| Age/Date of Birth: | 37 years old (February 13, 1986) |
|---|---|
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Ethnicity/Race: | Black |
| Nationality: | American |
| Wife or Girlfriend: | Gypsy Benitez (m. 2016) |
| Parents: | Theodore Henry and Okolo Talib |
| Net Worth: | $20 million |
There were only a handful of football players one could count on for a successful performance at the end of every game and Aqib Talib was one of them. A former American football cornerback, Talib was pretty confident and versatile in the games he played.
Admired for his willingness to give his best in any game, Talib was very intense and feisty on the field. He had great athletic speed and a knack for interception. With his body size and leaping ability which were above average, Talib was best at getting balls at the highest point.
In the course of his professional career, he earned for himself a good number of awards some of which include the Super Bowl championship and the Unanimous All-American. Let’s learn some more facts about the great American football cornerback.
Who Exactly Is NFL’s Aqib Talib?
Aqib Talib is a former professional American football cornerback who played for several teams in the NFL. He is a native of Cleveland Ohio, born on February 13, 1986, into a family of six which consists of his father, Theodore, his mother, Donna Henry, and his three older siblings: Saran, Kai, and Yaqub.
Donna who converted to Islam chose to name her son Aqib which means “the last one” in Arabic. His surname Talib was also drawn from the Arabic language, which means “student”. Aqib and his siblings grew up with his mother in Texas where they moved to after his parents separated.
He Tried His Hand In A Number of Sports In His Early Years
Talib started playing football in high school. He attended Berkner High School which is based in Richardson, Texas and with the Rams athletic teams, he was actively involved in football, basketball, and track sports. Following excellent football skills displayed by young Talib both in his junior and senior seasons, he earned the first-team all-district, first-team all-city honors and was crowned with the Berkner High School’s Defensive Back of the Year.
Moving on to college, Talib received a scholarship from different schools including Baylor University, Wyoming, Kansas, and Kansas State but he chose to attend the University of Kansas where he joined the Kansas Jayhawks football team and played with them from 2005 to 2007.
While studying, young Aqib Talib continued to distinguish himself through his strong defensive skills and was later counted as one of the best and successful college football defensive in the country. Talib ended his college career in 2007, forgoing his senior season. He finished with a total of 162 tackles, 13 interceptions, 43 passes defended, 2 fumbles recoveries, and 2 forced fumbles in 34 games. This earned him a better and higher public recognition like the Orange Bowl 2008 Most Valuable Player.
He Began His NFL Career With the Buccaneers
Aquib became a professional football player in 2008 after he was invited to join the 2008 NFL Combine. He was then selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round and 20th overall of the NFL 2008 Draft and on July 25, 2008, he signed his first contract as a professional. Talib finished his rookie season appearing in 15 games and making 23 combined tackles, 4 interceptions, and nine pass deflections.
Aqib Talib continued his games with the Buccaneers for five active seasons before he was traded to the New England Patriots in November 2012. While with the Buccaneers, Talib racked up a total of 182 tackles (163 solos), 18 interceptions, and 54 pass deflections. His move to his new team followed his suspension by the NFL, for testing positive to the performance-enhancing substance.
Talib’s Time With the Patriots and Broncos
Returning on November 12, 2012, after his suspension for four games, Talib debuted with his new team in a game against the Indianapolis Colts and he made 40 tackles (33 solos), 2 interceptions, one fumble recovery, and 10 passes defended.
He left the Patriots in 2014 and became a free agent. He then signed a six-year deal worth $57 million with the Denver Broncos and played for the football franchise from 2014 to 2017. His time with the Broncos is easily the prime of his professional career as he participated in the all-star game of the league (Pro Bowl) every year of his stay with the franchise.
Move to Los Angeles Rams and then to Miami Dolphins
In March 2018, he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams and he debuted at the beginning of the season as a starting cornerback. Despite suffering an ankle injury in the season’s week 3, Talib was still able to make good records for the season.
