Wikipedia

Sam Cowart

Samuel Cowart III (born February 26, 1975) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles, earning consensus All-American honors. A second-round pick in the 1998 NFL draft, he played professionally for the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, and Minnesota Vikings of the NFL.[1] Cowart was a Pro Bowl selection in 2000.

Sam Cowart
No. 55, 56
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1975-02-26) February 26, 1975 (age 49)
Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:242 lb (110 kg)
Career information
High school:Mandarin (Jacksonville)
College:Florida State
NFL draft:1998 / round: 2 / pick: 39
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:100
Games started:87
Tackles:715
Quarterback sacks:12.5
Interceptions:4
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

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Cowart was born in Jacksonville, Florida. He attended Mandarin High School in Jacksonville, and played for the Mandarin Mustangs high school football team. As a senior football player, he was a Super Prep high school All-American selection and a USA Today All-America honorable mention, named the Jacksonville Defensive Player of the Year, and won first-team all-state honors, and helped lead the Mustangs to the district championship in the state playoffs.[2]

College career

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Cowart attended Florida State University, where he played for coach Bobby Bowden's Florida State Seminoles football team from 1993 through 1997. He was a reserve linebacker on the Seminoles' 1993 national championship team. In 1995, he led FSU in tackles in with 115 (76 solo), finishing sixth in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in that category. The same year, Cowart had three quarterback sacks and 13 tackles in the FSU-Florida game (at Florida) to earn ABC player of the game honors. Returning in 1997 after a knee injury that kept him out of the 1996 season, Cowart earned consensus first-team All-American recognition, leading the team with 116 tackles. He also set an FSU team record with three fumbles returned or recovered for touchdowns. He was a finalist for the Butkus Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy and winner of the ACC's Brian Piccolo Award for the conference's "Most Courageous Player."

Professional career

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Buffalo Bills

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Cowart was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 1998 NFL draft.[3] He played for the Bills for four seasons and received a trip to the Pro Bowl in the 2000 season.

Before he was cut down by injuries, Cowart, was a sideline-to-sideline force on a playmaking par with Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. Cowart was the Pro Bowl heart of Buffalo's defense until he was chopped down by Frank Middleton, a Tampa Bay Buccaneers guard, resulting in a severe ankle injury that ended his 2000 season after 12 games. Cowart also suffered a season-ending Achilles' tendon tear in Buffalo's 2001 season opener.

"He and Ray Lewis were the best linebackers in the league before Sam suffered that Achilles' injury," said Ted Cottrell, Cowart's defensive coordinator for the Bills from 1998 to 2000.[4]

New York Jets

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After the 2001 year, Cowart went to the New York Jets. He played as a starting linebacker for them in one of thirty-one games of the first two seasons. His third season he played nine games and only started two.

Minnesota Vikings

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Cowart was indirectly involved in the Minnesota/Oakland trade that sent Randy Moss to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for linebacker Napoleon Harris, a 1st round pick (7th overall) and a 7th round pick. Cowart was then traded by the New York Jets, to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for the 7th round pick that was received from Oakland. He only played one season for the Vikings starting fourteen of fifteen games he played in.

Houston Texans

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After the 2005 season the Vikings released Cowart. Cowart signed with the Houston Texans to become their starting middle linebacker until he was injured and was to miss the whole season. While injured, rookie DeMeco Ryans took over the middle linebacker duties and was so impressive that he was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. After the Texans made Ryans their full-time starter they felt that they did not need Cowart any more so he was released after the 2006 season.

NFL statistics

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Regular season

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Year Team GP Tackles Fumbles Interceptions
Comb Solo Ast Sack FF FR Int Yds Avg Lng TD PD
1998 BUF 16 71 53 18 0.0 2 0 2 23 11.5 23 0 3
1999 BUF 16 123 78 45 1.0 1 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 2
2000 BUF 12 130 88 42 5.5 1 2 2 4 2.0 2 0 6
2001 BUF 1 2 0 2 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0
2002 NYJ 16 127 91 36 2.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 8
2003 NYJ 15 140 96 44 2.0 1 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 2
2004 NYJ 9 25 20 5 0.0 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0
2005 MIN 15 85 72 13 2.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 2
Career[5] 100 703 498 205 12.5 6 4 4 27 6.8 23 0 23

Postseason

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Year Team GP Tackles Fumbles Interceptions
Comb Solo Ast Sack FF FR Int Yds Avg Lng TD PD
1998 BUF 1 3 1 2 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0
1999 BUF 1 11 6 5 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 1
2002 NYJ 2 6 5 1 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0
2004 NYJ 1 2 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0
Career 5 22 13 9 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 1

Post NFL career

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Cowart now lives in the Jacksonville, FL area and works at the financial firm Northwestern Mutual.[6]

References

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  1. ^ Sam Cowart. nfl.com
  2. ^ "Sam Cowart Bio". Florida State Seminoles. September 19, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  3. ^ "1998 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  4. ^ Jim, Corbett (August 10, 2005). "Vikings Retool Defensive Shield". USA Today. Retrieved August 10, 2005.
  5. ^ "Sam Cowart Stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  6. ^ Ex-FSU LB Sam Cowart Thriving in Business, Financial World, lostlettermen, September 13, 2011, archived from the original on February 15, 2015, retrieved November 22, 2014
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