Curtis Samuel facts for kids
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Samuel with the Washington Commanders in 2022
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| No. 1 – Buffalo Bills | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | August 11, 1996 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Erasmus Hall (Brooklyn) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Ohio State (2014–2016) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2017 / Round: 2 / Pick: 40 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Curtis Samuel (born August 11, 1996) is an American professional football player. He is a wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills in the National Football League (NFL). Before joining the NFL, he played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He helped them win the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship. In 2016, he was recognized as an All-American. Samuel was chosen by the Carolina Panthers in the 2017 NFL Draft. He played four seasons with the Panthers and three with the Washington Commanders. He then joined the Buffalo Bills in 2024.
Early Life and High School Football
Curtis Samuel grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He went to Erasmus Hall High School. There, he was a star running back for the school's football team. He was also a talented track athlete.
In 2012, when he was a junior, Samuel ran for 1,047 yards. He scored 13 touchdowns and averaged 11.5 yards every time he carried the ball. The New York Daily News named him City Player of the Year. He also showed his speed in track. He won the 55-meter race at the New York State championships. He finished with a very fast time of 6.44 seconds.
Samuel was also good at catching passes and returning punts. He scored three receiving touchdowns and two punt return touchdowns. In his senior year, he ran for 1,461 yards and 17 touchdowns. He averaged an amazing 15.8 yards per rush. In 2013, he was named the New York Gatorade Player of the Year. He was also invited to play in the All-American Bowl.
College Football Career
Curtis Samuel was a highly-rated recruit. He decided to play college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He played for the Buckeyes from 2014 to 2016. Their head coach was Urban Meyer.
In 2014, his first year, he ran for 383 yards and scored six rushing touchdowns. He also caught 11 passes for 95 yards. The next year, in 2015, he ran for 132 yards and one touchdown. He also had 22 catches for 289 yards and two receiving touchdowns.
His best college season was in 2016. He ran for 771 yards and eight touchdowns. He also caught 74 passes for 865 yards and seven touchdowns. For his great performance, he was named first-team All-Big Ten and an All-American. Curtis Samuel is the only player in Ohio State history to gain over 1,000 yards in both rushing and receiving during his college career.
College Statistics
Here are Curtis Samuel's college football statistics:
| Season | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yards | Avg | TD | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD | |
| Ohio State Buckeyes | ||||||||||
| 2014 | 14 | 1 | 58 | 383 | 6.6 | 6 | 11 | 95 | 8.6 | 0 |
| 2015 | 13 | 2 | 17 | 132 | 7.8 | 1 | 22 | 289 | 13.1 | 2 |
| 2016 | 13 | 12 | 97 | 771 | 7.9 | 8 | 74 | 865 | 11.7 | 7 |
| Career | 40 | 15 | 172 | 1,286 | 7.5 | 15 | 107 | 1,249 | 11.7 | 9 |
Professional Football Career
Before the NFL Draft, Curtis Samuel showed off his skills at the NFL Scouting Combine. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft. He was the 40th player picked overall. On May 5, 2017, Samuel signed a four-year contract with the Panthers.
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | Wonderlic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 10+5⁄8 in (1.79 m) |
196 lb (89 kg) |
31+1⁄4 in (0.79 m) |
9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) |
4.31 s | 1.55 s | 2.56 s | 4.33 s | 7.09 s | 37 in (0.94 m) |
9 ft 11 in (3.02 m) |
18 reps | 22 |
| All values from NFL Combine. | ||||||||||||
Playing for the Carolina Panthers
2017 Season: Rookie Year
Curtis Samuel made his first two catches in Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills. In Week 3, he had a long 31-yard run. Sadly, his rookie season ended early in Week 10. He hurt his left ankle during a game against the Miami Dolphins. He had surgery and was placed on the injured list. In total, he played in nine games. He finished with 15 catches for 115 yards and also ran for 64 yards.
