Indianapolis Colts Star Shaquille Leonard Hates To Be Called Darius

In the first four seasons of his career, Leonard proved himself to be one of the best defensive players in the NFL. Now that he has established himself, he’s letting the media and fans know he hates to be called Darius and would prefer to be referred to by his middle name, Shaquille.

I went by Shaquille my whole life and I understand that it’ll be a hard change to be called Shaquille after being called Darius for 4 years. It’s not a huge deal and it wouldn’t be no hard feelings if you called me Darius. Shaquille is my middle name that I’ve went by since 95.

— Darius Shaquille Leonard (@dsleon45) July 26, 2022

He’s Definitely Earned It

When asked why he never mentioned this before, Leonard expressed that he didn’t want to make demands or imply that he needed any special treatment. He wanted to fit in and prove himself, and he did exactly that.

Shaquille Leonard was the 2018 Defensive Player Of The Year. He’s also been a First-Team All Pro player and Pro Bowl player three times each.