Shaq
Thompson
Eleven seasons. 118 starts. A first-round pick out of Washington, a decade in Carolina, and a legacy fund built in his mother’s name.
About
Sacramento made him
A three-sport athlete at Grant Union High — football, track and baseball — raised in Sacramento by his mother, Patty, alongside his brothers.
At Washington he became one of the most versatile players in college football, winning the Paul Hornung Award in 2014 and earning first-team All-America honors. Carolina took him 25th overall the following spring.
He spent the next decade there, becoming a team captain and the franchise’s longest-tenured player, before a year in Buffalo that ended with a start in the playoffs.
- Hometown
- Sacramento, California
- High school
- Grant Union
- College
- Washington
- Drafted
- 2015 · Round 1 · No. 25 overall
- Position
- Linebacker · 6’0” · 230 lb
On the field
Eleven seasons
| Team | G | GS | Comb | Sk | PD | Int | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina, 2015-24 | 123 | 112 | 751 | 12 | 26 | 3 | 4 |
| Buffalo, 2025 | 12 | 6 | 56 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 135 | 118 | 807 | 13 | 28 | 3 | 5 |
Two seasons ended early in Carolina — a fractured fibula in 2023, a torn Achilles in 2024. 2025 answered the question. He took 417 defensive snaps across 12 games for Buffalo, then started both playoff games and picked off a pass.
| 2025 | G | GS | Comb | Solo | Ast | Sk | PD | FF | Int |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular season | 12 | 6 | 56 | 33 | 23 | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Postseason | 2 | 2 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Off the field
The Legacy Fund
In 2020 he founded the Thompson Legacy Fund in memory of his mother, Patty, who raised him and his brothers in Sacramento.
The fund works with low-income students in Sacramento and Charlotte on mentorship, character development and dental health — carrying on what she did for her community, in her name.
-
2019
Ed Block Courage Award — voted by his Carolina teammates.
-
2020
Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year — Carolina’s nominee for the league’s community service award.
-
2020
22 and 54 Together — with Christian McCaffrey, $50,000 covering Boys & Girls Club and Police Activities League fees for low-income youth.
-
2020
$25,000 to Grant Union High — new equipment and uniforms for his alma mater.
-
2026
Free youth camp in Sacramento — co-hosted with Arik Armstead at Sacramento State, 200+ kids, drills, campus tours and financial literacy workshops.
Partnerships
Work with Shaq
Open to brand partnerships, campaigns, appearances and media — with a particular interest in youth, education and community work.
Send a note and it goes straight to his team. Include a rough timeline and scope if you have one.
Follow along at @shaqthompson.