This man's name is Aquib Talib. Prior to the 2008 draft where he was picked up by the Buccaneers, he was on the wrong end of a battery charge. 1 year later, he was arrested again for assaulting a cab driver and a year after that he managed to anger the NFL enough to warrant a 4 game suspension that was issued just weeks after he signed with the New England Patriots. But while Talib has seen a good 3 or 4 years of intermittent flirting with a prison sentence the same Patriots fans who just a few months ago saw Aaron Hernandez hauled into jail cannot help but look past the flaws and fixate simply on the stellar product that Talib has been producing.
Much like Hernandez, there is no doubt how skilled Talib is ON the field but the questions that constantly surround him once he leaves it should raise some red flags...but that is not the case. The Patriots are 4-0, Talib has an interception in each of those games and has come up huge whenever his team needed him most. Through 4 games no Patriot has been more influential than Aquib Talib. But as was true with Hernandez, with every mega pick or game winning blocked pass, we are tempted to do what this Patriots organization must never do again, forget the past.
Born in February of 1986, Aquib Talib began his career in Cleveland playing high-school football. There he skillfully transitioned into the corner-back role while he earned himself a pretty high ranking on several NCAA recruiting boards. Talib would eventually commit to the University of Kansas where he played 3 seasons before deferring to the NFL prior to his senior season.
There was where the trouble started.
Much like those years before college, Talib was a treasured asset and one fiercely fought over by the large majority of NFL teams. But it seemed that one team wanted him more. Even with 3 additional QB's, 3 top receivers and a pair of treasured running backs still left undrafted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sacrificed their 3rd round pick when they began Talib's career with a rather unforeseen induction.
But not to worry, then Bucs draft manager: Jon Gruden was quick to give some explanation.
"My guts are ripped out of my body right now. I'm no different than our fans," Gruden said. "I fall in love with some of these guys. You get relationships with them. You study their tape, their profiles. You follow their progress on a daily basis, and you drive home at night, wake up in the morning some days and envision what a great thrill it would be to coach some of these guys."
But even then, the signs were there that Gruden had at least taken a risk. To that point, Talib had already tested positive for Marijuana use 3 times and had been suspended for one of those offences back in 2006. Talib however soon diminished those allegations by dubbing the use as a "phase".
Gruden bought it but was soon made to look foolish by the man he had showered in so much praise.
"He came out and I believe was honest with what occurred. I'm not going to live in the past. I'm going to live in the future. I trust this kid, and we're going to give him an opportunity to prove it."
Before long he was involved in a bloody fist fight with fellow Buccaneer: Cory Boyd.
But nevertheless, while fighting is bad, Talib deserved a second chance. That second chance was given as following the fight, Talib actually won the starting job in Tampa but the only problem was the fact that within a year he had burned that second chance and this time he was in court because of it.
After he was somehow angered by cab driver: David Duggan, Talib struck his victim in the side of the head with a solid fist. He then refused to vacate the car even when he was asked to do so by an officer and was later revealed to be heavily intoxicated after a night at a local bar.
"It's unfortunate, certainly, what happened last night," Bucs GM: Mike Dominik said. "I've been in contact with the league office today. This falls under the personal conduct policy. Certainly, whatever decision is made, the commissioner's decision supersedes anything the club does at this time. I am working with the commissioner's office. We're going to continue to work together through this and come to a resolution."
Talib was eventually suspended for one game but managed to escape the jurisdictions federal law without any jail time. But the damage was done and Aquib's resume was quickly becoming imbalanced. To that point he had recorded just 9 career interceptions and was not living up to the assumptions that bought him a 3rd round selection and what's worse is the fact that by 2011, he was shooting people.
Talib in collaboration with his mother traveled to the house of his sister's boyfriend and attempted to shoot him in the face. Talib's mom turned herself in almost immediately and a warrant for her son's arrest was soon posted.
Once again, Mike Dominik was forced to provide an explanation for some big off field mistakes made by one of his roster members.
"We are deeply troubled by the serious charges filed against Aqib Talib," Bucs general manager Mark Dominik said in a team statement. "Due to current labor circumstances, we will withhold any further comment or action."
When fists changed to bullets, a line had been crossed. The Buccaneers were done with Aquib. But not before the NFL almost simultaneously tagged him with a 4 game suspension for taking a drug normally prescribed for those suffering from ADHD.
"Around the beginning of training camp, I made a mistake by taking an Adderall pill without a prescription." He said after being traded to the Patriots just after the suspension was announced.
The Patriots decided to give him one last chance filling out the final year of his contract and allowing him to start the rest of his season following the suspension at corner-back. After no additional altercations took place during last season, his contract was renewed in 2013. That now takes us to the present day. To date, he has already equaled his season average in interceptions just 4 games into the season. He has forced a fumble and taken down 10 players via a tackle. But in perhaps the biggest moment of this 2013 season, Aquib Talib got a hand on a 4th and 10 late 4th quarter would be touchdown pass by Matt Ryan. The ball bounced to the ground and in a play that took very little actual skill, Talib was suddenly made into a superstar in Foxborough.
With just 4 games of success, Talib has tricked people into forgetting the past and looking simply on that big 4 spot in the INT column...and that is dangerous. For almost 3 seasons, Aaron Hernandez routinely saw his fair share of great 4 game stretches but no matter how good he was, the signs surrounding his gun problems were still there should you have chosen to look for them.
When the Patriots were struggling under the disgrace of the Hernandez saga Bob Kraft broke his silence saying that he was "duped" by Aaron Hernandez. Now while we know nothing for sure and while there is a huge chase that Talib unlike Hernandez has in fact changed, it must be plainly pointed out that the SECOND time you get duped might hurt even more than the first.
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