Deebo Samuel

Samuel has a son named Tyshun Samuel Jr. He added "Sr." to his surname on his jersey after his son was born.

His nickname, "Deebo," came from his father, who named him after the neighborhood bully character played by Tiny Lister Jr. in the 1995 film Friday.

Samuel played at Chapman High School in Inman, South Carolina, where he contributed as a receiver, runner, defensive back and return specialist. He recorded 166 catches for 2,751 yards and 36 touchdowns, rushed for 898 yards and 13 touchdowns, and finished with a school-record 53 career touchdowns. As a senior, he helped Chapman reach the semifinals of the AAA playoffs and was named the High School Sports Report Class AAA Offensive Player of the Year.

At the University of South Carolina, Samuel redshirted in 2014 before becoming a major contributor. In 2016, he led the team with 59 receptions for 783 yards and added six rushing touchdowns. A broken right fibula ended his 2017 season after three games, but he returned for 2018 and produced 882 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.

His 2018 season included 10 catches for 210 yards and three touchdowns against Clemson. He earned first-team All-America recognition as an all-purpose player, first-team All-SEC honors as an all-purpose performer and return specialist, and an invitation to the 2019 Senior Bowl. He finished his college career with 148 receptions for 2,076 yards, 16 receiving touchdowns, seven rushing touchdowns, four kickoff-return touchdowns and one passing touchdown.

The 49ers selected Samuel in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft with the 36th overall pick. As a rookie, he helped San Francisco reach Super Bowl LIV against the Kansas City Chiefs, rushing for 53 yards in the game, the most rushing yards by a wide receiver in Super Bowl history.

Samuel's most distinctive season came in 2021, when the 49ers increasingly used him from the backfield as well as at wide receiver. He recorded 77 receptions for 1,405 yards and six receiving touchdowns, then added 365 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. He also threw a touchdown pass during the regular season, earned Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors, and popularized the term "wide back" for his hybrid role.

In 2023, Samuel became the second player in NFL history to record at least 4,000 receiving yards and 1,000 rushing yards in his first five seasons, joining Charley Taylor. He played in Super Bowl LVIII with San Francisco and caught three passes against the Chiefs. Across his first 49ers stint, he totaled 406 receptions for 5,519 yards and 27 receiving touchdowns, along with 1,218 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns.

Samuel was traded to the Washington Commanders in March 2025. He appeared in 16 games that season and recorded 72 receptions for 727 yards and five receiving touchdowns, with one additional touchdown on the ground.

He returned to the 49ers on a one-year contract in 2026. His return reunited him with the organization that drafted him and with San Francisco's offense.