After being selected in 2nd round, Samuel focuses on proving doubters wrong
Asante Samuel Jr. came to Florida State as a four-star recruit with sky-high expectations.
He leaves as a second-round NFL draft pick who was able to shine even during some pretty dark days for the Seminoles.
The son of a longtime NFL cornerback, Samuel was drafted with the 47th overall pick on Friday night by the Los Angeles Chargers -- the 15th pick of the second round. He was the first Seminole selected in this year's draft.
But while he is thrilled with the opportunity to play at the next level, being selected in the second round did not exactly sit well with Samuel.
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He was the eighth cornerback taken in this year's draft, which he says will only give him more motivation to make an impact with the Chargers.
"Always being doubted because I'm undersized," the 5-foot, 10-inch Samuel said during his introductory press conference with the Chargers. "A lot of corners got picked before me because of size. And I feel like I'm gonna make them regret that sooner or later."
With the Chargers, Samuel will be reunited with former Florida State defensive back Derwin James, who was selected by the Chargers in the first round of the 2018 draft. Also on the roster is former FSU tight end Gabe Nabers, who made the team as an undrafted free agent.
"Derwin's kinda like a big brother to me," Samuel said.
The Fort Lauderdale native was one of the best cornerbacks in the nation in 2020. He finished the season with 31 tackles, three interceptions and six pass breakups on his way to an All-ACC first-team selection. He started eight games for the Seminoles during the COVID-shortened season, and he finished his three-year college career with 23 starts.
As a sophomore in 2019, Samuel led the conference with 14 pass breakups and ranked eighth in the NCAA in that department. He was the only player in the Power 5 with 14 pass breakups and over 45 tackles.
And as good as he was as a sophomore, he was even better as a junior, starting off the 2020 season with a two-interception performance against Georgia Tech.
According to FSU: Samuel’s selection marks the 38th straight year a Seminole has been drafted, a streak that dates back to 1984 and is the ninth-longest active streak in the country entering this year’s draft.
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