Entering the 2019 season as a starting cornerback for the Rams, he would later sustain a rib injury that placed him on the injured reserve list. In October of that year, he was traded to the Miami Dolphins. Unfortunately, his injury made it impossible for him to play for the team before he became a free agent when the season rounded up.
Aqib Talib would refuse an offer to rejoin the patriots. He said he was done playing and announced his retirement sometime in September 2020.
List of All the Team He Played for
- Lloyd V. Berkner High School
- Kansas Jayhawks of the University of Kansas (2005 – 2007)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2008 – 2012)
- New England Patriots (2012 – 2013)
- Denver Broncos (2014 – 2017)
- Los Angeles Rams (2018 – 2019)
- Miami Dolphins (2019)
Major Awards and Highlights of His Career
- 2-time First-team All-Big 12 – 2006 and 2007
- Unanimous All-American – 2007
- Second-team All-Pro – 2013
- First-team All-Pro – 2016
- 5-time Pro Bowler – from 2013 to 2017
- Super Bowl champion (50)
Total NFL Career Stats
- Fumble recoveries – 4
- Forced fumbles – 5
- Defensive touchdowns – 10
- Interceptions – 35
- Pass deflections – 125
- Total tackles – 467
Most of Aqib Talib’s $20 Million Net Worth Came from His NFL Salaries
Following a couple of mouth-watering contracts the athlete signed, he became a multi-millionaire. Talib’s first contract was worth $14 million with $8 million guaranteed but after about ten years of football experience as a professional, his value increased.
Sometime in March 2018, he signed a $57 million contract with the Los Angeles Rams that guaranteed $25 million and came with a $5 million bonus. That year, his salary was a massive $11 million.
The Retired Footballer Made Almost $72 Million in Salaries
Playing over 12 years across 5 teams in the NFL, Aqib Talib never made less than $1 million in any year. Below is a breakdown of what he earned each year playing in the league.
- 2008 – (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) $4,895,000
- 2009 – (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) $1,181,250
- 2010 – (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) $1,334,117
- 2011 – (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) $1,653,750
- 2012 – (New England Patriots) $1,852,500
- 2013 – (New England Patriots $4,882,813
- 2014 – (Denver Broncos) $11,906,250
- 2015 – (Denver Broncos) $5,968,750
- 2016 – (Denver Broncos) $8,906,250
- 2017 – (Denver Broncos) $10,352,941
- 2018 – (Los Angeles Rams) $11,000,000
- 2019 – (Los Angeles Rams/Miami Dolphins) $7,999,999
He Also Made Money from Speaking Engagements and Public Appearances
While his NFL salaries will remain the most significant contributor to his net worth, the former professional footballer also made money from making corporate appearances, delivering keynote speeches, making product announcements, endorsements, and things of that sort.
Now, what he has been able to make through this avenue is best known to him. But given the caliber of footballer he was and the level he attained in sports, one can conclude he commands decent paychecks through this avenue.
Aqib Has Been Hosting His Call to the Booth Podcast Since He Retired
All eyes on the Allen Robinson vs. Marshon Lattimore matchup in Sunday's NFC Wild Card Game.
"Somebody else is going to have to score touchdowns this week," @AqibTalib21 tells @HarrisonSanford pic.twitter.com/fa5QFvIQGS
— Call to the Booth (@CalltotheBooth) January 10, 2021
Following his retirement, the cornerback has continued earning from making public appearances. In addition to that, he serves as the host of a podcast titled Call to the Booth which presumably, has become another source of income.
He co-hosts the multi-platform podcast with Harrison Sanford of Inside the Green Room with Danny Green. The podcast revolves around Aqib and Harrison discussing major NFL news, making analyses, and conducting interviews.
