![]() Samuel in 2021 | |||||||||
No. 26 – Los Angeles Chargers | |||||||||
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Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||
Born: | Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. | October 3, 1999||||||||
Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||
Weight: | 180 lb (82 kg) | ||||||||
Career information | |||||||||
High school: | St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) | ||||||||
College: | Florida State (2018–2020) | ||||||||
NFL draft: | 2021 / Round: 2 / Pick: 47 | ||||||||
Career history | |||||||||
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Roster status: | Active | ||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
Career NFL statistics as of 2023 | |||||||||
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Player stats at PFR |
Asante Samuel Jr. (born October 3, 1999) is an American football cornerback for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida State[1] and was selected by the Chargers in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft.[2]
Early life
[edit]Samuel was born on October 3, 1999, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida[3] to Asante Samuel Sr. and Candice Doe.[4] Samuel credits his grandmother, Christine Samuel, for helping raise him and being an important person in his life.[5] When he was 14, his mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor.[6] Following surgery, his mother recovered from the brain tumor.[7]
Samuel played high school football at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.[8] He was a four-star recruit coming out of high school and committed to Florida State to play college football.[9][10]
Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Asante Samuel Jr. CB |
Fort Lauderdale, Florida | St. Thomas Aquinas High School | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Apr 13, 2017 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||
Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 46 (#6 CB, #12 FL) 247Sports: 168 (#16 CB, #21 FL) ESPN: 14 (#3 CB, #5 FL) | ||||||
Sources:
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College career
[edit]As a sophomore in 2019, Samuel was named to the third-team All-ACC team after recording 48 tackles, one interception, and 14 pass breakups.[11][12] As a junior in 2020, he was named to the first-team All-ACC team.[13]
Professional career
[edit]Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 ft 10+1⁄8 in (1.78 m) |
180 lb (82 kg) |
30+1⁄8 in (0.77 m) |
8+7⁄8 in (0.23 m) |
4.41 s | 1.50 s | 2.56 s | 4.09 s | 6.98 s | 35.0 in (0.89 m) |
10 ft 4 in (3.15 m) |
12 reps | |
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[14][15] |
Samuel was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the second round (47th overall) of the 2021 NFL draft.[16] On May 12, 2021, Samuel signed with the Chargers on a deal worth just over $7 million.[17] He recorded his first career interception in week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys.[18] He was Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week in back-to-back weeks, weeks 2 and 3.[19] As a rookie, he appeared in and started 12 games. He finished with 43 total tackles (33 solo), two interceptions, and 11 passes defended.[20]
Samuel recorded his first interception of the 2022 season in week 1 against the Las Vegas Raiders.[21] In the 2022 season, Samuel appeared in all 17 games and started 15. He finished with 57 total tackles (48 solo), two interceptions, and 11 passes defended.[22] In the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, Samuel recorded three interceptions in the first half in the team’s 31–30 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.[23][24]
Personal life
[edit]He is the son of former NFL cornerback Asante Samuel.[25]
References
[edit]- ^ "Asante Samuel, Jr". Florida State Seminoles. July 13, 2018. Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
- ^ Miller, Jeff (May 1, 2021). "Chargers pick cornerback, receiver, tight end on Day 2 of NFL draft". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ "Asante Samuel Jr. Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
- ^ "OSDB – Asante Samuel Jr. – Los Angeles Chargers". OSDB – Online Sports Database. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
- ^ Miller, Jeff (September 11, 2021). "Asante Samuel Jr. has trouble learning from one former NFL player — his dad". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ Smith, Shelley (May 15, 2021). "Los Angeles Chargers second-rounder Asante Samuel Jr.'s inherited inspiration goes beyond famous father". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
- ^ "Asante Samuel Jr". Florida State Seminoles. May 26, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
- ^ Thomas, Stephen (March 22, 2021). "Cleveland Browns, Potential NFL Draft Target: Asante Samuel, Jr". 247sports.com. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
- ^ "Asante Samuel Jr., Florida State Seminoles, Cornerback". 247Sports. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
- ^ Furones, David (December 22, 2017). "Asante Samuel Jr. stays loyal to commitment, signs with FSU". South Florida Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on December 24, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
- ^ "Clemson Leads 2019 All-ACC Football Team". The ACC. December 3, 2019. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
- ^ "Asante Samuel, Jr". Florida State Seminoles. July 13, 2018. Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
- ^ "Tigers, Irish Lead All-ACC Football Team". The ACC. December 22, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
- ^ "Asante Samuel Jr. Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
- ^ "Asante Samuel Jr., Florida State, CB, 2021 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
- ^ Hayre, Chris (April 30, 2021). "Chargers Draft CB Asante Samuel Jr. With 47th Pick". Chargers.com. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
- ^ Links, Zachary (May 12, 2021). "Chargers, Asante Samuel Jr. Agree to Deal". Pro Football Rumors. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ Robinson, Logan (September 19, 2021). "WATCH: Asante Samuel Jr. records first NFL career interception". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ^ Peterson, Michael (July 18, 2022). "Asante Samuel Jr. named to list of 2nd-year players to rebound from injury in 2022". Bolts From The Blue. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
- ^ "Asante Samuel 2021 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
- ^ "Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers – September 11th, 2022". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
- ^ "Asante Samuel 2022 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
- ^ "Wild Card – Los Angeles Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars – January 14th, 2023". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
- ^ DeArdo, Bryan (January 15, 2023). "2023 NFL playoffs: Chargers' Asante Samuel Jr. makes history in first half of wild-card game vs. Jaguars". CBSSports.com. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
- ^ Kirshner, Alex (April 13, 2017). "Asante Samuel's son is already a top recruit, and he just picked FSU". SBNation.com. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
External links
[edit]- Los Angeles Chargers bio
- Florida State Seminoles bio Archived May 13, 2021, at the Wayback Machine