Deebo Samuel Sr. Bio
Tyshun Raequan “Deebo” Samuel Sr. is an American professional football wide receiver and kick returner for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft. Samuel received first-team All-Pro honors with the 49ers in 2021 and was traded to the Commanders in 2025. He is the only wide receiver in NFL history to record 20 receiving touchdowns and 20 rushing touchdowns.
Early Life and Background
Deebo Samuel Sr. was born on January 15, 1996, in Inman, South Carolina. He grew up in the same small South Carolina community where he would later become a local football star. Samuel attended Chapman High School in Inman, where he developed into a versatile two-way player at wide receiver, running back, and defensive back.
As a senior, Samuel led Chapman to the semifinals of the South Carolina Class AAA playoffs. Over his high school career, he recorded 166 catches for 2,751 yards and 36 touchdowns, added 133 rushes for 898 yards and 13 touchdowns, and finished with a school-record 53 career touchdowns. He also contributed 94 tackles and 12 interceptions on defense. His play earned him the High School Sports Report Class AAA Offensive Player of the Year award, and he represented South Carolina in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas all-star game.
Coming out of high school, Samuel was rated as a three-star recruit in the 2014 college football recruiting class. He committed to the University of South Carolina to play for the Gamecocks and continue his career at the collegiate level.
Path to American Football
Samuel arrived at the University of South Carolina in 2014 and redshirted his true freshman year. The following season, he appeared in five games and made three starts, finishing with 12 receptions for 161 yards while dealing with injuries. By his sophomore season in 2016, he had become a focal point of the Gamecocks offense, leading the team with 59 receptions for 783 yards and adding 15 rushes for 98 yards and six touchdowns.
The 2017 season began with a strong stretch that announced Samuel as one of the most dynamic players in the SEC. In the opener against NC State, he returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and added five catches for 83 yards and two receiving scores. He returned another kickoff for a touchdown the following week against Missouri. In Week 3 against Kentucky, he caught a 68-yard touchdown pass on the first play from scrimmage, but suffered a broken right fibula later in the game that ended his season.
Samuel returned for his senior season in 2018 and finished with 882 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. His best game came against rival Clemson, when he caught 10 passes for 210 yards and three touchdowns. He was named first-team All-SEC and first-team All-American in 2018, then declared for the NFL draft and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round, 36th overall.
Deebo Samuel Sr. Career
Early Career (2019–2020)
Samuel signed a four-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers on July 25, 2019, and made his NFL debut against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with three catches for 17 yards. He scored his first career touchdown the following week against the Cincinnati Bengals, finishing with five receptions for 87 yards. He ended his rookie regular season with strong performances against Seattle, Arizona, and the Los Angeles Rams, then contributed on the Super Bowl LIV stage against the Kansas City Chiefs with five receptions for 39 yards and 53 rushing yards, the most ever by a wide receiver in a single Super Bowl.
The 2020 season was disrupted by injury and a stint on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Despite the setbacks, he recorded 11 receptions for 133 yards against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 12 and finished the year with 33 catches for 391 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.
San Francisco 49ers Breakthrough (2021)
The 2021 season marked Samuel’s emergence as one of the league’s most unique offensive weapons. He opened the year with nine catches for 189 yards and a touchdown against the Detroit Lions and added a 171-yard performance against the Chicago Bears that earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week. As the season progressed, the 49ers increasingly lined him up in the backfield as a runner.
Samuel finished the regular season with 77 receptions for 1,405 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns, while adding 59 carries for 365 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns, the most ever by a wide receiver in a single season. He also threw a touchdown pass in a Week 18 win over the Los Angeles Rams. He was named first-team All-Pro and elected to the Pro Bowl for 2021. In the Wild Card Round against the Dallas Cowboys, he added 72 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on ten carries in a 23-17 win.
San Francisco 49ers Prime (2022–2024)
After requesting a trade during the 2022 offseason, Samuel signed a three-year, $73.5 million contract extension with $58.1 million guaranteed on July 31, 2022. He played through hamstring and ankle injuries during the season and finished with 56 receptions for 632 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns, along with 42 rushes for 232 yards and three rushing touchdowns. He added 133 receiving yards and a touchdown in the Wild Card Round win over the Seattle Seahawks.
