Sammy Dye Knight Jr. (born September 10, 1975) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

USC Trojans The USC Trojans (also Southern California Trojans) are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. While the men's teams are nicknamed the ...

and was signed by the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...

. Knight was also a member of the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...

and

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

. He was also an assistant coach for USC.Sammy Knight biography
at usctrojans.com (accessed September 3, 2015).

Early life

Knight graduated from Rubidoux High School in

Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. As of the 2020 census, the city has a population of 314,998. It is the most populous city in th ...

, before attending the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

. He has three brothers who also played

: Ryan was a record-setting prep All-American running back (rushing for 501 yards in a game) who then lettered four years (1984–87) at tailback at USC and led the Trojans in rushing in 1985 and 1986 (he is 20th on USC's career rushing list with 1,875 yards), Greg played defensive line at Colorado (1986) and Darryl lettered 3 years (1998–2000) at linebacker at USC. His father, Sam Sr., played on a California state championship basketball team at Riverside (Calif.) Community College in the early 1960s that was coached by Jerry Tarkanian. He is married to Freda Knight, a Hampton University Graduate. They have four daughters named Shianne, Samone, Savannah, and Sasha. Knight also has an older daughter named Aneka.

Professional career

New Orleans Saints

1997

On April 25, 1997, the

signed Knight to a one-year, $138,500 contract as an

after he went undrafted in the 1997 NFL draft. Throughout training camp, Knight competed to be the starting strong safety against

Je'Rod Cherry Je'Rod LePatrick Cherry (born May 30, 1973) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a safety (American football position), safety in the National Football League (NFL) from 1996 NFL season, 1996 to 2004 NFL ...

, Vashone Adams, and rookie Rob Kelly. Head coach

Mike Ditka Michael Keller Ditka ( ; born Michael Dyczko; October 18, 1939) is an American former professional American football, football player, coach, and television commentator. During his playing career, he was UPI NFL-NFC Rookie of the Year, UPI NFL R ...

named Knight the backup strong safety to begin the regular season, behind starting strong safety Vashone Adams. He made his professional regular season debut in the New Orleans Saints' 38–24 season-opening loss at the St. Louis Rams. On September 28, 1997, Knight earned his first career start and recorded 11 combined tackles and made his first career interception during a 14–9 loss at the

in Week 5. Knight made his first career interception off a pass by Giants' quarterback Dave Brown, that was originally intended for wide receiver Kevin Alexander, and returned it for a 32-yard gain in the third quarter. On September 30, 1997, the New Orleans Saints released Vashone Adams after Knight surpassed him on the depth chart and became the starting strong safety. In Week 14, Knight recorded eight combined tackles and made two interceptions in the Saints' 16–13 win at the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...

. Knight made two interceptions off pass attempts by Kerry Collins and Steve Beuerlein during the game. Knight finished his rookie season in

with 84 combined tackles and five interceptions in 16 games and 12 starts.

1998

On February 18, 1998, the New Orleans Saints offered Knight a one-year restricted free agent contract tender to remain with the team. Knight became the starting free safety after Anthony Newman departed in free agency. Head coach Mike Ditka named Knight the starter to begin the season, alongside strong safety Chad Cota. Knight was inactive for two games (Weeks 4–5) due to an injury. On November 8, 1998, Knight made three tackles, two interceptions, and scored his first career touchdown during a 31–24 loss at the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...

in Week 10. Knight intercepted a pass by Vikings' quarterback Brad Johnson and returned in for a 91-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. In Week 16, he collected a season-high ten combined tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown in the Saints 19–17 loss at the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...

. Knight intercepted a pass by Cardinals' quarterback Jake Plummer, that was intended for wide receiver Frank Sanders, and returned it for a 32-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Knight finished the 1998 NFL season with 75 combined tackles and a career-high six interceptions in 14 games and 14 starts. His six interceptions tied for eighth most in the league in 1998.

1999

On March 23, 1999, the New Orleans Saints signed Knight to a five-year, $10 million contract with a

signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...

of $2 million. Knight was named the starting strong safety and began the season alongside free safety Rob Kelly and cornerbacks Ashley Ambrose and Fred Weary. In Week 6, he collected a season-high ten combined tackles during a 24–21 loss to the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...

. He started all 16 games for the first time in his career in

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

and recorded 101 combined tackles and an interception.

2000

On January 5, 2000, the New Orleans Saints fired head coach Mike Ditka after they finished the 1999 season with a 3–13 record. On February 3, 2000, the New Orleans Saints hired Pittsburgh Steelers'

defensive coordinator A defensive coordinator (DC) is a coach responsible for a gridiron football team's defense. Generally, the defensive coordinator, offensive coordinator and special teams coordinator represent the second level of a team's coaching structure, wit ...