Sources of the Former Pro Footballer’s Wealth
- NFL salaries
- Paychecks from speaking engagements and public appearances
- Income from hosting Call to the Booth podcast
Aqib Talib Has Been Married Since 2016
- Wife’s Name: Gypsy Benitez
- Date of Birth: Undetermined
- Duration of Marriage: 2016 – Present
As the youngest child in the family of six, Talib has been able to build a family of his own. The former American football cornerback married his longtime girlfriend Gypsy Benitez on March 26, 2016. How they met and details of the circumstances surrounding their relationship have remained a secret. The reason for this is not far-fetched.
Gypsy is a very private person who has been relentless about keeping her life away from the glare of the public. She even has her social media pages on private. As such, more than being the wife of the NFL star, it is hard to tell anything else about her.
Nevertheless, if the pictures Aqib Talib shares online are anything to go by, they are having a great time together with their kids.
Aqib and Gypsy are Parents to Four Kids
Together, they are biological parents to two sons named Jabril and Bari. The former footballer has a daughter whom he had with his college girlfriend, Courtney Jacobs. Also, Gypsy came into the marriage with a child from a previous relationship.
Fabian Talib
- Date of Birth: Sometime in 2006
- Occupation: Undetermined
The NFL star isn’t the biological father of Fabian, Gypsy had him from a previous relationship before she met, started dating, and subsequently got married to Aqib. Because of Gypsy’s need for privacy, it has been hard uncovering who the biological father of Fabian is.
Kiara Talib
- Date of Birth: Sometime in 2007
- Occupation: Up-and-Coming Dancer and Instagram Influencer
The first child of Aqib, Gypsy isn’t the biological mother of Kiara but she is the most popular child of the family. Even though she is still a kid, Kiara has been gaining lots of attention and this can be traced back to 2016 when she stole the show in one of her dad’s post-game conferences.
"We just made world history!"
Aqib Talib's daughter steals the show at his postgame press conferencehttps://t.co/Bo9vHbNupP
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) February 8, 2016
Kiara is a happy child and the future holds great promises for her as the up-and-coming dancer already has thousands of followers on Instagram.
Jabril Talib
- Date of Birth: Sometime in 2012
- Occupation: Undetermined
Jabril is the first biological child that Aqib and his wife have had together. Still a child, Jabril has his future ahead of him. He has a lot of growing up to do and is yet to start concerning himself with thoughts about having a career.
Bari Talib
- Date of Birth: Sometime in 2018
- Occupation: Undetermined
Bari is the youngest child of the family, the second biological child the couple has had together. The toddler doesn’t have much going for him apart from being the baby of his family.
| Profile Summary | |
|---|---|
| First Name: | Aqib |
| Last Name: | Talib |
| Also Known As: | Not known |
| Sex/Gender: | Male |
| Profession: | Professional football cornerback |
| Famous For: | His professional football career |
| Colleges/Universities Attended: | University of Kansas |
| Educational Qualifications: | Not known |
| Religion: | Muslim |
| Birthday & Zodiac |
|
| Age/Date of Birth: | 37 years old (February 13, 1986) |
| Zodiac Sign: | Aquarius |
| Birth Place: | Cleveland, Ohio, United States |
| Nationality: | American |
| Ethnicity/Race: | Black |
| Country of Residence: | USA |
| Physical Attributes |
|
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight: | 209 lb (95 kg) |
| Eye Colour: | Brown |
| Hair Color: | Black |
| Other Body Measurements: | Arm length- 33 in (0.84 m), Hand size- 9 3⁄8 in (0.24 m) |
| Relationships | |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Spouse/Partner: | Gypsy Benitez (m. 2016) |
| Family and Relatives |
|
| Father: | Theodore Henry |
| Mother: | Okolo Talib |
| Children: | Fabian, Kiara, Jabril, and Bari Talib |
| Siblings: | Yaqub Talib, Saran Talib, Kai Talib |
| Other Relatives: | Unknown |
| Net Worth | |
| Estimated Net Worth: | $20 million |
| Salary: | He retired in 2019 |
| Source of Wealth: | His football career |
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