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 other NFL teams. These included the Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Detroit Lions. He also played in the Arena Football League (AFL) for the Las Vegas Gladiators. Later, he joined the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League (CFL). After his playing days, he became an assistant coach. He also works as a sports show host.

College Football Career

Shaun King went to Gibbs High School. After graduating in 1995, he played college football at Tulane University. He played there from 1995 to 1998.

In 1998, he led Tulane to a perfect season. They won every game and beat Brigham Young University in the Liberty Bowl. That year, he set a record for passing efficiency in NCAA Division I-A. He was also the first NCAA player to pass for 300 yards and rush for 100 yards in one game. This happened against Army on November 14.

His quarterback coach was Rich Rodriguez. His head coach was Tommy Bowden. King finished 10th in the voting for the 1998 Heisman Trophy. He was a co-captain of the 1998 Tulane team. The team used a "Spread offense" style. This style is now very popular in college football.

College Statistics

Professional Football Career

Playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted King in 1999. This was his hometown team. He did not play in the first ten games of the 1999 season. He became the starting quarterback when Trent Dilfer got hurt. King threw his first touchdown pass in a 16-3 win.

King started his first game on December 6 against the Minnesota Vikings. He helped the Buccaneers win 24-17. King won four of his first five starts. The Buccaneers won the NFC Central title and got a first-round bye in the playoffs.

In the playoffs, King was the first rookie quarterback to start a postseason game since 1991. The Buccaneers won 14-13 against the Washington Redskins. King became the first rookie quarterback since 1976 to win a playoff game. He also became the first rookie quarterback in the Super Bowl era to start a Conference Championship game.

The Buccaneers played the St. Louis Rams in the NFC Championship Game. It was a very close game. A play where King batted the ball into the end zone resulted in a safety. The Buccaneers were ahead in the fourth quarter. But an interception by King gave the Rams the ball. The Rams then scored a touchdown to lead 11–6. The Buccaneers tried to score late in the game. A pass to Bert Emanuel was first called a catch. But after a replay, officials said it was not a catch. This play led to a new rule in the NFL. The Buccaneers lost, ending their season.

King was the starting quarterback for the 2000 season. He started every game that year. A game against the Rams on Monday Night Football was very exciting. The Buccaneers were losing 35–31 with little time left. King made a key run for a first down. Four plays later, Tampa Bay scored the winning touchdown. This win helped them get into the playoffs.

In 2001, Brad Johnson replaced King as the starting quarterback. King became a backup for the next three seasons. In the 2002 season, Brad Johnson was injured. Shaun King came in during a game against the Carolina Panthers. He threw a key first down pass that helped the team win with a field goal.

A few weeks later, King started a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He struggled in the first half and was replaced. King did not play again for the Buccaneers that season. However, he was part of the team that won Super Bowl XXXVII. He was the third-string quarterback but did not play in the game. In 2003, King was still a backup. He played in only three games. His last game as a Buccaneer was against the Titans.

After the Buccaneers

In 2004, King joined the Arizona Cardinals. He started two games for them. In his first start against the Carolina Panthers, he threw for 343 yards. This was the most yards for the Cardinals that season. He was released at the end of the year.

King signed with the Detroit Lions in 2006. But he asked to be released after they signed other quarterbacks. On June 2, 2006, he signed with the Indianapolis Colts. He was released by them on September 3.

On November 29, 2006, King signed with the Las Vegas Gladiators. This team was in the Arena Football League. He threw 10 touchdowns in one game in March 2007. But he was released by the team in April 2007.

On May 30, 2007, King signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League. He was released 18 days later. He left to start a career in broadcasting.

Life After Playing Football

Shaun King has a foundation called The Shaun King Foundation. It supports the Kings Kids program. This program works with Boys & Girls Clubs in St. Petersburg, Florida.

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

He is married to Faith King. They have two daughters and two sons.

In 2016, King joined the coaching staff at the South Florida Bulls. He was the quarterback coach in 2016. He helped Quinton Flowers have his best season. In 2017, King became the running backs coach. He helped D'Ernest Johnson have his best college season. 247 Sports named King as "Recruiter of the Year."

In 2021, King started working as a host for VSiN. He co-hosts a show called "The Night Cap." He also works as an analyst for the television broadcasts of the Vegas Knight Hawks. This team is in the Indoor Football League.

See also

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