Shilique Calhoun (born March 20, 1992) 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 wi ...

outside linebacker who is a

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 ...

. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round in the

2016 NFL Draft The 2016 NFL Draft was the 81st annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. As in 2015 NFL Draft, 2015, the draft took place at the Auditorium Theatre and Grant Park (Chicago), ...

. He played college football at

Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...

Early years

Calhoun attended

Middletown High School North Middletown High School North, home of the Lions, is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Middletown Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as one of the tw ...

Middletown Township, New Jersey Middletown Township is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the township had a total population of 67,106, making it the most-populous municipality in the county and the state's 16th ...

. He was a

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is ...

and

tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Lik ...

for the

high school football High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, part ...

team. He also played

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

College career

Calhoun was redshirted at Michigan State University as a freshman in 2011. As a redshirt freshman in 2012, he played in all 13 games as a backup. He recorded 6 tackles (2.5 for a loss, including 1 sack) and 2 passes defensed. His first year as starter, as a sophomore in 2013, he posted 37 tackles (14 for a loss, including 7.5 sacks), 1 interception, 4 fumble recoveries, and 2 forced fumbles. He was named a second team All-American by numerous publications and was a finalist for the

Ted Hendricks Award The Ted Hendricks Award is given annually to college football's top defensive end. The award is named after Ted Hendricks, a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame, and is presented by his own foundation. I ...

. Although he was eligible for the 2014 NFL Draft, he decided to return for his junior season. During his junior year in 2014, he posted 39 tackles (12.5 for a loss, including 8 sacks), 1 fumble recovery, and a forced fumble. He was expected to leave college and enter the 2015 NFL Draft, but he returned to school for his senior year and, during the 2015 season, he collected 49 tackles (15 for a loss, including 10.5 sacks), 3 passes defensed, and a forced fumble. He finished his four-year college career with 27 sacks, 131 tackles (44 tackles for a loss), four forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, and one interception.

Professional career

Oakland Raiders

On April 29, 2016, Calhoun was drafted in the third round (75th overall) of the

. On May 17, 2016, it was announced that Calhoun would wear number 91, formerly held by

Justin Tuck Justin Lee Tuck (born March 29, 1983) is a former American football defensive end. He played college football at Notre Dame, and was drafted by the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft, ...

. On June 17, 2016, Calhoun signed with the Oakland Raiders. He played in 10 games as a rookie recording nine tackles and a pass defensed before being placed on injured reserve on December 23, 2016. On September 2, 2017, Calhoun was waived by the Raiders and was signed to the practice squad the next day. He was promoted to the active roster on October 14, 2017. On September 12, 2018, Calhoun was waived by the Raiders and was re-signed to the practice squad. He was promoted back to the active roster on September 18, 2018. He was placed on injured reserve on December 5, 2018.

New England Patriots

On May 2, 2019, Calhoun was signed by the New England Patriots. On March 24, 2020, Calhoun was re-signed by the Patriots. In Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks on ''Sunday Night Football'', Calhoun recorded his first career sack on Russell Wilson during the 35–30 loss. He was placed on injured reserve on November 14, 2020. He was activated on December 19, 2020.

San Francisco 49ers

On August 10, 2021, Calhoun signed a one-year contract with the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

. He was released on August 24, 2021.

Kansas City Chiefs

On October 19, 2021, Calhoun was signed to the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The ...

practice squad. He was released on January 18, 2022. On February 9, 2022, Calhoun signed a reserve/future contract. He was waived on August 8, 2022.

References

External links

Michigan State Spartans bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Calhoun, Shilique 1992 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportspeople African-American players of American football Middletown High School North alumni People from Middletown Township, New Jersey Players of American football from New Jersey Sportspeople from Monmouth County, New Jersey American football defensive ends Michigan State Spartans football players Oakland Raiders players New England Patriots players San Francisco 49ers players Kansas City Chiefs players