Earl King (born May 29, 1977) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tulane Green Wave and was selected in the second round of the 1999 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. King was also a member of the NFL's Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Detroit Lions, as well as the Las Vegas Gladiators of the Arena Football League (AFL) and Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

Contents

After his playing career, he was an assistant college coach for the South Florida Bulls. He later became an afternoon co-host on the Las Vegas sports wagering channel, VSiN.

College career

After graduating from Gibbs High School in 1995, King played college football at Tulane University from 1995 to 1998, [1] leading Tulane to an undefeated season and a win over Brigham Young University in the Liberty Bowl, in the process setting the then single-season NCAA Division I-A record for passing efficiency in 1998 of 183.3. In the same year he became the first player in NCAA history to both pass for 300 yards and rush for 100 yards in the same game against Army on November 14. His quarterback coach was Rich Rodriguez and his head coach was Tommy Bowden. He finished 10th in voting for the 1998 Heisman Trophy. King is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. King co-captained the 1998 12-0 Green Wave along with right tackle Dennis O'Sullivan. The style of offense that King ran at Tulane under Bowden was the Spread offense which is now a very popular style in NCAA football. [2]

College statistics

SeasonTeamGPPassingRushing
CmpAttPctYdsTDIntRtgAttYdsAvgTD
1995 Tulane 89219946.21,0462786.746-10-0.23
1996 Tulane 1113227348.41,57487101.343160.41
1997 Tulane 1119936354.82,5672414128.31245114.15
1998 Tulane 1122332868.03,232366183.31405323.810
College career416461,16355.58,4197034130.43531,0493.019

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Vertical jump Wonderlic
6 ft 0 in
(1.83 m)
221 lb
(100 kg)
30+12 in
(0.77 m)
9+14 in
(0.23 m)
4.77 s1.65 s2.73 s4.29 s33.0 in
(0.84 m)
25 [3]
All values from NFL Combine [4]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

King was drafted in the second round of the 1999 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, his hometown team. [5] King was labeled as inactive for the first seven games of the season and did not play in any of the first ten games of the 1999 season. He was thrust into playing when Trent Dilfer suffered an injury to his right collarbone against the Seattle Seahawks. King went 3-of-7 and threw his first touchdown pass in a 16-3 victory. Dilfer was soon found to have broken his collarbone and was ruled to be out for the rest of the season. [6] With Eric Zeier nursing a rib injury, King was thrust into the starting quarterback role for the rest of the season. King started his first game against the Minnesota Vikings on December 6, going 11-of-19 for 93 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in a 24-17 victory. King won four of his five starts as the Buccaneers won the NFC Central title and won a first-round bye. [7]

In the Divisional Round, they were matched against Washington Redskins, with King being the first rookie quarterback to start a postseason game since Todd Marinovich in 1991. In the game, King went 15-of-32 for 157 yards with a touchdown and an interception while being sacked twice as the Buccaneers rallied from a 13–0 deficit in the fourth quarter to take a late lead before a bobbled snap on a field goal attempt ended the game with a 14–13 victory for Tampa Bay. In addition to being the first rookie quarterback to win a playoff game since Pat Haden in 1976, King became the first rookie quarterback in the Super Bowl era to start a Conference Championship game. [8] The Buccaneers were matched up against the St. Louis Rams in the NFC Championship Game that was a tight defensive affair. A high snap on a routine play resulted in King having to bat the ball into the end zone, resulting a safety. The Buccaneers led in the fourth quarter before an interception on a King pass gave the ball to St. Louis at Tampa Bay's 47. St. Louis converted it into a go-ahead touchdown drive to give Tampa Bay an 11–6 deficit with under five minutes remaining. The Buccaneers managed to drive into St. Louis territory before a late sack made it 2nd and 23 at the 35-yard line. King threw a pass to Bert Emanuel that was thought to be a catch at the 22-yard line before the officials decided to view a replay. They subsequently ruled that the tip of the ball hit the ground and therefore was not a catch despite Emanuel maintaining possession of the ball (in the offseason, the NFL instituted a rule that came to be known as the "Bert Emanuel Rule" in which the ball can touch the ground on a catch as long as the receiver maintains control of the ball through the process). [9] Two plays later, Tampa Bay failed to convert on a fourth and 23 in Rams territory that ended Tampa Bay's season. In total, King went 13-of-29 for 163 yards while throwing two interceptions. [10]

King was tabbed as the starter for the team for 2000, and he would start each game that year. A thrilling rematch against the Rams on Monday Night Football proved to be one of King's most memorable games. Trailing 35–31 with 1:21 remaining, Tampa Bay faced a 4th and 4 at the 29-yard line. King was tripped up but scrambled 6 yards for a first down. Four plays later, Tampa Bay scored the game-winning touchdown, the seventh lead change of the game, and clinched a playoff berth. A win in week 17 would clinch a second consecutive division title and a first-round bye in the playoffs, potentially propelling Tampa Bay to their first Super Bowl appearance. Facing the Green Bay Packers, King did his part leading the offense into position for a game-winning field goal at the end of regulation but Martín Gramática missed the kick in a game that was decided by a field goal that Green Bay made to win 17–14 that dropped Tampa Bay to 10–6 and second place in the Central. The Buccaneers faced the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round. The Eagles routed the Buccaneers 21–3 in which King went 17-of-31 for 171 yards while being sacked four times and losing a fumble. In total, King threw for 2,769 yards with 18 touchdowns to 13 interceptions with a passer rating of 75.8.

