NFL Rumors: Aqib Talib threw first punch that led to brother Yaqub shooting youth football coach

Aqib Talib might find himself in hot water following a fatal shooting in Lancaster, Texas. The brother of the retired NFL cornerback, Yaqub, turned himself in this week after he was identified as a suspect in the fatal shooting of a coach at a youth football game.

Aqib Talib's lawyer initially released a statement admitting that his client was at the scene of the crime when Yaqub shot Mike Hickmon. He said that the five-time Pro Bowler was "very distraught and devastated over this terrible loss of life.”

However, it appears Aqib Talib's involvement may have gone a little further than just being present at the crime scene.

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Was Aqib Talib involved in youth football coach's fatal shooting?

Journalist Jason Whitlock interviewed three eyewitnesses this week to shed light on the shooting. The eyewitnesses claimed that the retired NFL cornerback instigated the brawl that led to the shooting.

One eyewitness told Whitlock:

"Aqib [Talib] started this. He was the first person to throw a punch. Out of all the people, he was the one person who could have de-escalated the situation. He was the person we all would've listened to. He could've stopped it."

The victim, a coach with the youth team DEA Dragons, died at the hospital.

Another coach with the DEA Dragons told Total Pro Sports:

“Aqib incited the whole uproar. The game would’ve never been stopped had Aqib not come over to our sideline to yell at the refs.”

An assistant coach at the scene said that it all began when Hickmon attempted to pick up the football before it was kicked into an area where the opposition team's coaches were gathered.

When Hickmon attempted to pick up the football again, Aqib Talib reportedly took a swing at him, following which the youth coach retaliated. Hickmon was reportedly jumped following this turn of events, after which the shooter fled the scene of the crime in an unidentified vehicle.

Talib hasn't been charged with any crime yet. The former NFL cornerback's lawyer, however, has disputed the notion that his client incited the shooting.

Lancaster Police are currently investigating the circumstances that led to the incident.

The cornerback spent 12 seasons in the NFL. His run saw stints with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams, winning his lone Super Bowl ring with the Broncos. He called time on his playing career in 2020, but was recently hired by Amazon as an analyst for Thursday Night Football.