 Samuel with thePhiladelphia Eagles in 2008 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 22 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Cornerback | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1981-01-06)January 6, 1981 (age 44) Accra, Ghana | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Boyd H. Anderson(Lauderdale Lakes, Florida) | ||||||||||||||
| College | UCF (1999–2002) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2003: 4th round, 120th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Asante Tyrell Samuel Sr. (born January 6, 1981) is an American former professionalfootball player who was acornerback in theNational Football League (NFL). He was born inAccra, Ghana and raised inFort Lauderdale, Florida. He playedcollege football for theUCF Knights and was selected by theNew England Patriots in the fourth round of the2003 NFL draft. Samuel also played for thePhiladelphia Eagles andAtlanta Falcons. He led the NFL twice in interceptions, in 2006 and 2009, and is considered one of the all-time greatest Patriots and cornerbacks. He is the father ofAsante Samuel Jr., a cornerback who was drafted by theLos Angeles Chargers.
Samuel was born inAccra, Ghana, and raised inFort Lauderdale, Florida, where he attendedBoyd H. Anderson High School inLauderdale Lakes, Florida. As a juniorquarterback, he threw for 1,800 yards and rushed for 500 yards. As a senior, Samuel concentrated on defense, and earned All-State honors, and finished his senior year with 4 interceptions and 75 tackles. Samuel also managed kick and punt return duties.[2] Ten minutes before kickoff of Samuel's final high school game, he replaced his team's injured starting quarterback. He threw two touchdown passes, intercepted two more, rushed for 80 yards, and even worked on special teams returning kicks and punts.[2] Samuel decreased his40-yard dash time from 4.5 seconds during his sophomore year of high school to 4.49 seconds entering the NFL.[2]
Samuel attended theUniversity of Central Florida, majored in business administration, and played for theUCF Knights football team. He finished his college career with 127tackles (102 solo, 25 assisted), 8interceptions, and a school-record 38passes deflected (the previous record was 34 deflections). Samuel also returned 63punts for 673yards, for an average of 10.7 yards per return.[3]
| 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 | Wonderlic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft10+7⁄8 in (1.80 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 29+1⁄2 in (0.75 m) | 9+3⁄4 in (0.25 m) | 4.49 s | 1.55 s | 2.62 s | 4.10 s | 6.90 s | 38.5 in (0.98 m) | 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m) | 16 reps | 29 |
| All values fromNFL Combine[4] | ||||||||||||
TheNew England Patriots selected Samuel in the fourth round (120th overall) of the2003 NFL draft.[5] The Patriots orchestrated a trade with the Denver Broncos to ensure the acquisition of Samuel by agreeing to trade their fourth-(128th overall) and fifth-round (157th overall) picks in the 2003 NFL draft in return for the 2003 fourth-round pick (120th overall) from the Broncos.[6] He was the 16th cornerback selected and the last of two cornerbacks drafted by the Patriots in 2003, following second-round pick (39th overall)Eugene Wilson.
On June 10, 2003, the Patriots signed Samuel to a four–year,$1.68 million rookie contract that included asigning bonus of $312,500.[7]
Throughout training camp, he competed Tyrone Poole to earn the role as the No. 2 starting cornerback following the departure ofOtis Smith. Head coachBill Belichick named him a backup and listed him as the No. 3 cornerback on the depth chart to begin the season, behind startersTyrone Poole andTy Law.
On September 7, 2003, Samuel made his professional regular season debut in theNew England Patriots' season-opener at theBuffalo Bills and made one tackle and one pass deflection as they lost 0–31. On September 21, 2003, Samuel recorded two solo tackles, set a season-high with two pass deflections, and returned his first career interception for a touchdown during a 23–16 win against theNew York Jets. He intercepted a pass attempt byVinny Testaverde thrown to wide receiverWayne Chrebet and returned it 55–yards to score his first career touchdown. In Week 7, Samuel earned his first career start in place of Ty Law, who was inactive due to an ankle injury. He recorded one solo tackle and broke up one pass during a 19–13 overtime victory at theMiami Dolphins. On November 3, 2003, Samuel made one solo tackle, one pass deflection, and sealed the Patriots' 30–26 victory at theDenver Broncos by intercepting a pass byDanny Kanell to wide receiverAshley Lelie with 19 seconds remaining in the game.[8] In Week 13, he set a season-high with eight combined tackles (seven solo) during a 38–34 loss at theIndianapolis Colts. He appeared in all 16 games throughout his rookie season with one start and finished with a total of 34 combined tackles (29 solo), made five pass deflections, two interceptions, and one touchdown.[9]
TheNew England Patriots finished the2003 NFL season with a 14–2 record, earning a first-round bye. On January 10, 2004, Samuel appeared in his first career playoff game, but was limited to two solo tackles during a 17–14 win against theTennessee Titans in the Divisional Round. On February 1, 2004, Samuel appeared inSuper Bowl XXXVIII, as the Patriots defeated theCarolina Panthers 32–29, earning Samuel his firstSuper Bowl ring.
