Curtis Samuel

Curtis Samuel (born August 11, 1996) is an American football wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State.

Early years
Samuel attended Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, New York, where he played as a running back for the Dutchmen football team and also ran track. As a junior, he rushed for over 1,000 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. In track, he won the 55 meters at the New York State track and field championships with a time of 6.44 seconds. In addition to his success as a running back, he also scored three receiving touchdowns and two punt return touchdowns during his junior year. In his senior year, he rushed for 1,461 yards with 17 touchdowns.

Recruiting
Samuel was ranked by Rivals.com as a four-star recruit and the ninth best wide receiver in his class. He committed to Ohio State University in August 2013. He enrolled at Ohio State in January 2014.

College career
Samuel attended and played college football at Ohio State, where he contributed in the 2014–2016 seasons under head coach Urban Meyer. In the 2014 season, he had 58 carries for 383 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns to go along with 11 receptions for 95 receiving yards. In the 2015 season, he had 17 carries for 132 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown to go along with 22 receptions for 289 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. In the 2016 season, he had 97 carries for 771 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns to go along with 74 receptions for 865 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns.

Professional career
The Carolina Panthers selected Samuel in the second round (40th overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft. On May 5, 2017, the Panthers signed Samuel to a four-year, $6.45 million contract with $4.05 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $2.83 million.

On September 17, 2017, in Week 2, Samuel had his first two career receptions, which went for seven yards, in a 9–3 victory over the Buffalo Bills. In Week 3, against the New Orleans Saints, he recorded a 31-yard rush on an end-around. On November 14, 2017, Samuel's rookie season abruptly ended after he suffered a left ankle injury during Monday Night Football against the Miami Dolphins in Week 10, in which the Panthers announced that his ankle would have surgery. He was placed on injured reserve on November 24, 2017. Overall, in his rookie season, he finished with 15 receptions for 115 receiving yards to go along with four carries for 64 rushing yards in nine games.

In the 2018 season, Samuel scored his first career touchdown on October 7 against the New York Giants. Overall, he finished the 2018 season with 39 receptions for 494 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns. In addition, he had 84 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns on eight carries.