Samkon Kaltho Gado is an
Nigerian-AmericanNigerian Americans are citizens of the United States of America who are or descend from immigrants from Nigeria. Since the late 1960s and early 1970s, approximately one million Nigerians have immigrated in to the United States....
running backA running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
of
American footballAmerican 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...
who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the
Kansas City ChiefsThe 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...
as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played
college footballCollege 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 Liberty.
Gado has also played for the
Green Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
,
Houston TexansThe Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
,
Miami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and
St. Louis RamsThe St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
.
Early years
Gado moved to
Columbia, South CarolinaColumbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
from Nigeria when he was nine years old. He attended Ben Lippen High School in Columbia, where he was a four-sport letterwinner (
footballHigh school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, track, soccer, and
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
).
Gado posted 10 games of over 200 yards as a high school football running back. Gado was named Athlete of the Year as a junior, rushing for 2,100 yards and 31
touchdownA touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s. He served as
team captainIn team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
in his senior campaign. He played for current Comedian, and former high school head football coach
Marty SimpsonMartin Sherard Simpson , is a comedian, actor, performer, and motivational speaker from Columbia, South Carolina Marty was featured in World Magazine in the summer of 2011. - High School :...
. His high school teammates referred to him as the "Nigerian Nightmare," the nickname of former
Kansas City ChiefThe 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...
running back
Christian OkoyeChristian Emeka Okoye , is a Nigerian-American former American football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1987 to 1992. Nicknamed "The Nigerian Nightmare," Okoye was known for his powerful running style and ability to break tackles. Okoye's six seasons in the NFL saw a league rushing...
. Gado donned the jersey number 35 out of respect for Okoye while in Green Bay and Houston.
College career
Gado played
college footballCollege 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
Liberty UniversityLiberty University is a private Christian university located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Liberty's annual enrollment is around 72,000 students, 12,000 of whom are residential students and 60,000+ studying through Liberty University Online...
, an FCS school in
Lynchburg, VirginiaLynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
. Although Gado only started two games in his college career (playing behind fellow backs
Dre BarnesPhillip Verondre Barnes was an American college football player. He played running back for Liberty University.-High school career:...
and
Eugene GoodmanEugene Goodman, was the co founder of the Velocette motorcycle company with his father John Goodman.Eugene was born in Birmingham. His father had a small shop in Great Hampton street in Birmingham selling and making bicycles and fittings....
), his contributions to the team were significant. He played in 39 games during his college career, amassing a total of 273
carriesIn American football, a carry is a statistical term equivalent to a single rushing play. The term is typically used in reference to "yards per carry," meaning yards per attempt rushing the ball. Any offensive player who performs a carry is known as a ballcarrier, regardless of position....
for 1,631 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns. He also caught a total of 38 passes for 486 yards and six receiving touchdowns. His most significant numbers came in his senior year, where he proved his value to the offense by carrying the ball 138 times for 938 yards and a team-high eleven rushing touchdowns.
Awards and honors
Gado received the following awards for his performances at Liberty University:
- Rock Royer Award, May 2005 (Top senior athlete - shared with another athlete)
- Luke 2:52 Award, January 2005 (award in football)
Kansas City Chiefs
Because of his relatively quiet role as a backup running back at a I-AA school, Gado went undrafted in the
2005 NFL DraftThe 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
and was eventually signed by the
Kansas City ChiefsThe 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...
in May 2005.
Gado was unable to make the Chiefs active roster in part due to an injury suffered during training camp, and was eventually waived from the practice squad after the first month of the season. Kansas City running backs coach James Saxon was impressed by Gado's ability, but there was no room on the Chiefs roster to retain him. Nonetheless, Saxon spoke highly of him to other teams such as the Green Bay Packers. Kansas City
head coachA head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Dick VermeilRichard Albert "Dick" Vermeil is a former American head coach for the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles , St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs...
also encouraged Gado to continue playing football.
Green Bay Packers
On October 17, the Green Bay Packers brought Gado in for a workout. The personnel officials and coaches were won over by a 40-yard dash time of 4.43 seconds and signed Gado on the spot to their practice squad. Gado's future in the NFL might have ended there were it not for the unfortunate circumstances of the
Packers' 2005 seasonThe 2005 Green Bay Packers season marked their worst record since their 1991 season. The Packers suffered injuries to wide receivers Javon Walker and Robert Ferguson and running backs Ahman Green, Najeh Davenport, Tony Fisher, and Samkon Gado...
