Samson Ebukam
refer to caption
Ebukam with the Rams in 2018
No. 52 – Indianapolis Colts
Position:Defensive end
Personal information
Born: (1995-05-09) May 9, 1995 (age 28)
Lagos, Nigeria
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:245 lb (111 kg)
Career information
High school:David Douglas
(Portland, Oregon)
College:Eastern Washington (2013–2016)
NFL draft:2017 / Round: 4 / Pick: 125
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2023
Total tackles:281
Sacks:33.0
Forced fumbles:11
Fumble recoveries:5
Interceptions:1
Defensive touchdowns:2
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Nnamka Samson Ebukam (born May 9, 1995) is a Nigerian–American football defensive end for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Eastern Washington and was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Early years

Ebukam was born in Onitsha, Nigeria, and moved to the United States at the age of nine.[1] He attended and graduated from David Douglas High School in Portland, Oregon, in 2013.[2] While there, he played high school football for the Scots. As a senior, Ebukam played at defensive end, tight end, and fullback, earning First Team All-Mount Hood Conference honors as a defensive end, and also earning honorable mention honors as a tight end.[3]

College career

Coming out of high school, Ebukam received only two Division I scholarship offers. He chose to attend Eastern Washington University over an offer from Portland State.[4]

Ebukam played for Eastern Washington as a three-year starter. Over 38 career collegiate starts, Ebukam produced 188 tackles, 44 tackles for losses, and 24 sacks. As a senior, he tallied 15 tackles for losses and 9.5 sacks, plus three fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, eight quarterback hits, and an interception.[5]

Professional career

Pre-draft

Ebukam was not selected to participate in the 2017 NFL Combine, but he did participate in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.[6]

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 1+7⁄8 in
(1.88 m) 		240 lb
(109 kg) 		32+1⁄2 in
(0.83 m) 		9+5⁄8 in
(0.24 m)		 4.45 s 1.53 s 2.57 s 4.31 s 7.02 s 39 in
(0.99 m)		 10 ft 10 in
(3.30 m)		 24 reps
All values from 2017 EWU Pro Day[7][8]

Los Angeles Rams

Ebukam in 2018

2017

The Los Angeles Rams selected Ebukam in the fourth round with the 125th overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft.[9][10] The Rams traded their fourth-round (141st overall) and sixth-round (197th overall) picks in the 2017 NFL Draft to the New York Jets and received the fourth round pick (125th overall) used to draft Ebukam.[11] Ebukam was the 17th linebacker drafted in 2017.[12]

External videos
video icon Rams draft Samson Ebukam 125th overall
video icon Samson Ebukam NFL Draft Highlights

On June 20, 2017, the Rams signed Ebukam to a four-year, $3.01 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $613,082.[13]

Throughout training camp, Ebukam competed to be a backup outside linebacker against Morgan Fox, Ejuan Price, Cory Littleton, and Carlos Thompson.[14] Head coach Sean McVay named Ebukam a backup outside linebacker to start the regular season, behind Robert Quinn and Connor Barwin.[15]

External videos
video icon Ebukam strip sacks Tom Savage

He made his professional regular season debut in the Rams' season-opener against the Indianapolis Colts and recorded three solo tackles in their 46–9 victory.[16] On November 12, 2017, Ebukam recorded one solo tackle and forced the first fumble of his career during a sack in the Rams' 33–7 win against the Houston Texans.[17] Ebukam made his first career sack on Texans' quarterback Tom Savage for a seven-yard loss and forced a fumble that was recovered by teammate Tyrunn Walker in the third quarter.[18] On December 3, 2017, Ebukam earned his first career start and collected a season-high five solo tackles in a 32–16 win at the Arizona Cardinals in Week 13.[19] He finished his rookie season in 2017 with 31 combined tackles (26 solo), two sacks, and a forced fumble in 16 games and two starts.[20]

The Los Angeles Rams finished the 2017 season first in the NFC West with an 11–5 record and earned a playoff berth.[21] On January 6, 2018, Ebukam appeared in his first career playoff game and made one tackle during the Rams' 26–13 loss against the Atlanta Falcons in the Wild Card Round.[22]

2018

Ebukam entered training camp slated as a starting outside linebacker. Head coach Sean McVay named Ebukam and Matt Longacre the starting outside linebackers to begin the regular season, alongside inside linebackers Mark Barron and Cory Littleton.[23] In Week 11 on Monday Night Football, Ebukam scored two defensive touchdowns off turnovers (one fumble, one interception) and forced another interception in a 54–51 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, earning him NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.[24][25] Ebukam finished the season with 40 tackles, one interception, and three forced fumbles.[26] In the Divisional Round against the Dallas Cowboys, he recorded two tackles in a 30–22 win.[27] In the NFC Championship Game against the New Orleans Saints, he recorded three tackles and a forced fumble in a tough 26–23 overtime victory.[28] The Rams made it to Super Bowl LIII where they played the New England Patriots, but lost 3–13. Ebukam recorded four tackles in the Super Bowl.[29][30]

2019

In 2019, Ebukam played in 16 games, with five starts. He recorded 48 tackles, four and a half sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and 4 passes defensed.[26]

2020

In 2020, Ebukam played in 16 games, starting 14. He tallied 31 tackles, four and a half sacks, one forced fumble, and one pass defensed.[26] Two of those sacks came in the second half of a Week 17 game against the Cardinals which was critical for both teams, as the winner would clinch a playoff spot.[31] Ebukam's first sack came late in the third quarter and resulted in a loss of one yard. His second sack occurred with just under ten minutes left in the fourth quarter on a second and goal play when he tackled quarterback Kyler Murray eight yards behind the line of scrimmage, helping to force an Arizona field goal attempt. The kick was blocked, keeping the score at 18–7 Rams, which ended up as the final result.[32]

