Report: Former Mississippi State player Shaq Calhoun seriously injured in shooting

Former Mississippi State offensive lineman Deion “Shaq” Calhoun was seriously injured in Birmingham, Alabama after a Sunday shooting, according to Carol Robinson of AL.com. The 26-year old was shot multiple times at an apartment complex and is now receiving treatment at UAB Hospital.

Per the report, no further details on the shooting are available at this time, although no arrests have been made at this time. Birmingham police said that the detectives have been unable to speak with Calhoun because of his condition.

Shaq Calhoun was a four-year starter at Mississippi State on the offensive line and went on to play three seasons in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Commanders. In total, he played 12 games as a professional, starting eight, with his most recent appearance during the 2021 season.

He arrived in the Bulldogs program at a three-star recruit in the 2014 class according to the On3 Consensus. An Alabama native, he ranked No. 115 among interior offensive linemen and No. 50 in his home state, also becoming the first Restoration Academy student to earn a Division I scholarship.

After going undrafted in 2019, the 6-foot-3, 310-pound Calhoun stuck on the Dolphins roster for one season before moving elsewhere. In addition to his three teams, he spent time on the practice squad of the Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos during the 2021 season. He joined the Commanders preseason camp this year before being released in August.