Tampa Bay linebacker Shaquil Barrett posted a heart-breaking video to honor the memory of his young daughter.
His two-year-old daughter, Arrayah, died two weeks ago. She drowned in the family’s pool on a Sunday morning. First responders rushed her to the hospital, but couldn’t save her.
Late Wednesday, Barrett hadn’t made a public comment after this horrific family tragedy until Wednesday night. That’s when he shared a video on his Instagram. Barrett wrote, “I miss you sooo much baby girl. I love you please watch over us.” He then used two emojis to blow kisses to his baby girl.
The video shows Barrett holding Arrayah. He’s encouraging her to say love and miss you to her mother. Instead, she blows kisses to the camera.
Shaquil Barrett and his wife, Jordanna, are the parents to four children. Arrayah was the baby. She’d just turned two less than two weeks before her death. On the happy occasion of her birthday party, Arrayah’s daddy shared a snap of his baby girl in her best party attire. She was wearing a t-shirt and a pink tutu as she walked around barefoot on a warm spring day.
He wrote “Happy 2nd bday to my cutie girl. So sweet and cute. You made our family complete. I love you baby girl.”
Then 16 days after her birthday, the Barrett family buried their baby at a private funeral in Tampa.
Jordanna Barrett commented on Shaquil’s Instagram tribute, writing, “we love you forever and ever babygirl. Until we meet again my baby!”
Mike Evans, a Bucs teammate, told Shaq “I love you bro.” Antoine Winfield also left prayers.
Former Dallas Cowboys and Denver Bronco DeMarcus Ware also left a message for Barrett, writing “My heart goes out to your family bro.”
The 30-year-old Barrett started his NFL career with the Broncos. And he was part of the team when Denver beat Carolina for the Super Bowl. In 2019, he moved onto the Bucs, leading the NFL in sacks during his first season in Tampa. The next season, he picked up his second Super Bowl ring when the Bucs beat the Chiefs. Barrett even sacked Patrick Mahomes to put an exclamation point on the victory.
