Sam Sword facts for kids
Sam Lee-Arthur Sword (born December 9, 1974) is a former American football player. He was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL).
Sam Sword played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 1995 to 1998. He was a very important player on the undefeated 1997 Michigan Wolverines football team that was ranked #1 in the country. He led Michigan in tackles for three years in a row. His 265 solo tackles rank third in the school's history. After college, he played four seasons in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders and the Indianapolis Colts.
Early Life and High School Football
Sam Sword was born in Saginaw, Michigan, in 1974. He went to Arthur Hill High School in Saginaw. While there, he was a talented athlete, playing football, basketball, and baseball.
In football, he played as a middle linebacker and tight end. He helped lead his team to a state championship in 1991. Sam Sword also received special honors for his great play. Later, he was recognized for his achievements and was added to the Saginaw County Sports Hall of Fame.
College Career at Michigan
Sam Sword joined the University of Michigan in 1994. He played college football for the Wolverines from 1995 to 1998.
- 1995 Season: After taking a year to train (called "redshirting") in 1994, he started four games as an inside linebacker in 1995.
- 1996 Season: As a sophomore, Sam Sword started all 12 games. He led the team with 108 tackles, including 72 solo tackles.
- 1997 Season: This was a huge year for Sam Sword and the Wolverines. He started 11 games as an inside linebacker for the undefeated 1997 Michigan Wolverines football team. This team won the Big Ten Conference championship and defeated Washington State in the 1998 Rose Bowl. They were ranked #1 in the final national poll. Sam Sword led the team in tackles with 91. The 1997 Michigan defense was the best in the country, allowing the fewest points and yards per game. Because of his excellent performance, he was named a first-team All-Big Ten player.
- 1998 Season: In his senior year, Sam Sword started 12 games. He led the team again with 127 tackles, including 93 solo tackles. He was chosen as a second-team All-Big Ten player. He became only the second player in Michigan history to lead the team in tackles for three years in a row.
During his four years at Michigan, Sam Sword started 39 games. He made a total of 370 tackles, with 265 of them being solo tackles. His 265 solo tackles rank third in Michigan's history. He also won The Roger Zatkoff Award in both 1997 and 1998, which is given to the team's best linebacker.
Playing in the NFL
Even though Sam Sword was not chosen in the 1999 NFL draft, he signed with the Oakland Raiders as a free agent. He played in 10 games for the Raiders in the 1999 season, starting five of them.
In 2000, Sam Sword joined the Indianapolis Colts. He stayed with the Colts for three seasons. He played in all 16 regular season games in 2001 and 2002, mostly on special teams. He also started three games as a linebacker. In his four seasons in the NFL, Sam Sword played in 45 games and recorded 66 tackles.
