Patriots' Shaquille Olajuwon Mason explains the story behind his name

Shaq Mason may be a football player, but he has basketball to thank for his name. 

The 6-foot-1, 300-pound offensive lineman – born Shaquille Olajuwon Mason – is named after NBA legends Shaquille O'Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon.

"I was born in 1993, so that was around (Shaquille O'Neal)'s prime. My mom was a huge Shaq fan, and she also liked Hakeem Olajuwon. She just gave me the first and middle names of them," Mason explained Saturday after the New England Patriots selected him with the 131st pick of the draft.

Mason dabbled in basketball as a kid, but stopped playing when he was in the 10th grade. 

"I played stretch four kind of, handled the ball a little bit, but was also big, so I was always in the paint," he said. "I had a little guard to my game, if you will."