Shaun King (American football) facts for kids

Shaun Earl King (born May 29, 1977) is a former American football player. He played as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). Shaun King played college football for the Tulane Green Wave. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked him in the second round of the 1999 NFL draft.

King also played for the Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Detroit Lions in the NFL. He was also part of the Las Vegas Gladiators in the Arena Football League (AFL). Later, he joined the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League (CFL). After his playing days, he became a coach for the South Florida Bulls. He now works as a sports show host in Las Vegas.

College Football Career

Shaun King went to Gibbs High School and finished in 1995. He then played college football at Tulane University from 1995 to 1998. In 1998, he led Tulane to a perfect season, winning every game. They also won the Liberty Bowl against Brigham Young University.

During that amazing 1998 season, King set a record for passing efficiency in NCAA Division I-A. He also became the first college player ever to throw for 300 yards and run for 100 yards in the same game. This happened against Army on November 14. His coaches at Tulane were Rich Rodriguez and Tommy Bowden. King finished 10th in the voting for the Heisman Trophy in 1998. He was a co-captain for the undefeated 1998 Tulane team. The team used a "Spread offense" style, which is now very popular in college football.

College Statistics Highlights

During his college career at Tulane, Shaun King played 41 games. He completed 646 passes out of 1,163 attempts, which is about 55.5%. He threw for a total of 8,419 yards and scored 70 touchdowns. He also ran for 1,049 yards and scored 19 rushing touchdowns. His overall passer rating in college was 130.4.

Professional Football Career

Shaun King was chosen by his hometown team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in the second round of the 1999 NFL draft.

Playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

King did not play in the first part of the 1999 season. But when the starting quarterback, Trent Dilfer, got hurt, King had to step in. In his first game, he threw his first touchdown pass. Dilfer's injury meant King became the starting quarterback for the rest of the season. King won four of his five starts, helping the Buccaneers win their division and get a first-round break in the playoffs.

In the playoffs, King became the first rookie quarterback since 1991 to start a postseason game. He led the Buccaneers to a close 14–13 victory against the Washington Redskins. This made him the first rookie quarterback in the Super Bowl era to win a playoff game. The Buccaneers then played against the St. Louis Rams in the NFC Championship Game. It was a very close game, but the Buccaneers lost 11–6. A play involving receiver Bert Emanuel was a big moment. Officials ruled a catch was not complete, even though Emanuel held the ball. This led to a new rule in the NFL, often called the "Bert Emanuel Rule."

King was the main starting quarterback for the Buccaneers in the 2000 season. One exciting game was against the Rams on Monday Night Football. King led a comeback, scrambling for a first down and then helping the team score the winning touchdown with little time left. This win helped the Buccaneers get into the playoffs again. They faced the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round but lost 21–3. In 2000, King threw for 2,769 yards, with 18 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

For the 2001 season, the Buccaneers signed Brad Johnson, and King became the backup quarterback. In the 2002 season, when Brad Johnson was injured, King had a key moment in a game against the Carolina Panthers. He came in for one play and threw a crucial first down pass, helping the team win with a field goal. Later that season, King started a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers but was replaced after a tough first half. He did not play again that season. However, he was part of the team that won Super Bowl XXXVII, even though he did not play in the game itself. In 2003, King remained a backup and played in only three games.

After His Time in Tampa Bay

In 2004, King joined the Arizona Cardinals. He started two games and threw for 343 yards in one of them, which was a season high for the Cardinals. He was released at the end of that season.

In 2006, King signed with the Detroit Lions but asked to be released. He then signed with the Indianapolis Colts but was released again shortly after. Later in 2006, King joined the Las Vegas Gladiators in the Arena Football League. In one game, he threw 10 touchdowns. He was released by the team in April 2007. In May 2007, King signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League but left after 18 days to start a career in broadcasting.

Life After Playing Football

Shaun King has a foundation called The Shaun King Foundation. It helps support the Kings Kids program, which works with Boys & Girls Clubs in the Suncoast area of St. Petersburg, Florida.

King has worked as a football analyst for NBC Sports and Yahoo. In 2008, he spoke about how some African-American NFL quarterbacks were not being signed to new teams.

Shaun King is married to Faith King, and they have two daughters and two sons.

In 2016, King joined the coaching staff for the South Florida Bulls football team. He was the quarterbacks coach and helped Quinton Flowers have a great season. In 2017, he became the running backs coach and helped D'Ernest Johnson have his best college season. He was also recognized as a top recruiter.

Since 2021, King has been a host for VSiN in Las Vegas, Nevada. He co-hosts a show called "The Night Cap." He also works as an analyst for the television broadcasts of the Vegas Knight Hawks, an Indoor Football League team.

See Also

• List of NCAA major college football yearly passing leaders
• List of Arena Football League and National Football League players