The NFL offseason is always interesting to see which players will be teammates for the first time. And for the Buccaneers, there is a very notable coincidence between two players on the team.
Tampa Bay traded for offensive lineman Shaq Mason and already has Shaq Barrett on the team, meaning they now have two players named after Shaquille O’Neal. But the coincidence doesn’t stop there.
Barrett’s middle name is Akeem, and Mason’s middle name is Olajuwon. Both are named after NBA Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon.
Barrett was born in 1992, and Mason in 1993, meaning they were both born when O’Neal was just starting his NBA career. Olajuwon was in the prime of his NBA career at that point.
The name Shaq became more popular with O’Neal’s rise in the NBA, so it’s not out of the ordinary for two teammates to be named after him. However, the odds of having the same middle name as well must be very slim.
The Buccaneers acquired Mason from the Patriots to shore up their offensive line after Alex Cappa signed in Cincinnati and Ali Marpet retired. Mason had spent seven seasons with the Patriots, including five with Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady.
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