After the disappointing end to the 2000 NFL season, King was replaced by Brad Johnson for 2001 when the Buccaneers elected to sign Johnson in free agency on a five-year contract. King was relegated to a backup role for the following three seasons. [11] In the 2002 season, Brad Johnson was injured and missed a game against the Carolina Panthers. Rob Johnson started at quarterback, but struggled to lead the offense, which managed to tie the game at 9-9 late in the fourth quarter. After a hard hit, Rob Johnson had to sit out a play on the final drive, prompting a cold-off-the-bench Shaun King to run in suddenly and throw an unexpected and decisive first down. A few plays later, Martín Gramática scored the game winning field goal.

A few weeks later, starter Brad Johnson was injured once again, and King was placed as the starter against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football. After some fanfare, King had a dismal first half, falling behind 14–0 after two quick turnovers. King was benched, and Rob Johnson salvaged a 17–7 loss. King would not play another down for the Buccaneers that season, as they advanced to the postseason. He suited up as the #3 quarterback for Tampa Bay's victory in Super Bowl XXXVII but did not play in the game. King returned as the backup quarterback in 2003, but only appeared in three games, starting none. His final game as a Buccaneer was in the final week against the Titans. The Buccaneers, already eliminated from playoff contention, had fallen behind early, and King took over in the second half to wind up the disappointing season.

After Tampa Bay

In 2004, King signed with the Arizona Cardinals as a free agent, he started only two games and was released at the end of the season. In his first start against the Carolina Panthers he threw for 343 yards which was a season high for the Cardinals.

King signed a free agent contract with the Detroit Lions in spring 2006, but asked to be released after the Lions signed Josh McCown and Jon Kitna. On Friday June 2, 2006, he signed a free agent contract with the Indianapolis Colts, but was then released as a free agent on September 3.

On Friday November 29, 2006, King signed with the Las Vegas Gladiators of the Arena Football League. He threw 10 touchdowns against the Grand Rapids Rampage on March 8, 2007, but was released by the team after a 1–5 start on April 10 of the same year.

On May 30, 2007, King signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. King was released eighteen days later, so he could pursue a career in broadcasting. [12]

Post-playing

The Shaun King Foundation, headquartered in Winter Haven, Florida, is the principal supporter for the Kings Kids program in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast, St. Petersburg, Florida

King has worked as an NFL and college football analyst for NBC Sports and Yahoo. In July 2008, King, working as an ESPN analyst, commented that it was "outside of normal" that recently released African-American NFL quarterbacks like Daunte Culpepper, Aaron Brooks, Byron Leftwich and himself were not signed to new teams. [13]

He is married and has two daughters and two sons with his wife, Faith King.

In 2016, King joined the coaching staff of the South Florida Bulls a member of the American Athletic Conference. In 2016 as quarterback coach, he helped Quinton Flowers to his best season and AAC player of the year recognition. In 2017, Charlie Strong arrived and King was moved to coach the running backs at USF. [14] where he helped D'Ernest Johnson to his best collegiate season. 247 Sports named King as Recruiter of the Year.

In 2021, King started to work as a host for VSiN, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He co-hosts the show, "The Night Cap," with Tim Murray weeknights from 10 pm to 1 am ET.

King also works as an analyst next to play-by-play man Ben Wilson on the television broadcasts of the Vegas Knight Hawks of the Indoor Football League.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trent Dilfer</span> American football player, analyst and coach (born 1972)

Trent Farris Dilfer is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach for the UAB Blazers football team. Dilfer previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He achieved his greatest professional success as the starting quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens during their Super Bowl-winning season in 2000.

The National Football League playoffs for the 2000 season began on December 30, 2000. The postseason tournament concluded with the Baltimore Ravens defeating the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV, 34–7, on January 28, 2001, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Simms</span> American football player and coach (born 1980)

Christopher David Simms is an American sports analyst and former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2003 NFL draft after playing college football for the Texas Longhorns.

Robert Garland Johnson is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans and was a fourth-round pick in the 1995 NFL draft by the expansion team Jacksonville Jaguars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Johnson (American football)</span> American football player (born 1968)

James Bradley Johnson is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for 17 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), Johnson played for the Minnesota Vikings, Washington Redskins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Dallas Cowboys. He is best known for his time with the Buccaneers, whom he led to their Super Bowl XXXVII title over the Oakland Raiders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaun Hill</span> American football player (born 1980)

Shaun Christopher Hill is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins. Hill was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He also played for the Amsterdam Admirals, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, and St. Louis Rams.

The 2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 29th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 7th playing their home games at Raymond James Stadium, and the 3rd under head coach Jon Gruden.