Jim Haslett as their new head coach. Defensive coordinator Ron Zook retained Knight as the starting strong safety. Knight started alongside starting free safety Darren Perry in 2000. He started in the New Orleans Saints' season-opener against the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...

and collected a season-high ten combined tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown in their 14–10 loss. Knight intercepted a pass by Lions quarterback Stoney Case, that was originally intended for tight end David Sloan, and returned it for a 37-yard touchdown in the first quarter. On November 3, 2000, Knight made four combined tackles, forced a fumble, and made his first career

sack A sack usually refers to a rectangular-shaped bag. Sack may also refer to: Bags * Flour sack * Gunny sack * Hacky sack, sport * Money sack * Paper sack * Sleeping bag * Stuff sack * Knapsack Other uses * Bed, a slang term * Sack (band), ...

in the Saints' 20–10 win against the

in Week 11. Knight had a strip/sack on Panthers' quarterback Steve Beuerlein and it was recovered and returned for a 90-yard touchdown by teammate Keith Mitchell in the third quarter. In Week 16, he recorded seven combined tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown as the Saints defeated the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...

23–7. Knight intercepted a pass by Falcons'quarterback Doug Johnson and returned it for a 31-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Knight started in all 16 games in

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

and recorded 100 combined tackles, five interceptions, two sacks, two touchdowns. The New Orleans Saints finished first in the

NFC West The National Football Conference – Western Division or NFC West is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It currently has four members: the Arizona Card ...

with a 10–6 record and earned a playoff berth. On December 30, 2000, Knight started in his first career playoff game and recorded five combined tackles and made two interceptions during the Saints' 31–28 win against the St. Louis Rams in the NFC Wildcard Game. Knight intercepted two pass attempts by Rams' quarterback Kurt Warner. The following week, he made four combined tackles as the Saints lost 34–16 at the

in the NFC Divisional Round.

2001

Knight returned as the starting strong safety in 2001 and started alongside free safety Jay Bellamy and cornerbacks Kevin Mathis and Fred Thomas. He started in the New Orleans Saints' season-opener at the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...

and recorded three combined tackles, deflected three passes, and made a career-high three interceptions in their 24–6 victory. Knight made three interceptions off pass attempts by Bills' quarterback Rob Johnson. On October 28, 2001, Knight made eight combined tackles, broke up two passes, made a sack, and intercepted two passes by quarterback Kurt Warner during a 34–31 victory at the St. Louis Rams in Week 7. In Week 15, he collected a career-high 17 combined tackles (12 solo) and deflected a pass in the Saints' 43–21 loss at the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...

. He started in a 16 games in

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

and recorded 96 combined tackles (78 solo), six pass deflections, four interceptions, and a sack. He was selected to the 2002 Pro Bowl and was voted second-team All-Pro in 2001.

2002

Head coach Jim Haslett retained Knight and Jay Bellamy as the starting safeties in 2002. In Week 3, he collected a season-high 11 combined tackles (ten solo), deflected a pass, and made an interception during a 29–23 win at the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

. On December 29, 2002, Knight recorded nine combined tackles, broke up two passes, and made a season-high two interceptions in the Saints' 10–6 loss at the

in Week 17. Knight intercepted two passes by Panthers' quarterback Rodney Peete. He started in all 16 games in

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

and recorded a career-high 104 combined tackles (80 solo), deflected 11 passes, made five interceptions, and made two sacks.

2003

On February 27, 2003, Knight opted out the last year of his five-year contract and became an unrestricted free agent. Knight voided the final year after it became possible that the New Orleans Saints were going to release him. Knight was set to receive a salary of $1.92 million in 2003.

Miami Dolphins

On May 13, 2003, the

signed Knight to a two-year, $2.38 million

contract A contract is an agreement that specifies certain legally enforceable rights and obligations pertaining to two or more parties. A contract typically involves consent to transfer of goods, services, money, or promise to transfer any of thos ...

that includes a

of $300,000. Throughout training camp, he competed to be the starting strong safety against Arturo Freeman. Head coach Dave Wannstedt named Knight the starting strong safety to begin the regular season, alongside free safety Brock Marion. In Week 14, he collected a season-high 13 combined tackles (11 solo) during a 12–0 loss at the

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...

. Knight started all 16 games in

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

and recorded 96 combined tackles (64 solo), six pass deflections, and three interceptions.

2004

Head coach Dave Wannstedt retained Knight as the starting strong safety in 2004. He started alongside free safety Antuan Edwards. In Week 8, Knight collected a season-high nine combined tackles (six solo) in the Dolphins' 41–14 loss at the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

. On December 20, 2004, Knight made nine combined tackles, two pass deflections, and two interceptions during a 29–28 win at the

in Week 15. Knight intercepted two pass attempts by Patriots' quarterback

Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...