In the Rams wild-card round game against the Seattle Seahawks, with just over seven minutes left in the fourth quarter and Los Angeles leading by ten points, the Rams punted the ball away on a fourth down. However, Ebukam forced returner D. J. Reed to fumble the football, allowing the Rams to keep possession. The Los Angeles offense then scored a touchdown to take a 30–13 lead that proved insurmountable.[33] The Rams went on to lose their next game against the Green Bay Packers, ending their season.[34]

San Francisco 49ers

On March 19, 2021, Ebukam signed a two-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers.[35] In the 2021 season, Ebukam had 4.5 sacks, 38 total tackles, one pass defended, and one forced fumble in 17 appearances and 11 starts.[36]

In the 2022 season, Ebukam had five sacks, 36 total tackles, one pass defended, and one forced fumble in 15 appearances and starts.[37]

Indianapolis Colts

On March 17, 2023, Ebukam signed a three-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts.[38]

In his first season with the Colts, Ebukam led the team with a career-high 9.5 sacks, and also set career-highs with 57 tackles and three forced fumbles.

NFL career statistics

Legend
Bold Career high

Regular season

Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP GS Cmb Solo Ast TfL Sck Sfty Int Yds Lng TD PD FF FR Yds TD
2017 LAR 16 2 31 26 5 2 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
2018 LAR 16 14 40 25 15 6 3.0 0 1 25 25T 1 1 3 2 11 1
2019 LAR 16 5 48 26 22 5 4.5 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 2 0 0
2020 LAR 16 14 31 18 13 3 4.5 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0
2021 SF 17 11 38 21 17 5 4.5 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0
2022 SF 10 10 32 18 14 5 3.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0
Career 91 56 220 134 86 26 22.0 0 1 25 25T 1 7 8 5 11 1

References

  1. ^ Gold, Johnathan (January 7, 2019). "The odyssey of Samson Ebukam: From Nigeria to the NFL playoffs". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  2. ^ Arnold, Geoffrey C. (March 15, 2023). "Former local prep star Samson Ebukam signs deal with the Indianapolis Colts: Report". OregonLive. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  3. ^ "Samson Ebukam – 2016 – Football". Eastern Washington University Athletics. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  4. ^ Allen, Jim (October 28, 2016). "EWU defensive end Samson Ebukam is a game-changer for the Eagles". Spokesman.com. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  5. ^ Kruse, Zach (April 9, 2017). "'Sleeper' pass-rushing prospect Samson Ebukam to visit Packers". Packers Wire. USA Today. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  6. ^ "NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Players Well Represented in NFL Draft". www.nflpa.com. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  7. ^ "Annual Pro Day Features Six Eagles, Including Kupp". Eastern Washington University Athletics. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  8. ^ "Samson Ebukam, Eastern Washington, OLB, 2017 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  9. ^ "2017 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  10. ^ "Ebukam and Bourne to Play Saturday in NFLPA Bowl". goeags.com. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  11. ^ "2017 NFL Draft Results: Los Angeles Rams Trade Up With New York Jets To Select Eastern Washington LB Samson Ebukam". TurfShowTimes.com. April 29, 2017. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  12. ^ "2017 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  13. ^ "Spotrac.com: Samson Ebukam contract". Spotrac.com. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  14. ^ Boner, Tevin (July 5, 2017). "2017 Rams Roster Preview: OLB Morgan Fox Seeking Position Change Boost?". TurfShowTimes.com. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  15. ^ DaSilva, Cameron (September 5, 2017). "Rams release first depth chart of regular season". theramswire.usatoday.com. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  16. ^ "Indianapolis Colts at Los Angeles Rams – September 10th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  17. ^ "Houston Texans at Los Angeles Rams – November 12th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  18. ^ "NFL Game Center: Week 10-2017: Houston Texans at Los Angeles Rams". NFL.com. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  19. ^ "NFL Player stats: Samson Ebukam (2017)". NFL.com. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  20. ^ "NFL Player stats: Samson Ebukam (career)". NFL.com. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  21. ^ "2017 NFL Standings & Team Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  22. ^ "Wild Card – Atlanta Falcons at Los Angeles Rams – January 6th, 2018". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  23. ^ DaSilva, Cameron (September 4, 2018). "Rams Week 1 depth chart: Kelly is No. 4 RB, Littleton starting next to Barron". theramswire.usatoday.com. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  24. ^ "Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Rams – November 19th, 2018". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  25. ^ Knoblach, Austin (November 21, 2018). "Samson Ebukam, Saquon Barkley among Players of the Week". NFL.com.
  26. ^ a b c "Samson Ebukam Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  27. ^ "Divisional Round – Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams – January 12th, 2019". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  28. ^ "NFC Championship – Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints – January 20th, 2019". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  29. ^ "Super Bowl LIII – Los Angeles Rams vs. New England Patriots – February 3rd, 2019". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  30. ^ Shpigel, Ben (February 3, 2019). "Patriots Win in Lowest-Scoring Super Bowl Ever". The New York Times. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  31. ^ "Cardinals-Rams Preview: 'I Just Don't Know If The Rams Can Generate Enough Points,' Says CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones". CBS Los Angeles. December 31, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  32. ^ "Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams – January 3rd, 2021". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  33. ^ "Wild Card – Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks – January 9th, 2021". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  34. ^ "Divisional Round – Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers – January 16th, 2021". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  35. ^ "49ers Sign DL Samson Ebukam". 49ers.com. March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  36. ^ "Samson Ebukam 2021 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  37. ^ "Samson Ebukam 2022 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  38. ^ Stankevitz, JJ (March 17, 2023). "Colts sign free agent DE Samson Ebukam". Colts.com. Retrieved March 17, 2023.

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