TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett misses his daughter every day.
She passed away at 2 years old in April when she drowned after falling into a pool at the family’s home in the Beach Park neighborhood.
But being at training camp and preparing for the season with the rest of his teammates has helped Barrett take his mind off of the sadness that has poured on him and his family.
"I’ve got a lot of time in the day when I’m just in my head thinking about stuff and thinking about her. So having to actually think about what I’m doing right in the moment helps me out a lot and helps the family out a lot when we’re doing stuff and trying to stay busy," Barrett said.
Monday's training camp served as a day to honor military members, but fans also made sure to cheer for Barrett whenever he got close to the sidelines or made a play during drills.
This is something the 30-year-old mentioned that is making him feel better out on the practice field.
“It feels good. It feels like a long time coming," he said. "We took it at a perfect pace to get me ready for camp. I just missed it so much and I’m just so happy to be out here to start getting back into practice flow, game flow, and just to start working with my team. I missed it a lot and I’m happy to be a part of the team again.”
However, when the cones begin to get picked up and players head back to the locker room, Barret admits a lot goes on throughout the day for his family.
There are days when he shows his emotions with his family and remembers the time spent with his daughter, but there are also days when he has a smile on his face knowing that he has three other kids to take care of and another baby girl on the way.
“It’s a daily battle, a tough battle. I felt it heavier today than I did the last couple of days. It just comes in waves," Barrett said. "We just talk to each other, talk through it with each other and just lean on each other to get ourselves through, and lean on the Lord, as well. It doesn’t get any easier."
"It’s just me being busy and keeping my mind off of it for a little bit. It’s just tough – it’s always going to be tough.”
Barrett remembers his daughter Arrayah as someone who loved the stars and had an all-around great energy.
“She was the best – her smile, her personality. Even when she was being naughty, she still was so cute. She was smart and she knew exactly what she shouldn’t be doing. Then she would stop doing it and go back and try and do it," Barrett said. "I could go on and on forever and ever about her. It’s just her smile I miss so much, her energy, putting her to bed every night and reading her stories. She brought so much brightness, wholeness and completeness to our lives, and we most definitely have a big, big, big hole in our hearts and our lives that we won’t be able to fill.
"It’s always sad – she would have been the best big sister, as well. It’s just bittersweet because I know she is in a better place, but I 100 percent prefer her to be here with us, selfishly.”
The outside linebacker added that Monday's practice was the first time his family came out to One Buc Place to watch him. Barrett said his wife has been strong throughout the process as well and a great person to lean on while also helping take care of their three children.
Barrett announced that he and his wife started a foundation called the Arrayah Hope Foundation that will help pay for families across the Tampa Bay area who want to put their babies in swim lessons. The foundation will also cover the costs of installing an AI camera in families' homes to help keep track of where their child is.
“I was never going to put my kids in one of those early swim classes where they just throw them in and let them figure it out, but I recommend people do that," he said. "We’re just going to help out as much as possible with swim lessons for other families [and] installing AI cameras for other families. The Arrayah Hope Foundation is going to be beneficial for a lot of families, I hope."
“We’re going to start off in Tampa and then probably get it going in Colorado, as well. As big as we can make it, we’re going to make it, but we’re going to start off locally first.”
Barrett is continuing to make the best out of a tough situation for his family, and that impact has been felt by other players.
Outside linebacker Anthony Nelson, who just became a father this year, said Barrett has always been someone he can rely on.
"Shaq has always been one of the best dudes on this team. I mean coming in my first year was his first year here, and we had that connection obviously being new guys," Nelson said. "Even though he was not a rookie, Shaq has always been someone I look up to. On the field, obviously, he is a great player, but just as a father and as a husband, he is someone that really set the way for me, now having my first [child]."
"He is somebody I go to for advice on being a father, and a husband, and I will always go to him. He means a lot to me, and has done a lot for me personally, and on the field."
Last year, Barrett suffered a season-ending injury but revealed that he is close to being 100% fit.
The timeline for when he will be physically ready to begin the new season was never unknown, but head coach Todd Bowles said the mentality and emotional part for Barrett may have made it unclear when he will get back to his best.
"It feels great. It looks great. I didn’t have any expectations coming in – I didn’t know when he was going to be ready," Bowles said. "But the fact that he got cleared and the fact that he’s out here running around and chasing people at full-bore is a big plus for us – it’s a welcome sight.”
Bucs fans can expect to see Barrett and the rest of the team out on the practice fields for the remainder of training camp.
The Bucs will play their first preseason game on Friday, Aug. 11, at Raymond James Stadium against Pittsburgh, while the season opener is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 10, on the road against Minnesota. That game can be seen on 10 Tampa Bay. To see the team's full schedule, click here.