Yaqub Talib strikes plea deal in 2022 fatal shooting of Lancaster youth football coach

Yaqub Talib, the brother of retired NFL player Aqib Talib, will spend decades behind bars after taking a plea deal in a 2022 murder case where he was accused of fatally shooting a youth football coach during a game.

Talib was indicted on a murder charge by a Dallas County grand jury in September 2022 after police said he fatally shot 43-year-old Michael Hickmon during a youth football game in Lancaster on Aug. 13, 2022.

On Thursday, NBC 5 learned Talib had agreed to a plea bargain ahead of his trial and will spend 37 years in prison. Formal sentencing and victim impact statements are scheduled for Aug. 7.

Michael Freeman

Police said the shooting happened after opposing coaches got into a fight during a game and someone pulled out a gun.

Hickmon was injured in the shooting and was transported to Methodist Central Hospital for treatment where he later died. No other injuries were reported.

Police identified the gunman as Yaqub Talib, who left the park after the shooting and was wanted by police until he surrendered two days later.

Talib's attorney Clark Birdsall issued a statement on behalf of his client after he surrendered to police.

“Mr. Talib regrets the tragic loss of life and so he turned himself in today so that he would be able to say his side of the story," said Birdsall said in September 2022.

According to records obtained by NBC 5, Talib has a criminal past in Dallas and Collin counties that include charges of drug possession, unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, abandoning a child/negligence, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and assault.

Talib is the brother of Aqib Talib, a former NFL cornerback and five-time Pro Bowler who announced his retirement in 2020 and was expected to be a contributor on Prime Video's "Thursday Night Football" broadcast before stepping away after the fatal shooting.