Asante Samuel Jr.

Last updated

Asante Samuel Jr.
Asante Samuel Jr. Ravens vs Chargers - 51603164290 OCT2021 (cropped).jpg
Samuel with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2021
Pittsburgh Steelers
Position Cornerback
Roster status Practice squad
Personal information
Born (1999-10-03) October 3, 1999 (age 26)
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
High school St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale)
College Florida State (2018–2020)
NFL draft 2021: 2nd round, 47th overall pick
Career history
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Awards and highlights
Career NFL statistics as of 2024
Total tackles 176
Fumble recoveries 1
Pass deflections 37
Interceptions 6
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Asante Samuel Jr. (born October 3, 1999) is an American professional football cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles [1] and was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft. [2]

Contents

Early life

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] from which she recovered after surgery. [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]

College recruiting information
NameHometownSchoolHeightWeightCommit 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 
Recruit ratings: Rivals:  4 stars.svg     247Sports:  4 stars.svg     ESPN:  4 stars.svg    
Overall recruit ranking:    Rivals: 46 (#6 CB, #12 FL)    247Sports: 168 (#16 CB, #21 FL)    ESPN: 14 (#3 CB, #5 FL)
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.

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. [11] [12] As a junior in 2020, he was named to the first-team All-ACC team. [13]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-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 s1.50 s2.56 s4.09 s6.98 s35.0 in
(0.89 m)		10 ft 4 in
(3.15 m)		12 reps
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day [14] [15]

Los Angeles Chargers

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] In the 2023 season, Samuel recorded 63 tackles, two interceptions, and 13 passes defended. [25]

After four games, Samuel was placed on injured reserve for a shoulder injury on October 12, 2024. [26] [27]

Pittsburgh Steelers

On November 11, 2025, Samuel signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad. [28]

Personal life

He is the son of former NFL cornerback Asante Samuel. [29]

References

  1. ↑ "Asante Samuel, Jr". Florida State Seminoles. July 13, 2018. Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  2. ↑ Miller, Jeff (May 1, 2021). "Chargers pick cornerback, receiver, tight end on Day 2 of NFL draft". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Asante Samuel Jr. Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro Football Reference . Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  4. ↑ "OSDB – Asante Samuel Jr. – Los Angeles Chargers". OSDB – Online Sports Database. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. ↑ "Asante Samuel Jr". Florida State Seminoles. May 26, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  8. ↑ Thomas, Stephen (March 22, 2021). "Cleveland Browns, Potential NFL Draft Target: Asante Samuel, Jr". 247sports.com. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Asante Samuel Jr., Florida State Seminoles, Cornerback". 247Sports. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. ↑ "Clemson Leads 2019 All-ACC Football Team". The ACC. December 3, 2019. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  12. ↑ "Asante Samuel, Jr". Florida State Seminoles. July 13, 2018. Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Tigers, Irish Lead All-ACC Football Team". The ACC. December 22, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Asante Samuel Jr. Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Asante Samuel Jr., Florida State, CB, 2021 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  16. ↑ Hayre, Chris (April 30, 2021). "Chargers Draft CB Asante Samuel Jr. With 47th Pick". Chargers.com. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  17. ↑ Links, Zachary (May 12, 2021). "Chargers, Asante Samuel Jr. Agree to Deal". Pro Football Rumors. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  18. ↑ Robinson, Logan (September 19, 2021). "WATCH: Asante Samuel Jr. records first NFL career interception". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  19. ↑ 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.
  20. ↑ "Asante Samuel 2021 Game Log". Pro Football Reference . Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers – September 11th, 2022". Pro Football Reference . Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Asante Samuel 2022 Game Log". Pro Football Reference . Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Wild Card – Los Angeles Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars – January 14th, 2023". Pro Football Reference . Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  24. ↑ 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.
  25. ↑ "Asante Samuel Jr. 2023 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
  26. ↑ Rhim, Kris (October 12, 2024). "Chargers place RB Gus Edwards, CB Asante Samuel Jr. on IR". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  27. ↑ Roling, Chris (January 13, 2025). "Chargers' embattled CB finally breaks silence about injury". SI.com. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  28. ↑ DeArdo, Bryan. "Asante Samuel Jr. reportedly signing with Steelers: What can he bring to Pittsburgh's secondary?". CBS Sports. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  29. ↑ 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.
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