Sam Eguavoen facts for kids
| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||
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| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | February 22, 1993 Garland, Texas, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 236 lb (107 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Garland (TX) Lakeview Centennial | ||||||||
| College: | Texas Tech (2011–2014) | ||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2015 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||
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| Career CFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
| Player stats at CFL.ca | |||||||||
Samuel Ehi Eguavoen, born on February 22, 1993, is an American professional football player. He plays as a linebacker, which is a key defensive position in football. Before becoming a professional, he played college football for the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
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Sam's Early Life and High School Football
Sam Eguavoen grew up in Garland, Texas. He played high school football at Lakeview Centennial High School. During his senior year, he was a star player on defense. He made 118 total tackles, which means he stopped the opposing team's players many times. He also had four sacks, which is when a defensive player tackles the quarterback.
Sam also had one interception, where he caught a pass meant for the other team. He broke up two passes and caused two fumbles, which means he knocked the ball loose from an opponent. He also recovered two fumbles. For his great performance, he was named to the Second-team District 10-5A, which is a special honor for top players in his area.
Experts from Rivals.com and ESPN.com rated him as a "three-star prospect." This means they thought he was a very good player with a lot of potential for college and professional football. Besides football, Sam also played basketball at Lakeview Centennial. Sam Eguavoen has Nigerian family roots.
Playing for the Texas Tech Red Raiders
Sam continued his football journey at Texas Tech University, playing for the Texas Tech Red Raiders from 2011 to 2014. In his first year, 2011, he played in twelve games and started five of them. He made 30 tackles and was recognized as one of the best freshmen defensive players in the Big 12 conference.
In 2012, he played in thirteen games, starting nine, and made 52 tackles. His junior year in 2013 was even better. He started all thirteen games he played in and recorded 70 tackles. He also had 1.5 sacks, broke up two passes, forced one fumble, and recovered one fumble.
In his senior season in 2014, Sam played in ten games, starting all of them. He made 74 tackles, had two sacks, broke up two passes, forced two fumbles, and recovered two fumbles. He also made one interception. For his excellent play, he received an "Honorable Mention All-Big 12" award, showing he was one of the top players in the Big 12 conference.
Sam's Professional Football Journey
After college, Sam Eguavoen was not chosen in the 2015 NFL draft. This means no NFL team picked him right away. He spent that year working in Dallas, Texas.
Playing in the CFL: Saskatchewan Roughriders
Sam's professional career began in Canada. On February 24, 2016, he signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL (Canadian Football League). He played his first CFL game on June 30, 2016.
He played three seasons for the Roughriders, appearing in 38 games. He was a strong defensive player, making 159 defensive tackles and 14 special teams tackles. He also had four sacks, forced two fumbles, and made one interception. Sam was set to become a free agent in February 2019, but the Roughriders released him early on January 2, 2019. This allowed him to try for a spot in the NFL.
Playing in the NFL: Miami Dolphins
On January 7, 2019, Sam Eguavoen signed with the Miami Dolphins in the NFL. During his time with the Dolphins, he played in 66 games and started seven of them. He was also a very important player on special teams, which are plays like kickoffs and punts.
In August 2020, he was briefly placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list but was back with the team the next day. That season, he started six games and made 42 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and recovered one fumble.
In 2021, during a game against the New England Patriots, Sam made an exciting play. He recovered a fumble in the end zone on the very last play of the game, scoring his first NFL touchdown! On March 16, 2022, he signed a new one-year contract to stay with the Dolphins.
Playing in the NFL: New York Jets
On August 6, 2023, Sam Eguavoen signed a one-year contract with the New York Jets. He was released later that month but then re-signed to their practice squad. A practice squad is where players train with the team but are not on the main roster.
However, he was moved to the active roster on September 11, 2023. He played in the Jets' first game of the season against the Buffalo Bills as a special teams player. The next week, against the Dallas Cowboys, Sam played on defense for the Jets for the first time, in addition to his special teams role. He was officially signed to the active roster on September 23, 2023.
Sam re-signed with the Jets on May 3, 2024. He was released again on August 27, 2024, but then re-signed to the practice squad. He was promoted back to the active roster on September 9, 2024, and has been playing for the Jets since then.