Throughout training camp, Samuel competed against Tyrone Poole to be the No. 2 starting cornerback under defensive coordinatorRomeo Crennel. Head coach Bill Belichick named him the primary backup and listed him as the third cornerback on the depth chart to begin the season, behind returning starters Ty Law and Tyrone Poole.
In Week 6, starting cornerback Tyrone Poole injured his knee during a 30–20 victory against theSeattle Seahawks. Samuel was subsequently named as his replacement as the No. 2 starting cornerback entering Week 7. On October 31, 2004, the Patriots' No. 1 starting cornerback, Ty Law, exited in the first quarter of a 20–34 loss at thePittsburgh Steelers after suffering a fracture to his foot. Samuel would start alongside rookieRandall Gay for the rest of the season, as Ty Law remained inactive for the last eight games (Weeks 10–17).[10] On November 7, 2004, Samuel recorded one solo tackle before exiting in the first quarter of a 40–22 victory at theSt. Louis Rams due to an injury to his arm. He subsequently remained inactive for the Patriots' 29–6 win against theBuffalo Bills in Week 10.[11] He was sidelined for two games (Weeks 12–13) due to a shoulder injury, but returned before fully recovering. In Week 14, Samuel set a season-high with three pass deflections and had a pick-six after intercepting a pass byCarson Palmer to wide receiverT. J. Houshmandzadeh and returning it 34–yards for a touchdown during a 28–35 victory against theCincinnati Bengals. The following week, he set a season-high with six combined tackles (five solo) and had one pass deflection during a 28–29 loss at theMiami Dolphins in Week 15. On December 17, 2004, the Patriots officially placed Poole on injured reserve due to his knee injury that required surgery and rendered him inactive.[12] He finished the season with a total of 39 combined tackles (37 solo), made 12 pass deflections, three forced fumbles, one interception, and one touchdown in 13 games and eight starts.[9]
TheNew England Patriots finished the2004 NFL season first in the AFC East with a 14–2 record. On January 16, 2005, Samuel earned a start in a playoff game for the first time in his career during a 20–3 victory against theIndianapolis Colts in the AFC Divisional Round. On February 6, 2005, Samuel started inSuper Bowl XXXIX and recorded four combined tackles (three solo) and led his team with four pass deflections as the Patriots defeated thePhiladelphia Eagles 24–21.
The New England Patriots promotedEric Mangini to defensive coordinator afterRomeo Crennel accepted the head coach position with theCleveland Browns. He entered training camp as a candidate to become the No. 1 starting cornerback following the departure ofTy Law. He competed for the role againstTyrone Poole,Randall Gay,Duane Starks, andChad Scott.[13] He began the season as the No. 1 starting cornerback, alongside Tyrone Poole. In Week 1, Tyrone Poole injured his ankle and was replaced by Randall Gay as he remained inactive for the rest of the season.
