Asante Samuel

Infobox NFLactive
name=Asante Samuel


width=200
caption=Asante Samuel at the Eagles 2008 Training Camp.
currentteam=Philadelphia Eagles
currentnumber=22
currentpositionplain=Cornerback
birthdate=birth date and age|1981|1|6
birthplace=Fort Lauderdale, Florida
heightft=5
heightin=10
weight=185
debutyear=2003
debutteam=New England Patriots
college=UCF
draftyear=2003
draftround=4
draftpick=120
pastteams=
* New England Patriots (2003-2007)
* Philadelphia Eagles (2008-present)
status=Active
highlights=
* "Football News" First-team All-Independent (2001)
* First-team All-MAC (2002)
* 2x Super Bowl champion (XXXVIII, XXXIX)
* Pro Bowl selection (2007)
* All-Pro selection (2007)
statweek=5
statseason=2008
statlabel1=Tackles
statvalue1=244
statlabel2=Sacks
statvalue2=0.0
statlabel3=INTs
statvalue3=24
nfl=SAM616410

Asante T. Samuel (born January 6, 1981 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida) is an American football cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Central Florida.

An All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection in 2007, Samuel won two Super Bowl rings with the Patriots.

Early years

Samuel attended Boyd H. Anderson High School in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida. As a junior quarterback, 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 handled kicking and punting duties [http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2007/01/07/payment_due/?page=full Payment Due] Boston.com.] . 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. [http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2007/01/07/payment_due/?page=full Payment due - The Boston Globe ] ] . Samuel's top receiver in high school, Todd Devoe, later played for the Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos [http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2007/01/07/payment_due/?page=full Payment due - The Boston Globe ] ] , and was a friend & teammate of future NFL defensive back Benny Sapp [http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2007/01/07/payment_due/?page=full Payment due - The Boston Globe ] ] . Samuel decreased his 40 yard dash time from 5.4 seconds during his sophomore year of high school to 4.49 seconds entering the NFL [http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2007/01/07/payment_due/?page=full Payment due - The Boston Globe ] ] .

College career

Majoring in business, Samuel attended the University of Central Florida, and finished his career with 127 tackles (102 solo, 25 assisted), 8 interceptions, and a school-record 38 passes deflected (the previous record was 34 deflections). Samuel also returned 63 punts for 673 yards, for an average of 10.7 yards per return [ [http://www.patriots.com/team/index.cfm?ac=playerbio&bio=23745 "College"] Asante Samuel, Official New England Patriots Biography] .

Professional career

New England Patriots

In the fourth round of the 2003 NFL draft, with the 120th overall pick, Samuel was drafted by the Patriots along with Ty Warren, Bethel Johnson, Eugene Wilson, and Dan Koppen.

At the start of the 2004 season, the Patriots' starting corners were Tyrone Poole and Ty Law. After both were sidelined by injuries, Samuel became a starter, and actually started for the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX. He would start at corner the following season.

In 2006, the Patriots began the season with Samuel and Ellis Hobbs at cornerback. By the end of the regular season, Samuel had intercepted a career-high 10 passes, which put him in a tie for first in the 2006 season (with Champ Bailey of the Broncos); the mark is the second-best ever for a Patriot (in 1964 Ron Hall had 11). Samuel tied the Patriots' mark for most interceptions in a game when he picked off three passes in a week 12 game against the Chicago Bears.

He intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown twice in the 2006 NFL Playoffs once against the New York Jets to clinch their 1st round victory and then in the AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts to extend the lead to 21-3.

On February 16, 2007, the Patriots placed the franchise tag on him. After holding out for most of the preseason, Samuel signed the one-year $7.79 million tender on August 27, 2007 [ [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/patriots/2007-08-28-moves_N.htm?csp=34 Pats, cornerback Samuel agree on deal - USATODAY.com ] ] to fulfill his obligation under the franchise tag. He was eligible for free agency again at the end of the 2007 season. According to the Boston Globe, if Samuel participated in 60% of the defensive snaps or the Patriots win 12 games, his contract stipulated that the team would not place the franchise tag on him for the following season. [ [http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2007/11/27/warming_up_copy_machine/?page=2 Did Eagles' plan vs. Patriots warm up the copy machine? - The Boston Globe ] ] Samuel finished the 2007 regular season with six interceptions, returning one for a touchdown. During his franchised season, He was named to the 2008 Pro Bowl and helped lead the Patriots to Super Bowl XLII. The Patriots lost the game, 17-14.

Philadelphia Eagles

2008 Season

Samuel was thought to be one of the most sought-after free agents of the 2008 NFL offseason. Within minutes of the start of free agency on February 29, 2008, Samuel was reportedly already setting up a meeting with the Philadelphia Eagles. [ [http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/Alex_Marvez/2008/02/28/Source_Porter_Samuel_set_for_visits Source: Porter, Samuel set for visits • Everybody Loves a Smart Alex - FOX Sports Blogs ] ] Later that day, he signed a six-year, $57 million contract with the Eagles. Upon being signed, Samuel was quoted as saying, "I just want to be able to win and get back to the Super Bowl." On August 22, 2008 made his return to New England during the third week of the preseason. Asante Samuel made his regular season Eagles debut on September 7, 2008 against the St Louis Rams.

Personal

*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 a Goodie Mob song that Samuel liked in college [ [http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/football/patriots/view.bg?articleid=1037410 Tattoo’s message lost in translation] Boston Herald. Accessed 11 October 2007.] .

Notes and references

External links

* [http://www.patriots.com/team/index.cfm?ac=playerbio&bio=23745 New England Patriots bio]
* [http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/team/player118.html Philadelphia Eagles bio]