The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are back in business after Tom Brady ended his 40-day retirement.
His return for a 23rd NFL season cleared all the dark clouds that lingered over the franchise when he initially stepped away from the game.
Now, Tampa Bay is back as a playoff contender and Brady’s return helped them retain and acquire players.
Chris Godwin signed a three-year contract extension and Leonard Fournette chose to return despite visiting the New England Patriots.
Meanwhile, the Buccaneers were also able to sign offensive lineman Shaq Mason from the Patriots to somewhat address the void that Ali Marpet and Alex Cappa left.
But aside from getting a valuable asset in the trenches, The Athletic’s writer for the Buccaneers Greg Auman pointed out an interesting tidbit regarding Mason and teammate Shaq Barrett.
This is insane. We mentioned that new Bucs guard Shaq Mason is Shaquille Olajuwon Mason, named after the two former NBA stars. Well, his new teammate, Bucs pass-rusher Shaq Barrett, was born a year earlier in 1992, and is Shaquil Akeem Barrett, named after the same two players.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) March 24, 2022
Auman said, “This is insane. We mentioned that new Bucs guard Shaq Mason is Shaquille Olajuwon Mason, named after the two former NBA stars. Well, his new teammate, Bucs pass-rusher Shaq Barrett, was born a year earlier in 1992, and is Shaquil Akeem Barrett, named after the same two players.”
Even casual NBA fans would know who Shaquille O’Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon are because they are two of the greatest centers of all time.
Finesse And Power Personified
The Buccaneers hope that Mason and Barrett can channel their inner Shaquille and Hakeem on the field.
O’Neal’s brute strength helped him dominate the shaded area throughout his career.
In that case, they hope that their two players can bully the opponents in every snap.
Meanwhile, Olajuwon’s silky smooth shooting and outstanding footwork helped him win two NBA titles.
The Buccaneers hope that Mason and Barrett can have their own version of the “Dream Shake” when they are going for a pull block or a sack.
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