Sammy D. Knight, Jr. (born September 10, 1975) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
safety
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition 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
There are two slightly dif ...
. He played
college football at
USC 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 league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player 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 contract at present but who is a ...
in
1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...
. Knight was also a member of the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...
,
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 club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The ...
,
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 club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...
and
New York Giants. He was also an assistant coach at
USC.
[Sammy Knight biography](_blank)
at usctrojans.com (accessed September 3, 2015).
Early years
Knight graduated from
Rubidoux High School in
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States, in the Inland Empire metropolitan area. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. It is the most populous city in the Inland Empire an ...
before attending the
University of Southern California
, mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it"
, religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist
, established =
, accreditation = WSCUC
, type = Private research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $8.1 ...
. He has 3 brothers who also played
college football: Ryan was a record-setting prep All-American running back (rushing for 501 yards in a game) who then lettered 4 years (1984–87) at tailback for
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
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 league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
signed Knight to a one-year,
$138,500 contract as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player 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 contract at present but who is a ...
after he went undrafted in the
1997 NFL Draft
The 1997 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 19–20, 1997, at the Paramount T ...
.
Throughout training camp, Knight competed to be the starting strong safety against
Je'Rod Cherry,
Vashone Adams, and rookie
Rob Kelly
Robert Anthony Kelly (born 21 December 1964) is a former English footballer and manager who is currently the assistant manager at Wigan Athletic in the Championship.
He is best known for his spell as manager of Leicester City, as well as bei ...
. Head coach
Mike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka (born Michael Dyczko; October 18, 1939) is an American former football player, coach, and television commentator. A member of both the College (1986) and the Pro (1988) Football Halls of Fame, he was UPI NFL Rookie of Year i ...
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
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994.
The arr ...
. 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
New York Giants 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. Knight made two interceptions off pass attempts by
Kerry Collins and
Steve Beuerlein
Stephen Taylor Beuerlein (born March 7, 1965) is a former American football quarterback, and is currently an NFL and college football analyst for CBS.
High school career
In his senior year, Beuerlein led Anaheim's Servite High School to the C ...
during the game. Knight finished his rookie season in
1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...
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. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
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. Knight intercepted a pass by Cardinals' quarterback
Jake Plummer
Jason Steven "Jake" Plummer (born December 19, 1974) is a former professional American football player, a quarterback for ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 ...
, 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 of $2 million.
Knight was named the starting strong safety and began the season alongside free safety
Rob Kelly
Robert Anthony Kelly (born 21 December 1964) is a former English footballer and manager who is currently the assistant manager at Wigan Athletic in the Championship.
He is best known for his spell as manager of Leicester City, as well as bei ...
and cornerbacks
Ashley Ambrose
Ashley Avery Ambrose (born September 17, 1970) is a former professional American football cornerback for several NFL teams during the 1990s and early 2000s who most recently served as the cornerbacks coach at the University of Colorado.
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 club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...
. He started all 16 games for the first time in his career in
1999 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 Jim Haslett
James Donald Haslett (born December 9, 1955) is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the head coach of the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL. He played college football for the IUP Crimson Hawks before being drafted by the Bu ...
as their new head coach. Defensive coordinator
Ron Zook
Ronald Andrew Zook (; born April 28, 1954) is an American football coach and former player who currently serves as the Defensive Coordinator of the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL. He was the head football coach at the University of Florida from ...
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 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 in the Saints' 20–10 win against the
Carolina Panthers in Week 11. Knight had a strip/sack on Panthers' quarterback
Steve Beuerlein
Stephen Taylor Beuerlein (born March 7, 1965) is a former American football quarterback, and is currently an NFL and college football analyst for CBS.
High school career
In his senior year, Beuerlein led Anaheim's Servite High School to the C ...
and it was recovered and returned for a 90-yard touchdown by teammate
Keith Mitchell
Keith Claudius Mitchell (born 12 November 1946) is a Grenadian politician who served as Prime Minister of Grenada from 1995 to 2008 and from 2013 to 2022. He is the longest-serving Prime Minister in Grenadian history, holding the office for more ...
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 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
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...
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 divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It currently has four members: the Arizona Cardinals, the Los Ang ...
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
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994.
The arr ...
in the NFC Wildcard Game. Knight intercepted two pass attempts by Rams' quarterback
Kurt Warner
Kurtis Eugene Warner (born June 22, 1971) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals. His career, which saw him ascend f ...
. The following week, he made four combined tackles as the Saints lost 34–16 at the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
in the NFC Divisional Round.
2001
Knight returned as the starting strong safety in 2001 and started alongside free safety
Jay Bellamy
Jay Bellamy (born July 8, 1972) is a former American football safety who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football at Rutgers University, he went undrafted i ...
and cornerbacks
Kevin Mathis
Kevin Bryant Mathis (born April 29, 1974) is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, and Atlanta Falcons. He played college football at Texas A&M University–Commer ...
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 metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
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
Kurtis Eugene Warner (born June 22, 1971) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals. His career, which saw him ascend f ...
during a 34–31 victory at the
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994.
The arr ...
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 are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
. He started in a 16 games in
2001
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, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
and recorded 96 combined tackles (78 solo), six pass deflections, four interceptions, and a sack.
He was selected to the
2002 Pro Bowl
The 2002 Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2001 season. The game was played on February 9, 2002, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was AFC 38, NFC 30. Rich Gannon of the Oakland Raiders was the game's MVP.
AFC ...
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 club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
. 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
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 club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
in Week 17. Knight intercepted two passes by Panthers' quarterback
Rodney Peete
Rodney Peete (born March 16, 1966) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Oakland Raiders, and Carolina Panthers. He played ...
