Samaje Perine facts for kids
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Perine with the Washington Redskins in 2017
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| No. 34 – Kansas City Chiefs | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | September 16, 1995 Jackson, Alabama, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 236 lb (107 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Hendrickson (Pflugerville, Texas) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Oklahoma (2014–2016) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2017 / Round: 4 / Pick: 114 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 18, 2024 | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Samaje Perine (born September 16, 1995) is an American professional football player. He is a running back for the Kansas City Chiefs in the National Football League (NFL). Perine played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners. The Washington Redskins picked him in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft.
Perine holds a special record in college football. In 2014, he rushed for 427 yards in one game against Kansas. This is the most rushing yards ever gained in a single game in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
Contents
Early Life and High School Sports
Samaje Perine was born in Jackson, Alabama. Later, his family moved to Pflugerville, Texas. There, he went to Hendrickson High School. He was a star player on both the football and track and field teams.
High School Football Achievements
Perine was a starting running back for the Hendrickson Hawks football team for three years. In his junior year, he ran for 1,993 yards and scored 16 touchdowns. In his last year, he gained 1,492 yards and scored 12 touchdowns.
Track and Field Success
Perine also showed his athletic skills in track & field. He competed in sprints and jumps. In 2011, he won first place in the triple jump and long jump. He also helped his relay teams win races. His fastest time in the 100-meter dash was 11.37 seconds.
College Choices
Experts saw Perine as a top football player. Rivals.com ranked him as one of the best running backs in the country. In March 2013, he chose to play college football at the University of Oklahoma. He also had offers from other big schools like Alabama and Nebraska.
College Football Career
Samaje Perine played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners from 2014 to 2016.
2014 Season: A Record-Breaking Start
As a freshman in 2014, Perine played right away. In his first game, he rushed for 77 yards and scored a touchdown. In his fourth game, he ran for 242 yards and four touchdowns. On November 15, he rushed for 213 yards and three touchdowns against Texas Tech.
Just a week after another player set a new record, Perine broke it! He rushed for an amazing 427 yards and five touchdowns against Kansas. This set a new Football Bowl Subdivision record for most rushing yards in a single game. He finished his first season with 1,713 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns.
2015 Season: Continued Success
Perine started the 2015 season strong. He had 33 rushing yards and a touchdown in the first game. In a tough game against #23 Tennessee, he gained 78 rushing yards and caught a touchdown pass. Later, he rushed for 201 yards and four touchdowns against Texas Tech. He also had 166 rushing yards and two touchdowns against Baylor.
Oklahoma made it to the College Football Playoff that year. They played against Clemson in the Orange Bowl. Perine had 58 rushing yards and a touchdown in that game. For the 2015 season, he totaled 1,349 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns.
2016 Season: Breaking School Records
In 2016, Perine continued to shine. He rushed for 214 yards and two touchdowns against TCU. He also had big games against Baylor and West Virginia. On December 3, he gained 239 rushing yards and a touchdown against Oklahoma State.
On January 2, 2017, Perine broke the school record for career rushing yards. He passed Billy Sims, finishing with a total of 4,122 yards. After this season, Perine decided to enter the 2017 NFL draft instead of playing his senior year.
College Statistics
| Season | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | TD | ||
| 2014 | Oklahoma | 13 | 8 | 263 | 1,713 | 6.5 | 66 | 21 | 15 | 108 | 0 |
| 2015 | Oklahoma | 13 | 13 | 226 | 1,349 | 6.0 | 72 | 16 | 15 | 107 | 1 |
| 2016 | Oklahoma | 10 | 9 | 196 | 1,060 | 5.4 | 66 | 12 | 10 | 106 | 1 |
| Total | 36 | 30 | 685 | 4,122 | 6.0 | 72 | 49 | 40 | 321 | 2 | |
Professional Football Career
The Washington Redskins picked Samaje Perine in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He was the ninth running back chosen that year. On May 11, 2017, Perine signed a four-year contract with the team.
Washington Redskins (2017–2018)
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Perine joined a group of running backs for the Redskins. In his first game on September 17, he rushed for 67 yards. In Week 6, he scored his first NFL touchdown by catching a pass from Kirk Cousins.