2018 Season: First Touchdowns
In 2018, Samuel scored his first career touchdown on October 7 against the New York Giants. He had a good season, catching 39 passes for 494 yards and five touchdowns. He also ran for 84 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
2019 Season: More Success
In Week 3 of the 2019 season, Samuel caught his first touchdown of the year against the Arizona Cardinals. The Panthers won that game 38–20. For the whole 2019 season, he caught 54 passes for 627 yards and six touchdowns. He also ran for 130 yards and one rushing touchdown.
2020 Season: Strong Performance
The 2020 season was a strong one for Samuel. In Week 9, he had nine catches for 105 yards and a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs. In Week 11, he caught eight passes for 70 yards and a touchdown from quarterback P. J. Walker. In December, he had to take a short break from playing. This was due to NFL health and safety rules. In Week 17, he had a season-high 118 receiving yards against the New Orleans Saints. He finished the 2020 season with 77 catches for 851 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 200 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Playing for the Washington Commanders
2021 Season: Joining Washington
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On March 18, 2021, Curtis Samuel signed a three-year contract with the Washington Football Team. He was happy to join his college roommate, Terry McLaurin, on the team. Samuel faced some challenges with injuries and health protocols during training camp. He was placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list due to a groin injury. He also had to take a break due to health and safety rules. He returned to the active roster in October 2021.
2022 Season: A Full Season
In the first game of the 2022 season, Samuel helped Washington win against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He had 55 receiving yards, 17 rushing yards, and scored his first touchdown for Washington. In the next game, he had seven catches for 78 yards, 21 rushing yards, and another touchdown. Samuel played in all 17 games that season. He was used as both a wide receiver and a running back. He finished the year with 64 catches for 646 yards and four receiving touchdowns. He also ran for 187 yards and one rushing touchdown.
2023 Season: Changing Numbers
For the 2023 season, Samuel changed his uniform number to 4. He continued to be an important player for the Commanders. He had 62 catches for 613 yards and four touchdowns. In Week 12, he had a game with over 100 receiving yards against the Cowboys.
Playing for the Buffalo Bills
On March 14, 2024, Curtis Samuel signed a three-year contract with the Buffalo Bills. In the 2024 season, he had 31 catches for 253 yards and one touchdown. That touchdown came in Week 11 against the Chiefs.
Samuel made his first appearance in the NFL playoffs in the Wild Card round. This was against the Denver Broncos. He scored his first career playoff touchdown on a 55-yard catch from quarterback Josh Allen. This helped the Bills win 31–7. He also scored a touchdown in the AFC Championship game against the Chiefs.
NFL Career Statistics
Regular Season Statistics
Here are Curtis Samuel's regular season statistics in the NFL:
| Season | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2017 | CAR | 9 | 4 | 26 | 15 | 115 | 7.7 | 23 | 0 | 4 | 64 | 16.0 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | CAR | 13 | 8 | 65 | 39 | 494 | 12.7 | 53 | 5 | 8 | 84 | 10.5 | 33 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2019 | CAR | 16 | 15 | 105 | 54 | 627 | 11.6 | 44 | 6 | 19 | 130 | 6.8 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | CAR | 15 | 5 | 97 | 77 | 851 | 11.1 | 44 | 3 | 41 | 200 | 4.9 | 45 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 | WAS | 5 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 27 | 4.5 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 2.8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | WAS | 17 | 12 | 92 | 64 | 656 | 10.3 | 49 | 4 | 38 | 187 | 4.9 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2023 | WAS | 16 | 13 | 91 | 62 | 613 | 9.9 | 37 | 4 | 7 | 39 | 5.6 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | BUF | 14 | 2 | 46 | 31 | 253 | 8.2 | 38 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 2.8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 105 | 60 | 531 | 348 | 3,636 | 10.4 | 53 | 23 | 127 | 729 | 5.8 | 45 | 7 | 3 | 2 | |
Playoff Statistics
Here are Curtis Samuel's playoff statistics in the NFL:
| Season | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2024 | BUF | 2 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 77 | 15.4 | 55 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 2 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 77 | 15.4 | 55 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
