Former UCF Knights cornerback Asante Samuel may not have been a household name in the NFL, but his career with the New England Patriots is where he started to take off. Samuel played for the Patriots from 2003-2007. During his tenure, Samuel was a major piece of the Patriots’ defense.
Samuel won a Super Bowl in his first two seasons as a Patriot, and he played in three Super Bowls during his tenure with the organization. However, considering his defensive impact with the Patriots, Samuel deserves some recognition as a potential candidate for the Patriots Hall of Fame.
Samuel’s 22 interceptions as a Patriot are good for 12th all-time in franchise history, but in his final two seasons with the team, it was when he turned into a ballhawk. Samuel recorded 16 interceptions combined in 2006 and 2007.
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In 2006, Samuel had his breakout year by being tied for the NFL’s most interceptions along with Champ Bailey with 10. Being tied for the most interceptions in a season with a Hall of Fame cornerback is a good way to have your breakout season. That 2006 season, Samuel was the first Patriot since Ron Hall in 1964 to record 10 interceptions in a season.
No other Patriot since Samuel has recorded 10 interceptions in a single season. In the 2006 NFL Postseason, Samuel recorded two pick-6’s, one of which was against Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning in the 2006 AFC Championship Game. Samuel has the record for most pick-6’s in NFL Playoff history, with three of them happening when he was a Patriot, and he has the NFL Playoff record for most yards returned for interceptions.
2007 was a special season for Samuel and the Patriots. The Patriots went 16-0 in the regular season, and Samuel was a big reason why. Samuel finished the season by recording 6 interceptions on his way to being named to the Pro Bowl and a First-Team All-Pro.
Samuel recorded 1 interception in the 2007 Playoffs and helped shut down the Jacksonville Jaguars and San Diego Chargers to help the Patriots reach Super Bowl XLII, and have the chance to finish 19-0. Unfortunately for Samuel and the Patriots, the Giants upset them 17-14 to win the Super Bowl. Samuel’s lasting image as a Patriot was when he dropped a wide-open interception late in the fourth quarter against Eli Manning, which may have helped the Patriots conclude the perfect season.
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After the 2007 season, Samuel left the Patriots to join the Philadelphia Eagles. Samuel continued to be a dominant player as an Eagle by making the Pro Bowl in his first three seasons in Philadelphia. Had Samuel been part of the Patriots’ defense from 2008-2010, the chances the Patriots would’ve gone back to the Super Bowl may have been likely. The Patriots failed to reach the AFC Championship Game in each of those three years, in a year Samuel was a Pro Bowl cornerback in Philadelphia.
After Samuel’s 2007 Pro Bowl season, it wouldn’t be until Darrelle Revis’ 2014 season that a Patriots defensive back made a First-Team All-Pro.
In retrospect, Samuel’s Patriots career deserves more recognition than most give him. Samuel was a solid Patriot in the 2000s.
While Samuel recorded 51 interceptions in his career, some may think he will be in the “Hall of Very Good” over the Pro Football Hall of Fame. However, of the three NFL teams he played for, making the Patriots Hall of Fame would make the most sense based on his NFL career.
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Mike Haynes, Ty Law and Raymond Clayborn are the three cornerbacks the Patriots have in the team’s Hall of Fame. Samuel is one that the team may be missing with the solid career he had in his five seasons with the team.