In Week 8, he set a season-high with seven solo tackles, made two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass byKelly Holcomb to wide receiverEric Moulds as the Patriots defeated theBuffalo Bills 21–16.[14] The following week, Samuels set a season-high with eight combined tackles (six solo) and made two pass deflections during a 21–40 loss to theIndianapolis Colts in Week 9.[15] He was inactive as the Patriots lost 26–28 against theMiami Dolphins in Week 17. He finished with a title of 54 combined tackles (44 solo), 13 pass deflections, and three interceptions in 15 games and 15 starts.[9]
TheNew England Patriots finished second in the AFC East with a 10–6 record to clinch a Wildcard berth. On January 7, 2006, Samuels made four solo tackles, three pass deflections, and returned an interception thrown byByron Leftwich to wide receiverReggie Williams for a 73–yard touchdown during a 28–3 victory against theJacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Wild-Card Game. On January 14, 2006, Samuels started in the AFC Divisional Round and recorded three solo tackles, made three pass deflections, and intercepted a pass byJake Plummer to wide receiverAshley Lelie as the Patriots lost 13–27 at theDenver Broncos.[14]
TheNew England Patriots promoted linebackers coachDean Pees to defensive coordinator following the departure ofEric Mangini, who became the head coach of theNew York Jets. Samuel entered training camp slated as thede facto No. 1 starting cornerback following the departures ofTyrone Poole andDuane Starks. Head coach Bill Belichick named Samuel andEllis Hobbs the starting cornerbacks to begin the season.
On October 8, 2006, Samuel made six solo tackles, two pass deflections, and had two interceptions on passes thrown byJoey Harrington as the Patriots defeated theMiami Dolphins 20–10. This was his first career performance with multiple interceptions. He was sidelined for the Patriots' 35–0 victory at theGreen Bay Packers in Week 11 due to a knee injury.[16] In Week 12, he set a season-high with eight solo tackles, made three pass deflections, and set a career-high with three interceptions off passes thrown byRex Grossman during a 17–13 victory against theChicago Bears.[17] His three interceptions tied the Patriots' single game interception record.[3] The following week, he recorded one solo tackle, set a season-high with four pass deflections, and intercepted a pass byJon Kitna to wide receiverCorey Bradford as the Patriots defeated theDetroit Lions 28–21.[18] On December 31, 2006, Samuel made two solo tackles, tied his season-high of four pass deflections, and picked off two pass attempts byVince Young during a 40–23 victory at theTennessee Titans. He had one of the best seasons in his career in 2006, setting career-highs with 64 combined tackles (59 solo), 24 pass deflections, and 10 interceptions, while appearing in 15 games with 15 starts.[9] His 10 interceptions tied Broncos' cornerbackChamp Bailey for the most interceptions in 2006. His 10 interceptions is the second most in the Patriots' franchise history for a single season, only behindRon Hall, who had 11 interceptions(1964).
TheNew England Patriots finished atop the AFC East with a 12–4 record during the2006 NFL season, to clinch a playoff berth. On January 7, 2007, Samuel recorded three solo tackles, made three pass deflections, and had a pick-six after picking off a pass byChad Pennington to wide receiverJustin McCareins and returned it 36–yards for a touchdown during a 37–16 win against theNew York Jets in the AFC Wild-Card Game.[19] On January 21, 2007, Samuel started in theAFC Championship Game and made two solo tackles, three pass deflections, and returned an interception thrown byPeyton Manning to wide receiverMarvin Harrison and returned it 39–yards for a touchdown as the Patriots lost 34–38 at theIndianapolis Colts.[20] The Colts eliminated the Patriots from the playoffs and advanced to the Super Bowl as they defeated theChicago Bears 29–17 to winSuper Bowl XLI.
On February 16, 2007, theNew England Patriots opted to assign thefranchise tag on Samuel. On August 27, 2007, Samuel signed his franchise tag, for one–year, $7.79 million tender after he held out for the entire training camp and the majority of the preseason, as he was seeking a long-term contract offer.[21] It was reported byThe Boston Globe, that his agreement with the Patriots included a contract stipulation that stated the Patriots would not be able to place the franchise tag on Samuel for the second consecutive season if he played 60% of the snaps on defense at the conclusion of the2007 NFL season.[22]
Due to his absence during training camp, the Patriots held a competition betweenRandall Gay andChad Scott to name his replacement.[23] Head coach Bill Belichick named Randall Gay andEllis Hobbs as the starting cornerbacks to begin the season. On September 8, 2007, the Patriots officially activated Samuel and added him to their active roster. He began the season as the primary backup cornerback.[24]
On October 1, 2007, Samuel set a season-high with four solo tackles, made two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass thrown byCarson Palmer to wide receiverChad Ochocinco during a 34–13 victory at theCincinnati Bengals. The following week, he recorded two solo tackles, broke up two pass attempts, and intercepted a pass byDerek Anderson to wide receiverJoe Jurevicius as the Patriots defeated theCleveland Browns 34–17 in Week 5. This marked his third consecutive game with an interception. In Week 12, Samuel made three solo tackles, three pass deflections, set a season-high with two interceptions, and returned one for a touchdown during a 31–28 win against thePhiladelphia Eagles. On the opening drive, Samuel had a pick-six, intercepting a pass byA. J. Feeley to running backBrian Westbrook and returned it 40–yards for a touchdown. He helped secure their victory by intercepting a pass by A. J. Feeley to wide receiverKevin Curtis with 3:58 remaining in the fourth quarter.[25] In Week 14, he set a season-high with five combined tackles (three solo) and had one pass deflection during a 34–13 win against thePittsburgh Steelers.[26] He finished the season with a total of 46 combined tackles (43 solo), 18 pass deflections, six interceptions, and one touchdown in 16 games and 14 starts.[9] He was voted to thePro Bowl for the first time in his career.
