Deion Lenard "Shaq" Calhoun (born February 20, 1996) is an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

for Mississippi State.

College career

Calhoun was a member of the Mississippi State Bulldogs for five seasons, redshirting his true freshman season. He played mostly as a reserve at

as a redshirt freshman before becoming a starter the following season, starting nine games before suffering a season-ending injury. He was named second-team All-

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities of ...

as a redshirt senior. Following his final season Calhoun was invited to participate in the 2019

NFLPA Collegiate Bowl The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl is a post-season college football all-star game for NFL draft-eligible college players, held annually in January. The event was founded in 2012 by the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). Players predomi ...

Professional career

Miami Dolphins

Calhoun signed with the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...

as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

on April 27, 2019. He made his NFL debut on September 15, 2019, against the

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...

. Calhoun made his first career start on October 20, 2019, against the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...

in a 31–21 loss. In his rookie season, Calhoun played in 10 games with seven starts, committing one penalty and allowing 1.5 sacks in 470 offensive snaps played. On September 5, 2020, Calhoun was waived by the Dolphins.

Cincinnati Bengals

On September 6, 2020, Calhoun was claimed off waivers by the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...

. On September 28, 2020, Calhoun was waived by the Bengals and re-signed to the

practice squad In sports, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. Frequently used in gridiron football, they serve as extra players during the team's practices, ...

the next day. He was elevated to the active roster on October 31 for the team's week 8 game against the Tennessee Titans, and reverted to the practice squad after the game.

Arizona Cardinals

On January 6, 2021, Calhoun signed a reserve/future contract with the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...

. He was waived on August 30, 2021. He re-signed with their practice squad on September 29, 2021. He was released on October 4.

Denver Broncos

On October 27, 2021, Calhoun was signed to the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...

practice squad. He was released on November 16.

Washington Football Team

Calhoun signed with the Washington Football Team's practice squad on November 24, 2021. He signed a reserve/future contract after the 2021 regular season ended. Calhoun was released on August 16, 2022.

References

External links

Mississippi State Bulldogs bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Calhoun, Shaq 1996 births Living people American football offensive guards Arizona Cardinals players Cincinnati Bengals players Denver Broncos players Miami Dolphins players Mississippi State Bulldogs football players People from Pleasant Grove, Alabama Players of American football from Jefferson County, Alabama Washington Football Team players Washington Commanders players