. He started in all 16 games in
2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
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
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...
signed Knight to a two-year,
$2.38 million
contract
A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates, defines, and governs mutual rights and obligations between them. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to tran ...
that includes a
signing bonus of $300,000.
Throughout training camp, he competed to be the starting strong safety against
Arturo Freeman.
Head coach
Dave Wannstedt
David Wannstedt (born May 21, 1952) is a former American football coach. He has been the head coach of the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He was also the head coach of the University of Pittsburgh footbal ...
named Knight the starting strong safety to begin the regular season, alongside free safety
Brock Marion
Brock Elliot Marion (born June 11, 1970) is a former American football Safety (American football position), free safety who played twelve seasons in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for the University of Nevada, ...
. 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. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
. Knight started all 16 games in
2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
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
Antuan Minye' Edwards (born May 26, 1977) is a retired American football player. He played safety in the National Football League. Edwards was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the first round (25th overall) of the 1999 NFL Draft out of Clemson ...
. 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 club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
. On December 20, 2004, Knight made nine combined tackles, two pass deflections, and two interceptions during a 29–28 win at the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
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 football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...
. 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, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
. Knight was credited with his first career safety during a fumble by running back
Jamal Lewis
Jamal Lewis (born August 26, 1979) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns. He played college football at Tennessee and was s ...
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 6 ...
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
William Layton Roaf (born April 18, 1970), nicknamed "Nasty," is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. He played college football for Louisiana Tech Bul ...
(Saints) and
Patrick Surtain
Patrick Frank Surtain Sr. ( ; born June 19, 1976) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. ...
(Dolphins).
Head coach
Dick Vermeil
Richard Albert Vermeil (; born October 30, 1936) is a former American football coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. He was the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles for seven seasons, the St. Lou ...
named Knight the starting strong safety to begin the regular season, alongside free safety
Greg Wesley
Gregory Lashon Wesley (born March 19, 1978) is a former American football safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third rou ...
.
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 club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
in Week 6. Knight recovered a fumble after teammate
Carlos Hall
Carlos DeShaun Hall (born January 16, 1979) is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He also played for the Kansas City C ...
stripped the ball from Redskins' running back
Rock Cartwright
Roderick Rashaun Cartwright (born December 3, 1979) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was named Offensive Quality Control coach of the Cleveland Browns in February 2016. He was drafted by the W ...
. In Week 10, he collected a season-high ten combined tackles (seven solo) during a 14-3 loss at the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
. 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
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
in Week 12. Knight and Greg Wesley intercepted Patriots' quarterback
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...
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
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.
Regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006. The regular season also saw the first ever regular season game played outside the United ...
. Knight started in all 16 games in
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
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
Herman Edwards Jr. (born April 27, 1954) is an American football coach and former cornerback who was most recently the head football coach at Arizona State. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons, primarily with the Phil ...
as their new head coach after reaching a trade agreement with his previous team, 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 club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
. Edwards opted to retain
Gunther Cunningham
Gunther Cunningham (June 19, 1946 – May 11, 2019) was an American football head coach. He served as the Kansas City Chiefs head coach for two seasons. He also had two stints as the Chiefs' Defensive Coordinator. He served as an assistant coach ...
as
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator is a coach responsible for a gridiron football (American football) team's defense. Generally, the defensive coordinator, the offensive coordinator and the special teams coordinator represent the second level of a team's c ...
. Knight and Greg Wesley returned as the starting safeties in
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
. 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. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
. He started in all 16 games in
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
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
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 club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...
signed Knight to a one-year, $820,000 contract. Head coach
Jack Del Rio
Jack Louis Del Rio Jr. (born April 4, 1963) is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football as a linebacker at the University of South ...
named Knight the starting strong safety to start the 2007 season, alongside rookie
Reggie Nelson
Reggie Lee Nelson (born September 21, 1983) is a former American football safety. He played college football for the University of Florida, where he was a member of a national championship team and earned consensus All-American honors. He wa ...
. 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 (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
. 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
Jonathan Paul Losman (born March 12, 1981) is an American football coach and former quarterback. Losman played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. He played college football at UCLA and Tu ...
during a 36–14 win against the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
in Week 12. He started in all 16 games in
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
and recorded 93 combined tackles (79 solo), 11 pass deflections, and four interceptions.
The
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 club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
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, 2002 s ...
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 club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
in the AFC Wildcard Game. The following week, the Jaguars were eliminated from the playoffs after a 31–20 loss at the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
in the AFC Divisional Round.
New York Giants
On March 3, 2008, the
New York Giants 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
Gibril Donald Wilson (born November 12, 1981) is a former American football safety in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the New York Giants in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee.
W ...
who departed during free agency.
Knight entered camp slated as the starting strong safety, but saw competition from
Michael Johnson. Head coach
Tom Coughlin
Thomas Richard Coughlin ( ; born August 31, 1946) is a former American football coach and executive. He was the head coach for the New York Giants from 2004 to 2015. He led the Giants to victory in Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI, both time ...
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.
Coaching
In 2010 and 2011 Knight was part of the
USC coaching staff as a graduate assistant primarily working with the safeties.
"USC Football Spring Notebook: Four Things We've Learned"
''Neon Tommy
''Neon Tommy'' was the online news publication sponsored by the Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism at the University of Southern California. It was active from 2009 to 2015.
Publication
Neon Tommy was a web-only student publicati ...
'', April 14, 2012.
References
External links
New York Giants bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knight, Sammy
1975 births
Living people
Sportspeople 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
Players of American football from California