If you haven't been following the Indianapolis Colts this offseason, you might be asking who linebacker Shaquille Leonard is. Well, that's Pro Bowler Darius Leonard, who decided to change his first name. Bettors at Caesars Sportsbook have been hammering Leonard this month to win 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors to the point Leonard is now the most-wagered player on the board despite being a +5000 longer shot.
Leonard's middle name is Shaquille, and that's wh at his family has referred to him as since he was young so he decided to make a change as he tweeted this week: “I went by Shaquille my whole life and I understand that it'll be a hard change to be called Shaquille after being called Darius for 4 years. It's not a huge deal and it wouldn't be no hard feelings if you called me Darius. Shaquille is my middle name that I've went by since 95.”
It's actually not that unusual for NFL players to go by their middle name instead of first. Are you aware that Matthew Stafford's full name is John Matthew Stafford? Or that Deshaun Watson's is Derrick Deshaun Watson?
By any name, Leonard is a stud. The 27-year-old, a 2018 second-round pick out of South Carolina State, was the '18 Defensive Rookie of the Year (when he led the NFL in tackles) and has been a three-time first-team All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler. This past season, he had 112 tackles, four interceptions and a league-best eight forced fumbles. Leonard had back surgery in June to address two discs that were pressing on a nerve and contributing to pain in his legs and ankles last season.