Aqib Talib (born February 13, 1986) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Kansas, where he received consensus All-American honors, and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Talib also played for the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, and Los Angeles Rams, winning Super Bowl 50 with Denver. In 2020, he made his debut as an analyst for NFL on Fox.
Early life and education
Aqib Talib was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to parents Theodore Henry and Okolo Talib in a Muslim household. Talib is the youngest of four siblings; he has two older sisters, Saran and Kai, and an older brother, Yaqub. As the youngest of four children, he was named Aqib which means "the last one" in Arabic. His last name, Talib, means "student." Aqib's parents divorced when he was young, and he spent much of his childhood between Ohio and New Jersey. When Talib was in the eighth grade, his mother moved to Richardson, Texas, with him and his older brother.
Talib attended Berkner High School in Richardson, Texas, and lettered in football, basketball, and track. In football, as a senior, he was named Berkner High School's Defensive Back of the Year while garnering first-team all-district and first-team all-city honors. In track & field, he was a member of the 4 × 100m (43.05) and 4 × 200m (1:32.77) relay squads.
As a college football prospect during his senior year, Talib was rated as a two-star recruit by Rivals.com. He was recruited by Kansas, Wyoming, Tulsa, Arizona, Kansas State, and Baylor. He chose to sign a National Letter of Intent to play for Kansas.
College career
Talib attended the University of Kansas, where he played for the Kansas Jayhawks football team from 2004 to 2007.
2007 season
Talib established himself as one of the best defensive college football players in the country as a junior, and was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American. He also continued to play sparingly as a wide receiver, catching four touchdown passes through the first nine games. Against rival Kansas State, Talib preserved a victory by intercepting a Josh Freeman pass in the final moments of the game. He also returned an interception 102 yards for a touchdown against Florida International. After the 2007 season, Talib was a unanimous All-American selection.
In the 2008 Orange Bowl against Virginia Tech, Talib returned an interception for a touchdown thrown by Tyrod Taylor and was named the game's Most Valuable Player. He announced on January 6, 2008, that he would forgo his senior season and enter the 2008 NFL Draft.
Talib was added to the Kansas Ring of Honor in 2017 along with his Orange Bowl Championship teammate Anthony Collins.
Professional career
As one of the nation's top cornerback prospects, Talib received an invitation to the 2008 NFL Combine, held at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Talib in the first round (20th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft. He was the third cornerback selected, behind Leodis McKelvin and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. He became the first Kansas player to be drafted in the first round since 1993 when Dana Stubblefield was drafted 26th overall by the San Francisco 49ers. Talib also became the second cornerback ever taken by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round since they selected Rod Jones in the 1986 NFL Draft.
2008
On July 25, 2008, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Talib to a four-year, $14 million contract that included $8 million guaranteed.
While attending the NFL's rookie symposium, Talib got into a fight with fellow rookie and teammate Cory Boyd. He also overslept and missed a flight to Canton, Ohio, for a mandatory rookie function at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Talib also missed team meetings during organized team activities and training camp his rookie season. Throughout training camp, Talib competed for a job as one of the starting cornerbacks against Phillip Buchanon. Head coach Jon Gruden named Talib the third cornerback on the depth chart behind veteran Ronde Barber and Phillip Buchanon to begin the regular season.