Rumor- "samuel Said To Be A "done Deal""

Asante T. Samuel (born January 6, 1981 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida) is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Central Florida.

Contents
1 High school career
2 College career
3 NFL career
4 Notes and references
5 External links



[edit] High school career
Samuel attended Boyd H. Anderson High School in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida. As a junior quarterback, he threw for 1,800 yards, and rushed for 500 yards. As a senior, Samuel concentrated on defense, and earned All-State honors, and finished his senior year with 4 interceptions and 75 tackles. Samuel also handled kicking and punting duties[1]. Ten minutes before kickoff of Samuel's final high school game, he replaced his team's injured starting quarterback. He threw two touchdown passes, intercepted two more, rushed for 80 yards, and even worked on special teams returning kicks and punts.[1]. Samuel's top receiver in high school, Todd Devoe, later played for the Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos[1], and was a friend & teammate of future NFL defensive back Benny Sapp[1]. Samuel decreased his 40 yard dash time from 5.4 seconds during his sophomore year of high school to 4.3 seconds entering the NFL[1].


[edit] College career
Samuel attended the University of Central Florida, and finished his career with 127 tackles (102 solo, 25 assisted), 8 interceptions, and a school-record 38 passes deflected (the previous record was 34 deflections). Samuel also returned 63 punts for 673 yards, for an average of 10.7 yards per return[2]. He majored in Business.


[edit] NFL career
In the fourth round of the 2003 NFL draft, with the 120th overall pick, Samuel was drafted by the Patriots along with Ty Warren, Eugene Wilson, and Dan Koppen.

At the start of the 2004 season, the Patriots' starting corners were Tyrone Poole and Ty Law. After both were sidelined by injuries, Samuel became a starter, and actually started for the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX. He would start at corner the following season.

In 2006, the Patriots began the season with Samuel and Ellis Hobbs at cornerback. By the end of the regular season, Samuel had intercepted a career-high 10 passes, which put him in a tie for first in the 2006 season (with Champ Bailey of the Broncos); the mark is the second-best ever for a Patriot (in 1964 Ron Hall had 11). Samuel tied the Patriots' mark for most interceptions in a game when he picked off three passes in a week 12 game against the Chicago Bears.

He intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown twice in the 2007 NFL Playoffs once against the New York Jets to clinch their 1st round victory and then in the AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts to extend the lead to 21-3.

On February 16, 2007, the Patriots placed the franchise tag on him. After holding out for most of the preseason, Samuel signed the one-year $7.79 million tender on August 27, 2007[3] to fulfill his obligation under the franchise tag. He will be eligible for free agency again at the end of the 2007 season. According to the Boston Globe, if Samuel participates in 60% of the defensive snaps or the Patriots win 12 games, his contract stipulates that the team will not place the franchise tag for the following season.[4] Samuel finished the 2007 regular season with six interceptions, returning one for a touchdown. He was named to the 2008 Pro Bowl on December 18, 2007.

Samuel is tied with former Oakland Raider Willie Brown for the record for most interception returns for touchdowns in the playoffs with 3.