Aqib Talib is reportedly stepping away from broadcasting “Thursday Night Football” on Amazon to focus on his family after his brother Yaqub Talib was charged with murder over the death of Dragons Elite Academy coach Mike Hickmon.
The New York Post has the details;
The former NFL defensive back, 36, and his brother Yaqub Talib, 39, were allegedly involved in a fight that left a youth football coach shot dead.
The Talib brothers jointly coach the North Dallas United Bobcats, a youth football team, and allegedly started a brawl with opposing coaches and referees on Aug. 13 in Lancaster, Texas. A disagreement between coaching staffs reportedly became physical, with Aqib Talib allegedly throwing a punch at Dragons Elite Academy coach Mike Hickmon.
According to police, Yaqub Talib then shot Hickmon, leaving the 43-year-old father of three with wounds in his chest, back and forearm. Hickmon later died in a nearby hospital.
Yaqub Talib later surrendered himself to police on Aug. 15 after a murder warrant was put out for his arrest.
Witnesses told WFAA in Dallas that Aqib Talib crossed the field to confront the referees, instigating the fight. Aqib Talib has not been charged.
Frank Perez, the former defensive back’s attorney, said in a statement that Aqib Talib “is very distraught and devastated over this terrible loss of life.”
“He would like to convey his condolences to the family of the victim and to everyone who witnessed this unfortunate tragedy,” Perez added.
Multiple witnesses believe Hickmon would have been alive today if not for Aqib’s actions.
“Aqib incited the whole uproar,” Dragon Elite coach Kerry Lewis said during a phone interview Monday night. “The game would’ve never been stopped had Aqib not come over to our sideline to yell at the refs.”
Dragon Elite defensive coordinator Marty Barnett added: “Aqib started this. He was the first person to throw a punch. Out of all of the people, he was the one person who could have de-escalated the situation. He was the one person we all would’ve listened to. He could’ve stopped it all.”
According to Mayes, as Hickmon attempted to pick up the football, a man working the first-down chains kicked the football into an area where the North Dallas coaches were gathered. Hickmon walked to the area with the yard marker in tow. The North Dallas coaches and Hickmon exchanged harsh words. As Hickmon bent over to pick up the ball, according to Mayes, Aqib Talib swung at Hickmon. Hickmon retaliated, striking Talib with the yard marker.
Isolated and surrounded by angry opposing coaches, Hickmon retreated. Video footage shows Hickmon fending off a half-dozen people, including a woman who appears to be Aqib’s wife, with the yard marker. The mob knocked him to the ground. He dropped the pole. As he climbed to his feet, with nothing in his hand, a gunman unloaded five shots.
Flip to the next page for more on how Talib’s brother hopefully will spend the rest of his life for killing a man right in front of his son.