Who is Azeez Al-Shaair? The NFL linebacker was spotted wearing pro-Palestinian cleats and was suspended for an illegal tackle … but what did Tom Brady have to say about the ‘dirty’ hit?

Dec 7 , 2024

Meet Azeez Al-Shaair: the NFL linebacker was spotted wearing pro-Palestinian cleats and was suspended for an illegal tackle ... but what did Tom Brady have to say about the “dirty” hit? Photo: a_train2_/Instagram

A devout Muslim who fasts during Ramadan even when he’s training, the Houston Texans starting player’s brutal tackle on Trevor Lawrence left the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback concussed

Azeez Al-Shaair, linebacker for the NFL’s Houston Texans, is facing a lot of criticism in the wake of a controversial on-field move.

During a game on December 1, the Texans player took out Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence in a brutal illegal tackle. The incident sparked a fight between players on both teams, and Al-Shaair was immediately ejected from the game. The American football star, who is a devout Muslim, also came under scrutiny for the pro-Palestinian message on the cleats he wore during the game.

Azeez Al-Shaair of the Houston Texans points to the Jacksonville Jaguars bench after a fight and being ejected during a game on December 1, in Jacksonville, Florida. Photo: Getty Images via AFP

Following the game, NFL vice-president of football operations Jon Runyan issued a blistering reprimand, criticising Al-Shaair for his “lack of sportsmanship and respect for the game of football” and suspending the linebacker for three games without pay. In turn, Texans general manager Nick Caserio called out the NFL, saying, “The picture that’s been painted about Azeez, his intentions, who he is as a person – quite frankly, it’s bulls***.” Meanwhile, legendary quarterback Tom Brady commented to Fox News, “Nobody wants to see someone get hurt … but it’s also the reality of a very physical sport that we play.”

For his part, Al-Shaair took to X (formerly Twitter) on the Monday after the game, writing, “To Trevor, I genuinely apologise to you … My goal is to hit you as hard as I can then I pray you’re still able to get up and play the next play.” In his post, he also lashed out at those who have criticised him since the game, saying he’s been “called every single name in the book from reporters with their hands ready for a story to find their villain, to racist and Islamophobic fans and people” but that “you don’t know my heart nor my character, which I don’t need to prove to any of you … God knows my intentions”.

So who is Azeez Al-Shaair, who’s currently the NFL’s most controversial player?

He has an international background

Al-Shaair was born to James Tokley Jr and Naadhirah Lennon in August 1997, in Tampa, Florida. His parents adopted the name Al-Shaair, which is Arabic for “son of a poet”, after converting to Islam.

As a child, the future NFL star moved between Tampa and Saudi Arabia, following his father’s career as an English instructor. When his parents divorced, he settled in the US with his mum and seven siblings.

He’s deeply religious

Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair reacts after a play against the Dallas Cowboys in November, in Arlington, Texas. Photo: AP

Al-Shaair has always taken his religion seriously. Since childhood he’s followed the Muslim ritual of fasting during Ramadan, not eating or drinking during the day for an entire month. “It’s really humbling,” he told University Press, the Florida Atlantic University news source, in August 2018. “It really puts it into perspective how some people struggle in life.”