TheNew England Patriots were undefeated in2007, finishing with a record of 16–0. On January 20, 2008, Samuel started in theAFC Championship Game and recorded three solo tackles, made two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass byPhilip Rivers to wide receiverChris Chambers during a 21–12 victory against theSan Diego Chargers.[27] On February 3, 2008, Samuel started inSuper Bowl XLII and recorded two combined tackles (one solo) and made one pass deflection. Late in the fourth quarter, with 1:20 remaining and the Patriots leading 14–10, Samuel dropped a crucial interception on a pass attempt thrown byEli Manning to wide receiverDavid Tyree that would have sealed the Patriots victory. On the following play, Manning completed a 32-yard pass to Tyree, which became famously known as theHelmet Catch. TheNew York Giants would have a last-minute comeback victory, defeating the New England Patriots 17–14 to win Super Bowl XLII and ended the Patriots 18 game undefeated streak.[28]
.JPG)
On February 29, 2008, within minutes of the official start of free agency, it was reported that Samuel would be meeting with thePhiladelphia Eagles, as he was considered as one of the sought-after free agents.[29] Later that day, thePhiladelphia Eagles signed Samuel to a six–year, $59.47 million contract as an unrestricted free agent, that includes $6.60 million guaranteed and an initialsigning bonus of $6.00 million.[7] Upon being signed, Samuel was quoted as saying, “I just want to be able to win and get back to the Super Bowl.” He entered training camp slated as thede facto No. 1 starting cornerback under defensive coordinatorJim Johnson. Head coachAndy Reid named him a starting cornerback to begin the season and started him alongsideSheldon Brown and nickelbackLito Sheppard.
On September 15, 2007, Samuel made two solo tackles, one pass deflection, and had his first interception as a member of the Eagles during a 37–41 loss at theDallas Cowboys. His first interception of the season was on a pass attempt thrown byTony Romo to wide receiverMiles Austin. The following week, he set a season-high with six combined tackles (four solo), made two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass byBen Roethlisberger to wide receiverNate Washington in Week 3. He was inactive as the Eagles defeated theArizona Cardinals 48–20 in Week 13 due to an injury to his neck that was described as a stinger.[30] On December 15, 2008, Samuel made one solo tackle, one pass deflection, and returned an interception thrown byKen Dorsey to wide receiverDonte Stallworth for a 50–yard touchdown during a 30–10 victory against theCleveland Browns.[31] He finished the season with a total of 36 combined tackles (32 solo), tied his career-high with 24 pass deflections, made four interceptions, and scored one touchdown in 15 games and 15 starts.[9]
ThePhiladelphia Eagles finished the2008 NFL season second in theNFC East with a9–6–1 record, earning a Wildcard berth. On January 4, 2009, Samuel made one solo tackle, a pass deflection, and returned an interception on a pass byTarvaris Jackson thrown to wide receiverSidney Rice 44–yards for a touchdown during a 26–14 victory at theMinnesota Vikings in the NFC Wild-Card Game. He set an NFL record with his fourth interception returned for a touchdown in the postseason.[32] The following week, Samuel recorded four solo tackles, made one pass deflection, and picked off a pass byEli Manning thrown to wide receiverDomenik Hixon as the Eagles won the NFC Divisional Round 23–11 at theNew York Giants.[33] On January 18, 2009, Samuel started in theNFC Championship Game and recorded three solo tackles as the Eagles lost 25–32 at theArizona Cardinals.