The 2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 28th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 6th playing their home games at Raymond James Stadium, and the 2nd under head coach Jon Gruden. The season began with the team trying to defend its Super Bowl XXXVII title of 2002 along with being the first to team win back to back super bowls since the 1998 Denver Broncos and first NFC team to win back to back super bowls since the 1993 Dallas Cowboys. Despite high expectations, several last-minute losses led to locker room tension and front-office struggles. The Buccaneers finished 7–9, and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1998 and finished with a losing record for the first time since 1996.

The 2002 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 27th in the National Football League (NFL). It was one of the most successful seasons in franchise history, ending with a victory in Super Bowl XXXVII.

The 2001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 26th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the sixth and final under head coach Tony Dungy.

The 2000 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 25th season in the National Football League (NFL).

The 1999 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 24th in the National Football League (NFL). The season began with the team trying to improve on an 8–8 season and return to the postseason after narrowly missing the playoffs in 1998. Rookie Shaun King replaced the injured and inconsistent Trent Dilfer late in the season. King helped rebound the team to their first NFC Central title in 18 years. The team won 10 out of 12 games at one point in the season, including a then-franchise-record six-game winning streak. The defensive side dominated the team, nine times holding opponents to 10 or fewer points. However, offensive output, while adequate, was often unspectacular – case in point, a 6–3 win over Chicago in October. Tampa Bay finished the season 11–5.

The 1998 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 23rd season in the National Football League (NFL) and their first season in Raymond James Stadium.

The 1997 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 22nd season in the National Football League (NFL). Having gone 6–10 the previous season, Tampa Bay finished second in the NFC Central, and secured their first playoff berth since the strike-shortened 1982 season.

Jeffrey Allen Carlson is an American former professional football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played three seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots. He previously had played for Weber State University and Pacifica High School in Garden Grove, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season</span> NFL team season

The 2011 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 36th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the third and final under head coach Raheem Morris. The team competed in the NFC South. Both of their preseason home games, and seven of their regular season home games were played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. One regular season home game was played at Wembley Stadium in London as part of the NFL International Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jameis Winston</span> American football player (born 1994)

Jameis Lanaed Winston is an American professional football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles, becoming the youngest player to win the Heisman Trophy and leading his team to victory in the 2014 BCS National Championship Game during his freshman year. Declaring for the NFL after his sophomore season, Winston was selected first overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2015 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buccaneers–Saints rivalry</span> National Football League rivalry

The Buccaneers–Saints rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season</span> 45th season in franchise history; second Super Bowl appearance and win

The 2020 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 45th in the National Football League (NFL) and their second under head coach Bruce Arians. The club acquired long-time New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in free agency, and traded for Brady's former Patriots teammate, tight end Rob Gronkowski during the offseason. They improved on their 7–9 record from the previous season by finishing 11–5 to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2007 – though 10 of their 11 wins were against non-playoff teams. They advanced through the playoffs to reach and win Super Bowl LV. They were the first team only having one Pro Bowler to do so since the 2007 Giants, and the first team to play in and win the Super Bowl in their home stadium, Raymond James Stadium. They were the 7th wild card team in NFL history to win the Super Bowl, as well as the fifth team to win three road games to advance to the Super Bowl, joining the 2010 Green Bay Packers, 2007 New York Giants, 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers, and 1985 New England Patriots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season</span> 46th season in franchise history

The 2021 season was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 46th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their third and final season under head coach Bruce Arians. They entered the season as defending Super Bowl champions and were attempting to become the first club to win consecutive Super Bowls since the team's quarterback Tom Brady did so with New England in XXXVIII and XXXIX along with being the first NFC club to do so since the Dallas Cowboys did in 1992 and 1993. They entered the season riding a franchise record eight consecutive wins, which they extended to ten wins until they lost against the Rams. After their Week 16 win over Carolina, the Buccaneers clinched the NFC South division for the first time since 2007. Tampa Bay won a franchise record 13 games in the regular season. In Week 18, they secured the #2 seed in the NFC playoffs, then defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 31–15 in the Wild Card Round, notching postseason wins in consecutive seasons for the first time. However, their title defense came to an end with a 30–27 last-second loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round.

References

  1. NFL Draft Archived February 12, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
  2. https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/shaun-king-1.html
  3. "NFL Combine 1999 Test Results". topendsports.com. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  4. "Shaun King, Combine Results, QB - Tulane (LA)". nflcombineresults.com. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  5. "1999 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  6. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/K/KingSh00/gamelog/1999/
  7. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1999/11/29/Dilfer-breaks-collarbone/6038943851600/
  8. https://www.buccaneers.com/news/king-of-the-playoffs-2180821
  9. https://www.espn.com/blog/tampa-bay-buccaneers/post/_/id/23363/why-the-bucs-bert-emanuel-has-embraced-his-non-catch-nfl-legacy
  10. https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/01/22/rookie-qb-title-game/
  11. https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2002/06/16/is-king-the-bucs-odd-man-out/28714917007/
  12. "Hamilton Tiger-Cats". September 27, 2007. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  13. http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/25919309.html?location_refer=Vikings:highlightModules:5%5B‍%5D
  14. "Source: Former NFL QB King to join USF staff". February 11, 2016.