Shaquille Leonard retires: Former Colts star to officially call it a career at Sunday's game in Indianapolis

Shaquille Leonard, who rose from FCS star to NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and perennial All-Pro with the Colts, will retire as a member of the Colts this weekend, the team announced. Leonard, 30, will make his retirement official and address the crowd at halftime of the Colts' home game against the Raiders and will hold a press conference before the game begins.

Nicknamed "The Maniac" for his havoc-wreaking play, Leonard made an immediate impact after Indianapolis drafted him 36th overall out of South Carolina State in the 2018 NFL Draft. He won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and earned first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler his rookie season, when he recorded a league-high 163 tackles. Across his first four seasons, he made four Pro Bowls and garnered three first-team and one second-team All-Pro selections.

In 2021, Leonard forced an NFL-high eight fumbles, tied for the most in a single season by a linebacker on record (since 1999).

In 2022, Leonard told reporters he'd prefer to go by his middle name, Shaquille, rather than his first name, Darius, saying his family and friends had called him "Shaquille" throughout his entire life.

Injuries mounted for Leonard, cutting his stardom short. He had ankle surgery in 2021 and played through through significant ankle pain. He then had back surgery ahead of the 2022 season and appeared in just three games that season. He played in nine games for the Colts in 2023 but was eventually released. He finished his career with a five-game stint with the Eagles.