On May 18, 2009, thePhiladelphia Eagles promoted defensive backs coachSean McDermott to defensive coordinator following the departure of Jim Johnson due to a medical leave. McDermott chose to retain Samuel and Sheldon Brown as the starting cornerbacks to begin the season.
On September 13, 2009, Samuel started in the Eagles' season-opener at theCarolina Panthers and made three solo tackles, set a season-high with two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass byJake Delhomme to wide receiverSteve Smith Sr. as they won 38–10. In Week 5, he made four solo tackles, two pass deflections, and set a season-high with two interceptions on passes thrown byJosh Johnson during a 33–14 win against theTampa Bay Buccaneers. In Week 12, he had two pass deflections and tied his season-high of two interceptions on pass attempts byJason Campbell during a 27–24 win against theWashington Redskins.On December 20, 2009, Samuel made four solo tackles, a pass deflection, a fumble recovery, and had his eighth interception of the on a pass byAlex Smith to tight endVernon Davis during a 27–13 win against theSan Francisco 49ers. The following week, he set a season-high with five solo tackles, made a pass deflection, and had his ninth interception of the season on a pass attempt byKyle Orton to tight endTony Scheffler as the Eagles defeated theDenver Broncos 30–27 in Week 16. He started all 16 games for the first time in his career and finished with a total of 40 combined tackles (39 solo), 16 pass deflections, nine interceptions, one forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.[9] With nine interceptions in 2009, Samuel tied for the most interceptions that season, along withJairus Byrd,Charles Woodson, andDarren Sharper. His nine interceptions tied for second in franchise history for most interceptions in a single season, withDon Burroughs (1960) andEd "Bibbles" Bawel (1955). He was selected to the2010 Pro Bowl.[34] He was ranked 54th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2011.[35]
He returned to training camp as the No. 1 starting cornerback. Samuel and Ellis Hobbs began the season as the starting cornerbacks for the second consecutive season. In Week 4, Samuel recorded two solo tackles, before exiting in the fourth quarter of a 12–17 loss to theWashington Redskins after he suffered aconcussion while making a tackle on tight endMike Sellers.[36] He subsequently remained inactive for the Eagles' 27–24 victory at theSan Francisco 49ers in Week 5 due to his concussion. On October 17, 2010, he made four combined tackles (three solo), set a season-high with three pass deflections, and intercepted a pass byMatt Ryan to tight endTony Gonzalez as the Eagles defeated theAtlanta Falcons 31–17.[37] In Week 7, he made three combined tackles (two solo), one pass deflection, and intercepted a pass byKerry Collins to wide receiverKenny Britt during a 19–37 loss at theTennessee Titans. On November 7, 2010, he made two pass deflections and set a season-high with two interceptions during a 26–24 win against theIndianapolis Colts. He sealed the Eagles' victory with 18 seconds remaining, by intercepting a pass attempt byPeyton Manning to wide receiverBlair White.[38] In Week 11, Samuel recorded two solo tackles, made two pass deflections, and tied his season-high of two interceptions on pass attempts byEli Manning during a 27–17 win against theNew York Giants.[39] During the game, Samuel injured his knee while recovering a fumble and subsequently remained inactive for the next three games (Weeks 12–14). He was sidelined as the Eagles lost 13–14 to theDallas Cowboys in Week 17 after reinjuring his knee.[40] He finished the2010 NFL season with a total of 26 combined tackles (22 solo), 14 pass deflections, nine interceptions, and one forced fumble in 11 games and 10 starts.[9]
On February 2, 2011, thePhiladelphia Eagles unexpectedly promoted offensive lineman coachJuan Castillo to defensive coordinator afterSean McDermott was fired following the2010 NFL season. Castillo retained Samuel as the No. 1 starting cornerback to begin training camp. On July 28, 2011, the Eagles acquiredDominique Rodgers-Cromartie in a trade with theArizona Cardinals and also signed top unrestricted free agentNnamdi Asomugha the following day. Head coach Andy Reid named Samuel and Nnamdi Asomugha the starting cornerbacks to begin the season along with nickelback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.[41]
On September 11, 2011, Samuel started in the Eagles' season-opener at theSt. Louis Rams and set a season-high with five solo tackles as they won 31–13.[42] The following week, he recorded two solo tackles, set a season-high with two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass byMatt Ryan to wide receiverJulio Jones during a 31–35 loss at theAtlanta Falcons in Week 2. On October 28, 2011, following practice, Samuel openly criticized the Eagles' front office during an interview and expressed his frustration about repeated trade rumors that immediately began after the Eagles acquired Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie during training camp.[43]
"Couple people upstairs might not want me, but who cares. They've probably never played football. It's a business and they run it like a business and they're going to do what they need to do. They're playing with a lot of money, playing fantasy football, doing their thing."(When asked if he was referring toGMHowie Roseman and PresidentJoe Banner)"Howie and Joe? I don't know, do they fit the comment I made? There ya go. You think they're upstairs playing fantasy football with the owner's money? That sucks, doesn’t it?. Each trade deadline for your name to be flying around and you’re supposed to be the leader of this team."
