Deebo Samuel facts for kids
Samuel in 2022
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| No. 1 – Washington Commanders | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | January 15, 1996 Inman, South Carolina, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 215 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Chapman (Inman) | ||||||||||||
| College: | South Carolina (2014–2018) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2019 / Round: 2 / Pick: 36 | ||||||||||||
| 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 | |||||||||||||
Tyshun Raequan "Deebo" Samuel Sr. (born January 15, 1996) is an American professional football player. He plays as a wide receiver for the Washington Commanders in the National Football League (NFL). Before joining the NFL, he played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks. The San Francisco 49ers picked him in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft. In 2021, Samuel was named a first-team All-Pro, which is a big honor in the NFL.
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Early Life and High School Football
Deebo Samuel grew up in Inman, South Carolina. He played football at Chapman High School. His coach was Mark Hodge. In his senior year, he helped his team reach the semifinals of the AAA playoffs.
During his high school career, Samuel was amazing. He caught 166 passes for 2,751 yards and 36 touchdowns. He also ran the ball 133 times for 898 yards and 13 touchdowns. He set a school record with 53 career touchdowns. He also played defense, making 94 tackles and 12 interceptions. Samuel was named the High School Sports Report Class AAA Offensive Player of the Year. He also played in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas, an all-star game for top high school players.
After high school, Samuel was considered a good player for college. He decided to play college football at the University of South Carolina.
College Football Career
Deebo Samuel played for the South Carolina Gamecocks from 2014 to 2018.
Starting Out: 2014 and 2015 Seasons
In 2014, Samuel was a "redshirt" freshman. This means he practiced with the team but did not play in any games. This allowed him to train and get stronger without using up a year of his college eligibility.
In 2015, he played in five games. He started three of those games. He had some injuries, including a hamstring injury early in the season. He finished with 12 catches for 161 yards.
Breakout Seasons: 2016 and 2017
In 2016, Samuel had a great sophomore year. He played in 10 games. He led his team with 59 catches for 783 yards. He also ran the ball 15 times for 98 yards and scored six touchdowns. In a bowl game against USF, he caught 14 passes for 190 yards.
The 2017 season started with a bang for Samuel. In the first game, he returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. He also caught two touchdown passes. In Week 2, he returned another kickoff for a touchdown. He also ran for a touchdown. In Week 3, he caught a 68-yard touchdown pass on the very first play.
Injury in 2017
Later in that Week 3 game, Samuel got injured. He broke a bone in his right leg. This injury meant he missed the rest of the 2017 season. Even though he played less than three full games, he had already scored three receiving touchdowns, one rushing touchdown, and two kickoff return touchdowns.
Senior Year Success: 2018 Season
Samuel decided to return for his senior season in 2018. He had a fantastic year. He finished with 882 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. His best game was against Clemson, where he caught 10 passes for 210 yards and three touchdowns. He chose not to play in the team's bowl game. After the season, he was chosen to play in the Senior Bowl, which is a game for top college players.
Professional Football Career
Deebo Samuel was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 2019. He was the 36th player picked overall. He signed a four-year contract with the team.
San Francisco 49ers (2019–2024)
Rookie Year: 2019 Season
Deebo Samuel played his first NFL game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He caught three passes. In his second game, he scored his first NFL touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals.
He had many strong games in his rookie season. Against the Seattle Seahawks, he caught eight passes for 112 yards. In another game against the Arizona Cardinals, he caught eight passes for 134 yards. He scored more touchdowns later in the season, both catching and running the ball. In the final regular season game against the Seahawks, he had 102 receiving yards and a rushing touchdown.
The 49ers made it to Super Bowl LIV. Samuel rushed for 53 yards in that game. This was the most rushing yards ever by a wide receiver in a Super Bowl. The 49ers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.
2020 Season
Samuel faced some injuries and was on the COVID-19 list during the 2020 season. He played in seven games. In Week 12 against the Rams, he had 11 catches for 133 yards. He finished the season with 33 catches for 391 yards and one touchdown.
Breakout Year: 2021 Season
The 2021 season was a huge year for Deebo Samuel. In the first game, he caught nine passes for 189 yards and a touchdown. He was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week twice that season.
The 49ers started using Samuel in a new way. They had him line up in the backfield like a running back sometimes. This helped him get the ball more often and make big plays. Samuel even created a new term for his role: "wide back." He was chosen for the Pro Bowl in 2021.
Samuel set an NFL record for wide receivers. He scored eight rushing touchdowns in a single season. He also threw a touchdown pass. He finished the regular season with 77 catches for 1,405 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns. He also had 59 rushes for 365 yards and those eight rushing touchdowns. He was named a First Team All-Pro, which means he was one of the best players in the league at his position.
In the playoffs, Samuel helped the 49ers win against the Dallas Cowboys. He rushed for 72 yards and a touchdown in that game.
2022 Season
Before the 2022 season, Samuel signed a big three-year contract extension with the 49ers. In Week 4 against the Rams, he had six catches for 115 yards and a touchdown. He dealt with a hamstring injury during the season. He returned in Week 18. He finished the 2022 season with 56 catches for 632 yards and two receiving touchdowns. He also rushed for 232 yards and three touchdowns. He played in all three of the 49ers' playoff games.
2023 Season
In Week 2 of the 2023 season, Samuel had 63 receiving yards and a rushing touchdown against the Rams. In Week 3, he had 129 receiving yards and a touchdown against the New York Giants. In Week 13, he had a huge game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He caught four passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for a touchdown. He was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week again.
Samuel finished the 2023 season with 60 catches for 892 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns. He also had 37 rushes for 225 yards and five rushing touchdowns. He played in 15 games. He became only the second player in NFL history to have 4,000 receiving yards and 1,000 rushing yards in their first five seasons. Samuel played in Super Bowl LVIII with the 49ers, but they lost to the Chiefs in overtime.
2024 Season
Before the 2024 season, Deebo Samuel made some changes to his jersey. He changed his number from 19 to 1. He also added "Sr." to his last name because of his son, Tyshun Samuel Jr. He scored his first touchdown of the season in Week 1 against the New York Jets. In Week 5, he caught a 76-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brock Purdy. He finished the 2024 season with 51 catches for 670 yards and three receiving touchdowns. He also had 42 carries for 136 yards and a rushing touchdown.
Washington Commanders (2025–present)
On March 12, 2025, Deebo Samuel was traded to the Washington Commanders. The Commanders gave up a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft to get him. A week later, the team guaranteed his $17 million salary for the year.
NFL Career Highlights and Records
Deebo Samuel holds several impressive NFL records:
- He has the most rushing touchdowns by a wide receiver in NFL history, with 20.
- He is the first wide receiver ever to have at least 20 rushing touchdowns and 20 receiving touchdowns in his career.
- He holds the record for the most rushing touchdowns by a wide receiver in a single season, with 8 in 2021.
Personal Life
Deebo Samuel got his nickname "Deebo" from his father. It comes from a character named Deebo in the 1995 movie Friday.
