Asante Samuel Jr.
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 drafted by the Chargers in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft.[2] He is the son of former NFL cornerback Asante Samuel.[3]
![]() Samuel in 2021 | |||||||||||
| No. 26 – Los Angeles Chargers | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | October 3, 1999 Tallahassee, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||||
| 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 Week 18, 2022 | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||||||||
Early life
Samuel was born on October 3, 1999, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida[4] to Asante Samuel Sr. and Candice Doe.[5] Samuel credits his grandmother, Christine Samuel, for helping raise him and being an important person in his life.[6] When he was 14, his mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor.[7] Following surgery, his mother recovered from the brain tumor.[8]
High school career
Samuel played high school football at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.[9] He was a four-star recruit coming out of high school and committed to Florida State to play college football.[10][11]
College career
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.[12][13] As a junior in 2020, he was named to the first-team All-ACC team.[14]
Professional career
| 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[15][16] | ||||||||||||
Samuel was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the second round (47th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft.[17] On May 12, 2021, Samuel signed with the Chargers on a deal worth just over $7 million.[18]
2021 season
Samuel recorded his first career interception in week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys.[19] He was Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week in back-to-back weeks, weeks 2 and 3.[20]
2022 season
Samuel recorded his first interception of the 2022 season in week 1 against the Las Vegas Raiders. In the playoffs, Samuel recorded 3 interceptions in the first half in the team’s 31-30 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. [21]
References
- "Asante Samuel, Jr". Florida State Seminoles. July 13, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
- "Chargers pick cornerback, receiver, tight end on Day 2 of NFL draft". Los Angeles Times. May 1, 2021.
- 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.
- "Asante Samuel Jr. Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
- Database, OSDB-Online Sports. "OSDB - Asante Samuel Jr. - Los Angeles Chargers". OSDB - Online Sports Database. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
- "Asante Samuel Jr. has trouble learning from one former NFL player — his dad". Los Angeles Times. September 11, 2021.
- "Los Angeles Chargers second-rounder Asante Samuel Jr.'s inherited inspiration goes beyond famous father". ESPN.com. May 15, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
- "Asante Samuel Jr". Florida State Seminoles. May 26, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
- Thomas, Stephen. "Cleveland Browns, Potential NFL Draft Target: Asante Samuel, Jr". 247 Sports. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
- "Asante Samuel Jr., Florida State Seminoles, Cornerback". 247Sports. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
- Furones, David. "Asante Samuel Jr. stays loyal to commitment, signs with FSU". sun-sentinel.com. Archived from the original on December 24, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
- "Clemson Leads 2019 All-ACC Football Team". theacc.com. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
- "Asante Samuel, Jr". Florida State Seminoles. July 13, 2018. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
- "Tigers, Irish Lead All-ACC Football Team". theacc.com. 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.
- "Chargers, Asante Samuel Jr. Agree to Deal".
- Robinson, Logan. "WATCH: Asante Samuel Jr. records first NFL career interception". Sports Illustrated Florida State Seminoles News, Analysis and More. 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.
- "Can't-Miss Play: Asante Samuel Jr. picks off Carr's launch codes for Adams". NFL.com. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
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