B. J. Sams (American football)
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B. J. Sams in 2006. | |||||||||
| No. 36, 30 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Running back / Wide receiver / Return specialist / Cornerback | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Date of birth: | October 29, 1980 | ||||||||
| Place of birth: | New Orleans, Louisiana | ||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Mandeville (LA) | ||||||||
| College: | McNeese State | ||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2004 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Bradley Jamar "B. J." Sams (born October 29, 1980) is a former American football player who was a running back, wide receiver, cornerback and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons. He played college football at McNeese State University. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2004, and also played for the Kansas City Chiefs and California Redwoods.
Early years
Sams was born in New Orleans, Louisiana to Samuel Sams, a World War II pilot, and Marian Smith. He attended Mandeville High School in Mandeville, Louisiana. He won All-State honors and was named the district most valuable player in football.
Professional career
Baltimore Ravens
For the first three years of his career, Sams proved to be a valuable asset to the Ravens return game, and one of the better return men in the league. After joining the team as an undrafted free agent, his rookie season he posted 1826 total kick and punt return yards., including 2 punt return touchdowns. The following season he missed two games, but still recorded 1,399 total return yards, with a career long of 82 yards. In 2006, he had an equally productive season, and was on pace to have the best season of his career before going down with injury in Game 12. Two weeks prior to that, against the Atlanta Falcons, he had one of the best games of his career, returning for more yards than the Falcons had rushing, combined, at 212. His best career game, his rookie season, he had 250 total yards and a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Sams suffered a broken leg against the Cincinnati Bengals and missed the remainder of Baltimore's 2007 season.[1] Before suffering the injury, he helped keep the team in the game with 177 return yards, though they would ultimately lose on a late flag that negated a Todd Heap touchdown.
Although he was let go following this season, in favor of Yamon Figurs, a return man who wound up being released himself in 2009, in Sams' career as a Raven prior to injury, he became the second best return specialist in Baltimore Ravens history, with 4,481 total return yards in just over three seasons. That mark is second only to Jermaine Lewis, who was the team's all-time leading return man, with 5,883 regular season return yards in six seasons.
His rookie season mark of 1,251 kick return yards, still stands as the best single season kick return total in team history.
Kansas City Chiefs
On April 9, 2008, Sams signed a one-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. He was released four games into the regular season on October 1 after the team signed wide receiver Mark Bradley.
California Redwoods
Sams was drafted by the California Redwoods of the United Football League in the UFL Premiere Season Draft in 2009. He signed with the team on August 18.[2]
He led the UFL's inaugural season as the league's leading kick returner, with 375 yards.
NFL stats
Returning Stats[3]
| Year | Team | Games | Punt Return Attempts | Punt Return Yards | Punts Returned for Touchdown | Punts Fair Caught | Longest Punt Return | Kickoff Return Attempts | Kickoff Return Yards | Kickoffs Returned for Touchdown | Kickoffs Fair Caught | Longest Kickoff Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | BAL | 16 | 55 | 575 | 2 | 12 | 78 | 59 | 1,251 | 0 | 0 | 64 |
| 2005 | BAL | 14 | 33 | 401 | 0 | 10 | 51 | 44 | 998 | 0 | 1 | 87 |
| 2006 | BAL | 12 | 29 | 307 | 0 | 4 | 65 | 30 | 772 | 0 | 0 | 72 |
| 2007 | BAL | 1 | 4 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 5 | 140 | 0 | 0 | 47 |
| 2008 | KC | 3 | 7 | 58 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 9 | 180 | 0 | 0 | 36 |
| Career | 46 | 128 | 1,378 | 2 | 29 | 78 | 147 | 3,341 | 0 | 1 | 87 |
References
- ↑ "DB/RS B.J. Sams OUT for the season with broken leg" baltimoreravens.com, Accessed December 10, 2006
- ↑ "United Football League Signs 31 Players to California Redwoods' Roster". 2009-08-20.
- ↑ "B.J. Sams Stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved 4 April 2014.