Sam Eguavoen facts for kids
| No. 52 – New York Jets | |||||||||
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | February 22, 1993 Garland, Texas, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 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 Week 17, 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 for the New York Jets in the National Football League (NFL). Before joining the pros, he played college football at Texas Tech University.
Contents
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. He made 118 tackles, which means he stopped the opposing team's players many times. He also had four sacks, which is when he tackled the quarterback.
Sam was recognized for his skills, earning Second-team District 10-5A honors. Major sports websites like Rivals.com and ESPN.com rated him as a three-star prospect. Besides football, Sam also played basketball in high school. His family background is from Nigeria.
College Football Career
Sam played college football for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. This team is part of Texas Tech University. He played for them from 2011 to 2014.
Freshman and Sophomore Years
In 2011, his first year, Sam played in 12 games and started 5 of them. He made 30 tackles. His strong performance earned him a spot on Rivals.com's Big 12 All-Freshman Team Defense. In 2012, he played in 13 games, starting 9. He continued to improve, making 52 tackles that season.
Junior and Senior Years
His junior year in 2013 was even better. He started all 13 games he played in. Sam recorded 70 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and helped break up passes. He also forced and recovered one fumble. In his senior season in 2014, he started all 10 games he played. He made 74 tackles, two sacks, and recovered two fumbles. He also got his first college interception. For his excellent play, he received Honorable Mention All-Big 12 recognition.
Professional Football Journey
After college, Sam Eguavoen was not chosen in the 2015 NFL draft. He spent that year working in Dallas, Texas. But he didn't give up on his dream of playing professional football.
Playing in Canada: Saskatchewan Roughriders
Sam got his first professional chance in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders on February 24, 2016. He played his first CFL game on June 30, 2016.
He played three seasons for the Roughriders. During this time, he played in 38 games. He made 159 defensive tackles and 14 special teams tackles. He also had four sacks, forced two fumbles, and made one interception. In January 2019, he was released by the Roughriders. This allowed him to try for a spot in the NFL.
Joining the NFL: Miami Dolphins
On January 7, 2019, Sam Eguavoen signed with the Miami Dolphins in the NFL. He played for the Dolphins for several years. He appeared in 66 games and started 7 of them. He was also a very important player on special teams.
In 2020, he started six games and made 42 tackles. He also had 3.5 sacks and recovered a fumble. A memorable moment happened in 2021. In a game against the New England Patriots, Sam recovered a fumble in the end zone. This play scored his first NFL touchdown! He signed a one-year contract extension with the Dolphins in March 2022.
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 the practice squad. He was soon moved to the active roster. He played in the Jets' first game of the 2023 season against the Buffalo Bills. He was mainly a special teams player in that game.
In the next game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sam started playing on defense for the Jets. He continued to be a key player on special teams too. He was officially signed to the active roster in September 2023. In May 2024, he re-signed with the Jets. He was released again in August but quickly re-signed to the practice squad. He was promoted back to the active roster in September.
