TAMPA, Fla. — The Bucs’ newest offensive offensive lineman appreciates the irony embedded in his full name.
At only 6-foot-1, veteran guard Shaquille Olajuwon Mason — acquired from the Patriots for a fifth-round draft pick — is shorter than each of Tampa Bay’s 2021 starting offensive linemen by at least 3 inches.
“So I was named after Shaquille O’Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon who ... were two giant centers, and I’m a short offensive lineman,” Mason, 28, joked Thursday in his first public appearance as a Bucs player. “I didn’t get that from my namesakes, but I think everything worked out well.”
