Sammis Reyes facts for kids
.jpg)
Reyes with the Washington Football Team in 2021
|
|||||||
| Position: | Tight end | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | October 19, 1995 Talcahuano, Chile |
||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 240 lb (109 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | North Broward (Coconut Creek, Florida) | ||||||
| College: |
|
||||||
| CFL draft: | 2021G / Round: 4 / Pick: 34 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
|
|||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
|
|||||||
| Player stats at PFR | |||||||
Sammis Daniel Reyes Martel (born October 19, 1995) is a professional football player from Chile. He plays as a tight end. Sammis is special because he was the first player from Chile to play in the NFL.
Before playing football, Sammis was a talented basketball player. He grew up playing basketball for Chile's national youth team. When he was 14, he moved to the United States. He received a scholarship to play college basketball there. He played for teams like the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and the Tulane Green Wave.
Sammis continued to play for Chile's national basketball team. But after his team didn't make it to the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, he decided to try football. In 2021, he joined the NFL's International Player Pathway (IPP) program. He then signed with the Washington Football Team. He played in some games, mostly on special teams. Later, he also played for the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Minnesota Vikings.
Contents
Sammis's Journey
Early Life and Basketball
Sammis Daniel Reyes Martel was born on October 19, 1995. His hometown is Talcahuano, a port city in Chile. His family soon moved to Santiago. There, Sammis enjoyed playing soccer and basketball. He dreamed of playing in the NBA.
When he was nine, he joined the Boston College Sports Club. Two years later, he was chosen for the Chile national basketball team. In 2014, his Boston College team was a runner-up in a youth basketball tournament called Campioni del Domani.
Moving to the United States
In 2010, Sammis visited the U.S. with the Chilean youth national team. American scouts noticed his talent. He was offered a scholarship to Westlake Prep, a school in Florida. At 14, he accepted and moved to the U.S. by himself.
When he arrived, he knew very little English. He learned quickly by watching movies and listening to music. He later moved in with a friend's family. He then transferred to North Broward Preparatory School in Florida.
College Basketball Career
In 2014, Sammis planned to play college basketball at the University of Hawaii. But he hurt his hand during practice. This injury made him miss his first year. He also felt homesick and was unhappy when his coach was fired. So, he left the school.
He returned to Florida to recover. He then attended Palm Beach State College for a semester. He played on their basketball team. In 2016, he transferred to Tulane University. He played for the Tulane Green Wave for two seasons. However, he only played in two games in 2017. He chose not to play more because he wasn't getting much playing time.
Sammis earned a degree in business management from Tulane. He then played his last year of college basketball for the Loyola Wolf Pack in 2018. He also earned a Master of Business Administration degree there. Throughout his basketball career, he often played as a power forward. He also played for the Chile national team in international events.
Switching to American Football
.jpg)
Sammis stopped playing basketball after Chile did not qualify for the 2019 FIBA World Cup. He then worked as an athletic trainer. But in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic made it hard to continue. He then worked as a driver for DoorDash. After that, he decided to try playing professional American football.
Many teammates and coaches had told him to try football before. He had tried it for a week in high school. But he stopped because he thought the risk of injury was too high. He worried it would hurt his chances of playing in the NBA.
Joining the NFL
Even though he knew little about football, Sammis applied for the National Football League's (NFL) International Player Pathway Program (IPPP). He was accepted as a tight end player. He spent 10 weeks training and learning the sport.
On March 31, 2021, he showed his skills at a special event for IPPP players. Many NFL teams were interested in him because he was very athletic. On April 13, 2021, he signed a three-year contract with the Washington Football Team. He liked that the team was close to where he lived. With this signing, Sammis became the first player born in Chile to play in the NFL. He was also chosen by the Toronto Argonauts in the 2021 CFL Global Draft.
Playing for Washington
Sammis played his first professional game in October 2021 against the New Orleans Saints. He played a small number of plays on special teams. In December 2021, he was on the team's COVID-19 reserve list for a week. He finished the season having played in 11 games. He mostly played on special teams and made two tackles.
During training camp for the 2022 season, Sammis hurt his hamstring. He was placed on the injured reserve list. He was later released by the team on August 23, 2022.
Other NFL Teams
On October 18, 2022, Sammis signed with the Chicago Bears' practice squad. A practice squad is a group of players who train with the team but are not on the main roster.
On May 16, 2023, Sammis signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, on August 14, he announced he was retiring from professional football. He shared on Instagram that he decided to retire because he had suffered a concussion. A concussion is a type of head injury.
Sammis later said he wanted to return to football on February 28, 2024. The Jaguars then waived him. On May 13, 2024, Sammis signed with the Minnesota Vikings through the International Player Pathway Program again. He was waived on August 26, 2024, but signed to their practice squad two days later.
Personal Life
In 2021, Sammis Reyes appeared in a Chilean advertisement for Pepsi Zero.
See also
In Spanish: Sammis Reyes para niños