On November 20, 2011, Samuel made four combined tackles (three solo), two pass deflections, and had a pick-six after intercepting a pass attempt byJohn Skelton to wide receiverLarry Fitzgerald and returning it for a 20–yard touchdown as the Eagles lost 17–21 against theArizona Cardinals. In Week 15, he made two combined tackles (one solo), one pass deflection, and had his last interception as a member of the Eagles on a pass byMark Sanchez to wide receiverSantonio Holmes as the Eagles defeated theNew York Jets 45–19.[44] Due to a hamstring injury, Samuel was inactive for the last two games of the season (Weeks 16–17). He finished the his last season with the Philadelphia Eagles with a total of 34 combined tackles (30 solo), 10 pass deflections, three interceptions, one touchdown, a forced fumble, and one fumble recovery in 14 games and 14 starts.[9]
On April 25, 2012, theAtlanta Falcons acquired Samuel in a trade with thePhiladelphia Eagles and in return received aseventh-round pick (229th overall) in2012 NFL draft.[45] The Falcons only agreed to the trade after Samuel agreed to restructure his contract that still has two–years, $21.30 million remaining.[46] TheAtlanta Falcons signed Samuel to a three–year, $14.70 million contract extension that included $2.25 million guaranteed.[7]
The Falcons entered trade talks with the Eagles to possibly acquire Samuel after Brent Grimes publicly refused to sign his franchise tag and would hold out until he received a long-term deal.[47] Throughout training camp, he competed to earn a role as a starting cornerback againstDunta Robinson andBrent Grimes under defensive coordinatorMike Nolan. Head coachMike Smith named Samuel a backup and listed him as the No. 3 cornerback on the depth chart to begin the season, behind starters Brent Grimes and Dunta Robinson.
In Week 2, he set a season-high with seven combined tackles (six solo) during a 27–21 victory against theDenver Broncos. He entered the game as a replacement for Brent Grimes who exited due to an injury.[48] On September 11, 2012, the Falcons officially placed Brent Grimes on injured reserve due to a torn Achilles tendon. Samuel was therefore promoted to the No. 2 starting cornerback for the rest of the season. On October 14, 2012, Samuel made four solo tackles, one pass deflection, and led the Falcons to a 23–20 comeback victory against theOakland Raiders with a pick-six late in the fourth quarter. Samuel intercepted a pass attempt thrown byCarson Palmer to wide receiverDenarius Moore and returned it 79–yards for a touchdown with 3:54 remaining. In Week 10, he recorded two solo tackles, set a season-high with three pass deflections, and picked off a pass attempt byDrew Brees to wide receiverMarques Colston during a 27–31 loss at theNew Orleans Saints. On November 29, 2012, Samuel exited early in the first quarter of a 23–13 win against the Saints after re-injuring his shoulder that he originally injured while tacklingLarry Fitzgerald in Week 11 against theArizona Cardinals. In Week 15, Samuel recorded one tackle, made two pass deflections, and intercepted the first pass attempt by Eli Manning that was thrown to wide receiverHakeem Nicks as the Falcons routed theNew York Giants 34–0. On December 30, 2012, Samuel made two solo tackles, two pass deflections, and had his third consecutive game with an interception after picking off a pass byJosh Freeman to wide receiverTiquan Underwood during a 17–22 loss against theTampa Bay Buccaneers. He finished the2012 NFL season with 37 combined tackles (34 solo), 15 pass deflections, five interceptions, and a single touchdown in 15 games and 15 starts.[9]
Following the departures ofDunta Robinson andBrent Grimes, theFalcons selectedDesmond Trufant in the first-round (22nd overall) andRobert Alford in the second-round (60th overall) of the2013 NFL draft. Throughout training camp, Samuel competed against Desmond Trufant,Robert McClain, and Robert Alford to earn a starting role at cornerback. Head coach Mike Smith named Samuel the No. 1 starting cornerback to begin the season, alongside Desmond Trufant.[49]