After other running backs got hurt, Perine became a starter. In Week 10, he had a great game with 117 rushing yards and his first rushing touchdown against the New Orleans Saints. The next week, he rushed for 100 yards against the New York Giants. This made him the first Redskins player since 2013 to have two 100-yard rushing games in a row. He finished his rookie season with 603 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. He also had 22 catches for 182 yards and a receiving touchdown.
In 2018, Perine had fewer carries as Adrian Peterson joined the team. He played in five games, rushing for 32 yards. The Redskins released him before the 2019 season.
Cincinnati Bengals (First Time: 2019)
On September 1, 2019, the Cincinnati Bengals picked up Perine. He was later waived but then re-signed to their practice squad.
Miami Dolphins (2019)
On December 24, 2019, the Miami Dolphins signed Perine from the Bengals' practice squad. He was released by the Dolphins in April 2020.
Cincinnati Bengals (Second Time: 2020–2022)
On April 28, 2020, Perine returned to the Bengals. In Week 8 of the 2020 season, he scored his first touchdown since 2017. In Week 16, he rushed for 95 yards and two touchdowns against the Houston Texans. He finished the 2020 season with 301 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He signed a new two-year contract with the Bengals in March 2021.
In 2021, Perine was a backup to his former Oklahoma teammate Joe Mixon. He had 246 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. He also caught 27 passes for 196 yards and a receiving touchdown. In the AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs, he caught a 41-yard touchdown pass from Joe Burrow. This helped the Bengals make a big comeback and win the game.
In 2022, Perine continued as a backup. When Mixon got a concussion, Perine stepped in as the starter for two weeks. He finished the season with 394 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. He also had a career-high 287 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns.
Denver Broncos (2023)
On March 16, 2023, the Denver Broncos signed Perine to a two-year contract. In the 2023 season, he played in all 17 games and started once. He rushed for 238 yards and one touchdown. He also caught 50 passes for 455 receiving yards. The Broncos released Perine on August 27, 2024.
Kansas City Chiefs (2024–Present)
On August 28, 2024, the Kansas City Chiefs signed Perine to a one-year contract.
NFL Career Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2017 | WAS | 16 | 8 | 175 | 603 | 3.4 | 30 | 1 | 24 | 22 | 182 | 8.3 | 25T | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 2018 | WAS | 5 | 0 | 8 | 32 | 4.0 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1.7 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | CIN | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| MIA | 1 | 0 | 5 | 16 | 3.2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2020 | CIN | 16 | 1 | 63 | 301 | 4.8 | 46 | 3 | 12 | 11 | 66 | 6.0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | CIN | 16 | 0 | 55 | 246 | 4.5 | 46 | 1 | 31 | 27 | 196 | 7.3 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | CIN | 16 | 2 | 95 | 394 | 4.1 | 29 | 2 | 51 | 38 | 287 | 7.6 | 32 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | DEN | 17 | 1 | 50 | 231 | 4.5 | 24 | 1 | 56 | 50 | 455 | 9.2 | 29 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| 2024 | KC | 17 | 0 | 20 | 92 | 4.6 | 13 | 1 | 35 | 28 | 322 | 11.5 | 36 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 110 | 12 | 474 | 1,922 | 4.1 | 46T | 9 | 213 | 179 | 1,513 | 8.5 | 36 | 7 | 5 | 4 | |
Postseason Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2021 | CIN | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0.7 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 47 | 11.8 | 41 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | CIN | 3 | 0 | 14 | 58 | 4.1 | 11 | 1 | 8 | 35 | 4.4 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 7 | 0 | 17 | 60 | 3.5 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 82 | 6.8 | 41 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
Personal Life and Family
Samaje Perine is known for his incredible strength. In high school and college, he was strong enough to help lift a car to change a flat tire when someone didn't have a car jack.
His college strength coach, Jerry Schmidt, said Perine could often bench press more than the team's linemen. His best bench press was 440 pounds. He also had the highest numbers on the team for squats (540 pounds) and power clean (380 pounds).
Samaje Perine has family members who also play in the NFL. His cousin, La'Mical Perine, is also a running back. Another cousin, Myles Jack, plays as a linebacker.
