Best of the Belichick Era: Number 39 — Asante Samuel

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I'm spending 50 days ranking the top 50 players of the Bill Belichick Era, from No. 50 down to No. 1. (Click here for a criteria on how I made my selections.)

Enjoy.

Today we reach . . . .

NUMBER 39: ASANTE SAMUEL
Years With Patriots: 2003-2007
Games: 75
Playoff Games: 14
Honors: Super Bowl winner (2003, 2004), 2007 Pro Bowler and All-Pro

It took about a week of practices in the summer of 2003 to realize that the Patriots wispy fourth-round pick was dangerous to throw near. Combining great anticipation and burst with confidence and flypaper hands, Asante Samuel became one of the best corners in football in his five Patriots seasons. Samuel was the Patriots third corner as a rookie behind starters Ty Law and Tyrone Poole, but took over as a full-time starter in 2004 midway through the season. Samuel and Randall Gay were the starters in Jacksonville when the Patriots took down the Eagles 24-21 for their third Super Bowl win in four years. Samuel picked off 19 regular-season passes over the next three seasons and another five in the playoffs including a pick-six of Peyton Manning in the ill-fated ’06 AFCCG. That play staked the Patriots to a 21-3 lead which they couldn’t hold. Samuel’s other indelible moment had no upside. Samuel was in coverage on a second-and-5 with 1:20 remaining when an Eli Manning pass crashed off his hands. He could have sealed the perfect season right there with a pick. In the re-telling, the play is made to sound simpler than it was – Samuel had to get up pretty high for the throw – but it was a play that he (like Wes Welker four years in the future against the same team on the same stage) would make most of the time. On the ensuing play, Samuel threw his motor into idle when he was covering David Tyree, leaving Rodney Harrison in lone coverage for a key third-down conversion you may recall as well. Samuel, who was franchised in 2007, left for Philly as a prized free agent in 2008.

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