B.J. Sams (football player)
Encyclopedia
Bradley Jamar "B. J." Sams (born October 29, 1980 in New Orleans, Louisiana
) is an American football
wide receiver
who is currently a free agent
. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens
as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football
at McNeese State.
Sams has also played for the Kansas City Chiefs
and California Redwoods.
in Mandeville, Louisiana
. He won All-State honors and was named the District MVP in football.
, his rookie season he posted 1826 total kick and punt return yds., including 2 punt return TDs. The following season he missed two games, but still posted 1399 total return yds., with a career long of 82 yds. 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 yds. than the Falcons had rushing, combined, at 212. His best career game, his rookie season, he had 250 total yds. and a TD against the Kansas City Chiefs
.
Sams suffered a broken leg against the Cincinnati Bengals
and missed the remainder of Baltimore's 2007 season
. Before suffering the injury, he helped keep the team in the game with 177 return yds., though they would ultimately lose on a late flag that negated a Todd Heap
TD.
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 4481 total return yds. in just over three seasons. That mark is second only to Jermaine Lewis
, who was the team's all-time leading return man, with 5883 regular season return yds. in six seasons.
His rookie season mark of 1251 kick return yards, still stands as the best single season kick return total in team history.
. He was released four games into the regular season on October 1 after the team signed wide receiver
Mark Bradley
.
in 2009. He signed with the team on August 18.
He led the UFL's inaugural season as the league's leading kick returner, with 375 yds.
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
) is an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at McNeese State.
Sams has also played for the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
and California Redwoods.
Early years
Sams attended Mandeville High SchoolMandeville High School
Mandeville High School is a Division 5A public high school, in Mandeville, Louisiana. It is located in Saint Tammany Parish, Louisiana and is part of the St. Tammany Parish Public Schools system. Mandeville is a suburban community within thirty miles commuting distance to the metropolitan area of...
in Mandeville, Louisiana
Mandeville, Louisiana
Mandeville is a city in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 12,421 in 2008. Mandeville is located on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain, south of Interstate 12. It is across the lake from the city of New Orleans and its southshore suburbs...
. He won All-State honors and was named the District MVP in football.
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 agentFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
, his rookie season he posted 1826 total kick and punt return yds., including 2 punt return TDs. The following season he missed two games, but still posted 1399 total return yds., with a career long of 82 yds. 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
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, he had one of the best games of his career, returning for more yds. than the Falcons had rushing, combined, at 212. His best career game, his rookie season, he had 250 total yds. and a TD against the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
.
Sams suffered a broken leg against the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
and missed the remainder of Baltimore's 2007 season
2007 Baltimore Ravens season
-Game summary:The Ravens began their 2007 campaign on the road against their AFC North foe, the Cincinnati Bengals, in the first game of a Monday Night Football doubleheader. In the first quarter, Baltimore lost two fumbles early on, with the Bengals turning the second fumble into QB Carson...
. Before suffering the injury, he helped keep the team in the game with 177 return yds., though they would ultimately lose on a late flag that negated a Todd Heap
Todd Heap
Todd Benjamin Heap is an American football tight end for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State-Early years:At Mountain View High School, in Mesa, Arizona,...
TD.
Although he was let go following this season, in favor of Yamon Figurs
Yamon Figurs
Yamon Figurs is an American football wide receiver and return specialist who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
, 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
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
history, with 4481 total return yds. in just over three seasons. That mark is second only to Jermaine Lewis
Jermaine Lewis
Jermaine Edward Lewis is a retired American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was originally drafted in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens, who he played for until 2001...
, who was the team's all-time leading return man, with 5883 regular season return yds. in six seasons.
His rookie season mark of 1251 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 ChiefsKansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
. He was released four games into the regular season on October 1 after the team signed wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Mark Bradley
Mark Bradley
Mark Anthony Bradley is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
.
California Redwoods
Sams was drafted by the California Redwoods of the United Football League in the UFL Premiere Season DraftUFL Premiere Season Draft
The UFL "Premiere" Season Draft was the inaugural draft of the United Football League. The results of the draft were announced via press release on June 19, 2009....
in 2009. He signed with the team on August 18.
He led the UFL's inaugural season as the league's leading kick returner, with 375 yds.