In 2023, Samuel scored multiple touchdowns against the Philadelphia Eagles in a Week 13 win and earned another NFC Offensive Player of the Week honor. He finished the year with 60 receptions for 892 yards and seven receiving touchdowns, plus 37 carries for 225 yards and five rushing touchdowns in 15 games. He also played in Super Bowl LVIII, a 25-22 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. In 2024, he changed his jersey number to 1 and added “Sr.” to his name plate. He finished the season with 51 catches for 670 yards and three receiving touchdowns, along with 42 carries for 136 yards and a rushing touchdown.
Washington Commanders Era (2025–Present)
On March 12, 2025, Samuel was traded to the Washington Commanders for a fifth-round selection in the 2025 NFL draft. The team guaranteed his $17 million base salary and added $3 million in incentives. He opened his Commanders career with a 19-yard rushing touchdown in a Week 1 win over the New York Giants, then added another score the following week against the Green Bay Packers.
Through the early weeks of the 2025 season, Samuel continued to produce in multiple roles. He caught a touchdown pass from backup quarterback Marcus Mariota in a loss to the Atlanta Falcons and added a late receiving touchdown in a Week 5 win over the Los Angeles Chargers with Jayden Daniels back under center. His versatility as both a perimeter receiver and a runner has remained a defining feature of his game.
Driving Style and Strengths
Samuel is known for his rare combination of size, physicality, and versatility. He is equally dangerous as a perimeter receiver, a run-after-catch threat, and a gadget runner out of the backfield. His nickname and his self-coined “wide back” position reflect a playing style that blends traditional receiver route running with running back power and vision.
Notable Events and Milestones
Samuel set the NFL record for the most rushing touchdowns in a single season by a wide receiver with 8 in 2021, recorded 53 rushing yards in Super Bowl LIV, the most ever by a wide receiver in a single Super Bowl, and in 2023 became the second player in NFL history, alongside Charley Taylor, to reach 4,000 receiving yards and 1,000 rushing yards within his first five seasons. He is the only wide receiver in NFL history to reach 20 career receiving touchdowns and 20 career rushing touchdowns.
Deebo Samuel Sr. Career Wins
Deebo Samuel Sr. has built a résumé highlighted by individual awards and postseason appearances rather than team championships. He earned first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in 2021 and played in two Super Bowls with the 49ers, Super Bowl LIV and Super Bowl LVIII. In 2025, he joined the Washington Commanders and has continued to contribute as a versatile offensive weapon.
NFL Highlights
Samuel’s signature NFL moments include his record-setting 2021 season, when he set the single-season record for rushing touchdowns by a wide receiver with 8, and his 53 rushing yards in Super Bowl LIV, the most by a wide receiver in a single Super Bowl. He also threw a touchdown pass in a Week 18 win over the Rams in 2021 and recorded 102 receiving yards against the Seattle Seahawks in 2024.
Other Performances
At the collegiate level, Samuel earned first-team All-SEC and first-team All-American honors in 2018, capped by a 10-catch, 210-yard, three-touchdown performance against Clemson. In high school, he set Chapman’s all-time touchdown record with 53 career scores and was named the High School Sports Report Class AAA Offensive Player of the Year.
Deebo Samuel Sr. Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Samuel was given the nickname “Deebo” by his father after the intimidating character Deebo, played by Tiny Lister Jr., in the 1995 film Friday. The nickname has followed him throughout his football career and has become part of his public identity.
Personal Life
Samuel is the father of a son, Tyshun Samuel Jr., whose name led him to add “Sr.” to his jersey in 2024. He continues to be active on social media and remains one of the most recognizable personalities in the NFL.
2025 Season Performance
Deebo Samuel Sr. began the 2025 season with the Washington Commanders after being traded from the San Francisco 49ers in March. He opened the year with a 19-yard rushing touchdown in a Week 1 win over the New York Giants and added another score the following week against the Green Bay Packers. Through the early weeks of the season, he has served as one of the offense’s primary playmakers alongside quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Samuel’s role with Washington has continued to feature his trademark versatility. He caught a touchdown pass from backup quarterback Marcus Mariota in a Week 4 loss to the Atlanta Falcons and added a late receiving touchdown in a Week 5 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. His ability to line up both outside and in the backfield has given the Commanders a unique schematic option as they navigate the 2025 campaign.
Looking ahead, Samuel’s production and leadership will be a key storyline for Washington as the season progresses. If he stays healthy, his combination of experience, physicality, and dual-threat capability should keep him central to the team’s offensive game plan and postseason outlook.