. Despite being one of the premier running teams of the past few years, the Packers saw a dramatic drop in production due to the loss of both of their
startingA starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
guardsIn American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
from the previous season and due to nagging injuries to star running back
Ahman GreenAhman Rashad Green is a retired American football running back. He is the all-time leading rusher for the Green Bay Packers. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 3rd round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
. Both Green and backup
Najeh DavenportNajeh Trenadious Monté Davenport is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
were eventually lost to season-ending injuries, forcing the Packers to promote Gado to the active roster alongside third-string back Tony Fisher and such players as
ReShard LeeReShard Lee is an American football running back in the National Football League who is currently a free agent. He played college football for Middle Tennessee State University....
and
Noah HerronNoah Scott Herron is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
.
Gado made his NFL debut, only two weeks after being signed to the Packers roster, with an eight-yard carry on October 30, 2005 in a 21-14 loss to the
Cincinnati BengalsThe 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...
. It was his only carry of the game. One week later, he was given much more playing time against the
Pittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. Though Fisher was officially the starter of the game, Gado carried the ball 23 times for 62 yards and scored his first NFL rushing touchdown in the 20-10 loss. Coaches and teammates were impressed by Gado's performance against a strong Pittsburgh defense.
Gado began to be considered a "feel good story" for the 2005 NFL season as a nobody backup suddenly showing real potential when given the chance. The sudden media attention was also due to Gado's polite and humble personality both in interviews and on the field. After Gado's touchdown in the Steelers game, he reportedly walked up to and thanked every one of his offensive lineman for helping him to score.
On November 13, 2005, Gado started his first NFL game against the
Atlanta FalconsThe 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 responded to the challenge with an outstanding performance that instantly turned him into a household name for Packer faithful. Gado rushed 23 times for 103 yards and two touchdowns, and also caught a one-yard touchdown pass from
Brett FavreBrett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
, as the Packers won 33-25. Gado received the NFL Rookie of Week 10 award for the game. Gado became the first player in NFL history to score three touchdowns on his 23rd birthday.
For the next three weeks Gado excelled in the starting position. He recorded two more 100-yard performances - 111 against the
Philadelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and 171 against the
Detroit LionsThe Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
- and scored a rushing touchdown in three straight games. He was once again awarded the Rookie of the Week award, this time for his Week 14 game against the Lions.
Gado's season ended on a sprained
MCLThe medial collateral ligament of the knee is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. It is also known as the tibial collateral ligament, or abbreviated as the MCL.- Structure :It is a broad, flat, membranous band,...
in a December 19 matchup against the
Baltimore RavensThe 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...
. Before the injury, he had looked very strong against a notable Ravens defense, rushing six times for 45 yards. Though it was possible that Gado would recover in time to play the season finale, the team decided that risking any further injury to the rookie wasn't necessary, and placed Gado on
injured reserveThe injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
.
Gado's 2006 preseason rushing numbers were unremarkable, and did not stand out among other competitors for the running back position. Ultimately, former teammate Najeh Davenport was released at the end of the preseason, and Gado remained on the squad.
Gado started the 2006 season as a backup running back. On September 13, 2006, after the first week of the NFL regular season, Gado was traded to the
Houston TexansThe Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
for running back
Vernand MorencyVernand Morency is a former American football running back who played in the NFL.-Biography:Vernand Morency grew up in Miami, Florida where his parents, immigrants from Haiti, had him working in their family real estate business from the age of 5...
.
Houston Texans
Gado's best moment of the 2006 season was a game at the
Jacksonville JaguarsThe Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The Texans sealed the victory when coach
Gary KubiakGary Wayne Kubiak is the head coach for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. Kubiak has participated in six Super Bowls, losing three as a player with the Denver Broncos and winning three as an assistant coach with Denver and the San Francisco 49ers.-High school:Kubiak passed for a...
gambled on fourth-and-1 at the Houston 41-yard line with a minute remaining, winning by 3. Samkon Gado, who finished with 67 yards rushing, picked up enough for the first down. "You've got to give your team a chance to win," Kubiak said. "Was it the smartest thing? I don't know, but where we are headed with our football team we got to send a message to our football team about the way we are going to play and what we are going to be about."
