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Shaq Leonard did not spend a lot of time without a team. The star linebacker signed with the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday, adding depth to a group that has been dreadful since the season started, even if the Eagles have an excellent 10-2 record.
There are not a lot of players who were active and involved so much with the community than Shaq Leonard in Indianapolis. Ever since being a second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the linebacker mixed his personal life and his influence in the community with his great skills on the field, making for an instant Colts great.
Apart from being an excellent player, he has also a very interesting life story to tell, which includes how he's married to Kayla, his sweetheart since their kindergarten days.
Who's Kayla Leonard? Get to know the wife of new Eagles linebacker Shaq Leonard
Just like her boyfriend, Kayla was a good athlete. She played three sports (softball, basketball and volleyball), and the couple remained close as they moved to college, with Shaq playing for South Carolina State and Kayla playing softball for Claflin, two universities that are close to each other.
Shaq decided to ask her to marry him during his senior year and made the proposal on senior day:
My senior day, all eyes were supposed to be on me - so it was definitely a great distraction. I called her to the middle of the field. Then, I got nervous. I forget everything I was going to say. So I just asked her, 'Will you marry me?'
She spent her time working as a ninth-grade algebra teacher while her husband prepared for the NFL draft. They have two daughters: Mia Leonard, born on March 28, 2019, and Laila Leonard, born on Jun. 4, 2021.
When Shaq Leonard shed light on his mental health problems
He has been a big proponent of mental health over the last couple of years. His voice has been powerful all across the league, and he decided to speak when he was still a member of the Indianapolis Colts:
"I knew I needed help, and for a long time, I didn't reach out. Once I did reach out, I knew that's what made it better for me. A lot of people have a stigma, specially as men, that you can't show weakness.
"I'm letting the world know as a professional football, a linebacker, one of the most aggressive positions on the field, there's still no weakness because you're having mental health issues."
Shaq Leonard's contract with the Philadelphia Eagles is only for this season.