. In Week 17, Knight recorded seven combined tackles and made his first career safety during a 30–23 loss at the

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...

. Knight was credited with his first career safety during a fumble by running back Jamal Lewis in the fourth quarter. He started in all 16 games in

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

and made 98 combined tackles (52 solo), four interceptions, and a safety.

Kansas City Chiefs

2005

On March 11, 2005, the Kansas City Chiefs signed Knight to a five-year contract. Knight reunited with former teammates Willie Roaf (Saints) and Patrick Surtain (Dolphins). Head coach Dick Vermeil named Knight the starting strong safety to begin the regular season, alongside free safety Greg Wesley. On October 16, 2005, Knight recorded five combined tackles, deflected a pass, and returned a fumble for a touchdown during a 28–21 victory against the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...

in Week 6. Knight recovered a fumble after teammate Carlos Hall stripped the ball from Redskins' running back Rock Cartwright. In Week 10, he collected a season-high ten combined tackles (seven solo) during a 14–3 loss at the

. On November 27, 2005, Knight made six solo tackles,a season-high three pass deflections, a sack, and made his first interception as a member of the Chiefs during a 26–16 win against the

in Week 12. Knight and Greg Wesley intercepted Patriots' quarterback

four times during the game. On December 31, 2005, Kansas City Chiefs' head coach Dick Vermeil announced his decision to retire at the conclusion of the 2005 NFL season. Knight started in all 16 games in

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

and recorded 89 combined tackles (70 solo), 11 pass deflections, two interceptions, two sacks, and a touchdown.

2006

On January 7, 2006, the Kansas City Chiefs hired Herman Edwards as their new head coach after reaching a trade agreement with his previous team, the

. Edwards opted to retain Gunther Cunningham as

Defensive coordinator A defensive coordinator (DC) is a coach responsible for a gridiron football team's defense. Generally, the defensive coordinator, offensive coordinator and special teams coordinator represent the second level of a team's coaching structure, wit ...

. Knight and Greg Wesley returned as the starting safeties in

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

. In Week 13, he collected a season-high ten solo tackles in the Chiefs' 31–28 loss at the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...

. He started in all 16 games in

and recorded 83 combined tackles (74 solo), four pass deflections, two sacks, and an interception.

2007

On March 22, 2007, the Kansas City Chiefs cut Knight after he declined to restructure his contract.

Jacksonville Jaguars

On August 13, 2007, the

signed Knight to a one-year, $820,000 contract. Head coach Jack Del Rio named Knight the starting strong safety to start the 2007 season, alongside rookie Reggie Nelson. In Week 6, he collected a season-high 12 solo tackles and made a pass deflection during the Jaguars' 37–17 win against the

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...

. On November 25, 2007, Knight made two solo tackles, broke up a pass, and made his last career interception off a pass by J. P. Losman during a 36–14 win against the

in Week 12. He started in all 16 games in

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

and recorded 93 combined tackles (79 solo), 11 pass deflections, and four interceptions. The

finished second in the

AFC South The American Football Conference – Southern Division or AFC South is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created before the 2002 NFL season, 200 ...

with an 11–5 record and earned a wildcard berth. On January 5, 2008, Knight recorded 13 combined tackles (ten solo) during a 31–29 victory at the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...

in the AFC Wildcard Game. The following week, the Jaguars were eliminated from the playoffs after a 31–20 loss at the

in the AFC Divisional Round.

New York Giants

On March 3, 2008, the

signed Knight to a three-year, $5.15 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $1.25 million. Knight was signed as a replacement for Gibril Wilson who departed during free agency. Knight entered camp slated as the starting strong safety, but saw competition from Michael Johnson. Head coach Tom Coughlin named Knight the backup strong safety to begin the regular season, behind Michael Johnson. On November 29, 2008, the New York Giants placed Knight on injured reserve due a hip injury. He finished the season with 12 combined tackles (ten solo) in nine games and no starts. On February 9, 2009, the New York Giants released Knight.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Coaching

In 2010 and 2011 Knight was part of the

USC USC may refer to: Education United States * Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, Santurce, Puerto Rico * University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina ** University of South Carolina System, a state university system of South Carolina * ...

coaching staff as a graduate assistant primarily working with the safeties."USC Football Spring Notebook: Four Things We've Learned"
'' Neon Tommy'', April 14, 2012.

References

External links

New York Giants bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knight, Sammy 1975 births Living people Players of American football from Fontana, California American football safeties USC Trojans football players New Orleans Saints players Miami Dolphins players Kansas City Chiefs players Jacksonville Jaguars players New York Giants players National Conference Pro Bowl players