On October 23, 2007 the Texans released him after promoting Adimchinobi Echemandu to their third-string RB. Gado had rushed for only 46 yards on 18 attempts with 1 TD.
Miami Dolphins
Shortly before Gado's release from Houston, the
Miami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
lost starting running back
Ronnie BrownRonnie G. Brown, Jr. is an American football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . After graduating from Cartersville High School in Georgia, Brown attended Auburn University to play college football for the Auburn Tigers...
to a torn
ACLThe anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
. As a result, the Dolphins claimed Gado off waivers. However, he did not see playing time for his first few games in a Dolphins uniform. After Miami's backup running back,
Jesse ChatmanJesse Percee Chatman is an American football running back for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
went down, they re-signed
Ricky WilliamsErrick Lynne "Ricky" Williams, Jr. is an American football running back for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints fifth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft...
, a former Dolphin who had done several stints in-and-out of the league, and subsequently cut Gado. However, Williams was injured in his first game back, and Miami re-signed Gado. Gado contributed over the next several weeks, including scoring a touchdown in a game won by the previously 0-13 Dolphins.
Gado, a
restricted free agentA restricted free agent is a professional athlete who plays in the KHL, NFL, NHL, or NBA. Such players have special restrictions on the terms under which they can retain or change employment status with their athletic club teams.- NFL :...
in the 2008 offseason, was not tendered a contract by the team.
The Palm Beach PostThe Palm Beach Post is a major daily newspaper in Florida, serving Palm Beach County in South Florida, and the Treasure Coast area. It is the 72nd largest daily newspaper in the United States and the sixth largest in Florida.-History:...
reported on May 15, 2008 that Gado has a tryout scheduled with the
New England PatriotsThe New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
.
St. Louis Rams
Gado was signed by the
St. Louis RamsThe St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
on November 4, 2008 after
wide receiverA 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...
s
Drew BennettAndrew Russell "Drew" Bennett is a former American football wide receiver of the National Football League. He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2001. He played college football at UCLA....
and
Dante HallDamieon Dante Hall is a former American football Return specialist, and wide receiver in the National Football League. He is considered one of the greatest return specialists in NFL History...
were placed on
injured reserveThe injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
. The Rams released Gado on November 19 to make room for offensive tackle Anthony Davis.
After spending the rest of the 2008 season out of football, Gado was re-signed to a future contract by the Rams on January 5, 2009.
Tennessee Titans
On August 17, 2010, Gado signed with the
Tennessee TitansThe Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
. He was released on September 4, 2010.
Awards and honors
Gado received two NFL awards for his rookie performance:
- NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month, November 2005
- Rookie of the Week, Weeks 10 and 14
In addition, Gado holds a couple of Green Bay franchise records for a rookie.
- Most rushing yards in a game (171).
- Most touchdowns in a season (7).
Personal
Gado is a member of the Samantia Club in Houston.
Gado received a bachelor's degree in health promotions while taking pre-med courses at Liberty University; he has already taken the
MCATThe Medical College Admission Test is a computer-based standardized examination for prospective medical students in the United States and Canada. It is designed to assess problem solving, critical thinking, written analysis, and writing skills in addition to knowledge of scientific concepts and...
and plans to retake it on July 13, 2007. Gado plans to follow up his football career by becoming a medical
missionaryA missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
in his native country. A fall 2006 TV spot highlighted Gado's internship at a hospital in Green Bay. His father, Jeremiah Gado, initially left Nigeria in 1990 to study at
Columbia International UniversityColumbia International University is a Christian institution of higher education located in Columbia, South Carolina. The university is recognized for its emphasis upon spiritual formation, biblical authority and world evangelization.-History:...
, and now regularly visits Nigeria for mission work. Gado was named on the
Phil SimmsPhillip Martin "Phil" Simms is a former American football quarterback, and currently a television sportscaster for the CBS network. After a standout career at Morehead State University, Simms was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants of the National Football League with the number...
All Iron team for his contribution to the community. Gado now resides in Columbia, South Carolina for the off-season in 2007.
External links