Jabaal Sheard

Lore & Background

Sheard was an All-Broward County defensive lineman who had 54 tackles and 11 sacks as a senior at Hollywood Hills, a Florida 5A school. He was rated as the nation's No. 23 weakside defensive end and one of the top 60 prospects in Florida according to Rivals.com. He was a PrepStar All-Southeast Region. He was rated one of the top 100 prospects in Florida by SuperPrep and one of the top 75 prospects in the southeast region by Scout.com. Sheard was also a track and field letterman; in 2007, he placed fourth in the shot put at the FHSAA Outdoor State Championships with a throw of 16.20 meters (53-0) and earned All-Broward County honors in the discus. He was timed at 4.6 in the 40-yard dash at the Nike combine prior to his senior season. In college, he was noted for his 'extraordinary game' against Notre Dame, with four tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, one pass breakup and four quarterback hurries. He earned first-team American Football Coaches Association All-American honors in 2010 and was a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award. He was suspended from the Pitt football team after a July 18, 2010 arrest but was restored after charges were reduced to misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

Reader's Guide

Sheard was selected 37th overall in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns. He started all 16 games as a rookie, leading the team in sacks (8.5) and forced fumbles (5), and was named to the Pro Football Weekly 2011 All-Rookie Team. He started all 16 games in 2012 (7.0 sacks, 36 tackles), 13 games in 2013 (5.5 sacks, 19 tackles), and all 16 games in 2014 (44 tackles, 2 sacks). He signed a two-year, $11 million contract with the New England Patriots on March 11, 2015, collecting four sacks in his first four games and finishing the season with 37 tackles, 8 sacks, and two passes defensed. He was part of the Patriots team that won Super Bowl LI, recording two tackles and 0.5 sacks in the 34–28 overtime victory over the Atlanta Falcons. On March 10, 2017, he signed a three-year, $25.5 million deal with the Indianapolis Colts, where he was switched to OLB and had 5.5 sacks and 52 tackles in 2017. After the Colts returned to a 4-3 defense, he moved back to defensive end. On October 12, 2020, he was signed to the Jacksonville Jaguars' practice squad, elevated to the active roster on October 17, and reverted to the practice squad. On October 20, 2020, he was signed by the New York Giants off the Jaguars practice squad; in Week 12 against the Bengals, he secured a 19–17 victory by stripping Bengals backup quarterback Brandon Allen. On September 1, 2021, he was signed to the Miami Dolphins practice squad and released on November 16.

Did You Know?

• Sheard recorded his first career sack and forced fumble against the Indianapolis Colts in week 2 of the 2011 season.
• He was part of the Patriots team that overcame a 28–3 deficit to win Super Bowl LI in overtime.