Samuel was inactive in Week 1, as the Falcons lost 17–23 at theNew Orleans Saints due to an injury to his thigh.[50] He was inactive again as the Falcons lost 23–30 against theNew England Patriots in Week 4, due to his lingering thigh injury.[51] On October 27, 2013, Samuel recorded three solo tackles, broke up a pass, and had his last career interception after picking off a pass byCarson Palmer to wide receiverAndre Roberts during a 13–27 loss at theArizona Cardinals. The following week, he set a season-high with eight solo tackles and made one pass deflection during a 10–34 loss at theCarolina Panthers in Week 9.[52] Entering Week 14, head coach Mike Smith chose to bench Samuel and listed him inactive as a healthy scratch, replacing him with Robert Alford at theGreen Bay Packers. He was benched again and was listed as inactive as a healthy scratch for the last two games of the season in lieu of Robert Alford.[53] Although Samuel began the season as the Falcons' No. 1 starting cornerback, by season's end he was listed as the No. 5 cornerback on the depth chart, behind Desmond Trufant, Robert Alford, Robert McClain, andDominique Franks. He finished the season with 30 combined tackles (29 solo), four pass deflections, and one interception in 11 games and 10 starts.[9]
On February 5, 2014, the Falcons released him.[54][55][56]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| NFL record | |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | PD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 2003 | NE | 16 | 1 | 34 | 29 | 5 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 55 | 1 | 55 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | NE | 13 | 8 | 39 | 37 | 2 | 0.0 | 2 | 1 | 34 | 1 | 34 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | NE | 15 | 15 | 54 | 44 | 10 | 0.0 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 15 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | NE | 15 | 15 | 64 | 59 | 5 | 0.0 | 5 | 10 | 120 | 0 | 33 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | NE | 16 | 14 | 46 | 43 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 6 | 89 | 1 | 42 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | PHI | 15 | 15 | 36 | 32 | 4 | 0.0 | 0 | 4 | 64 | 1 | 50 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | PHI | 16 | 16 | 40 | 39 | 1 | 0.0 | 1 | 9 | 117 | 0 | 37 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | PHI | 11 | 10 | 26 | 22 | 4 | 0.0 | 0 | 7 | 70 | 0 | 33 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2011 | PHI | 14 | 14 | 34 | 30 | 4 | 0.0 | 0 | 3 | 53 | 1 | 20 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | ATL | 15 | 15 | 36 | 34 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 5 | 110 | 1 | 79 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | ATL | 11 | 10 | 30 | 29 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 157 | 133 | 439 | 398 | 41 | 0.0 | 9 | 51 | 728 | 6 | 79 | 164 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | PD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||
| 2003 | NE | 3 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | NE | 3 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | NE | 2 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 73 | 1 | 73 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | NE | 3 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 75 | 2 | 39 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | NE | 3 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | PHI | 3 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 69 | 1 | 44 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | PHI | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | PHI | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | ATL | 2 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 21 | 17 | 53 | 50 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 7 | 227 | 4 | 73 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Samuel has a tattoo on his left arm that says "Get Rich To This." It was widely reported during Samuel's post-2006 season contract situation that the tattoo said "Get Paid". Samuel's tattoo is the name of aGoodie Mob song that Samuel liked in college.[57]
Samuel married his wife in 2012. Samuel's son,Asante Jr., was born in 1999 and played cornerback atFlorida State University.[58] He was drafted by theLos Angeles Chargers in the2021 NFL draft.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |