Sam McGuffie
 McGuffie warming up prior to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on January 3, 2008. | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | October 16, 1989 Cypress, Texas |
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight: | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College: | Rice |
| Position: | Wide receiver / Running Back |
| Undrafted: | 2013 |
| Career history | |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
Samuel Terrence McGuffie (born October 16, 1989) is an American bobsledder, American football wide receiver and rugby union player who currently plays for PRO Rugby side Ohio Aviators. Most recently he was a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. Previously in the National Football League, he had spent time with the Oakland Raiders in training camp in 2013, and then was briefly a practice squad player for the Arizona Cardinals and later the New England Patriots. He played his freshman season of college football at Michigan before transferring to Rice in order to be closer to family in his native state of Texas.[1]
High school career
McGuffie starred as a high school running back for Cy-Fair High School in Cypress, Texas, where he rushed for a total of 5,847 yards in 699 total carries and scored 83 touchdowns. Those numbers include a junior season where he carried the ball 358 times for 3,121 yards and also scored 44 touchdowns.
McGuffie's stellar career at high school garnered a lot of attention from college football scouts. He was voted the tenth best running back in the country by Scout.com. McGuffie was also rated a four star recruit by Rivals.com, who also ranked him as the ninth best running back in the nation
College career
Michigan
McGuffie was recruited heavily coming out of high school. He made his verbal commitment to play for Michigan live on the local television station KPRC.[2] McGuffie chose Michigan over California, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, and USC. When Rich Rodriguez took over as the head coach of Michigan, McGuffie had doubts on whether to stay, though in the end he remained committed to Michigan. He attributed the decision to stay in Michigan in large part due to the presence of the running backs coach Fred Jackson.[3]
McGuffie started as a true freshman for Michigan and scored his first touchdown in a loss to Utah. When Michigan played at the University of Notre Dame, McGuffie had a breakout game, in which he rushed for 131 yards and also added 47 yards receiving with a touchdown.
McGuffie suffered three concussions during his freshman season.
McGuffie's last down in a Michigan Wolverine uniform occurred November 22, 2008, when he returned a kick-off during the first quarter of the Michigan-Ohio State game. He was tackled by Ohio State's Austin Spitler and Jamario O'Neal after an 11-yard return, the hit resulting in his third concussion of the season. He subsequently left the field, never to return; not only was it the only time in his career that he carried the ball against the Buckeyes, but it was the last time he would touch the ball as a Wolverine.
On December 12, 2008, McGuffie decided not to come back to University of Michigan.
Rice University
McGuffie transferred to Rice University after his freshman season at Michigan to be closer to home.[4] During his first year at Rice, McGuffie had the third highest rushing yardage total of any back in Conference USA, with 883 yards and 6 touchdowns. He also had receiving totals of 384 yards and 3 touchdowns, making him one of only three players in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision to gain both 880 yards rushing and 380 yards receiving in 2010.[5] McGuffie missed several games during the 2011 season because of injuries including the last 5 games of the season. In the Spring of the 2012 season, McGuffie moved to a new role as a slot receiver and wide receiver.[6]
Track and field
McGuffie was also a standout track athlete while in college at Michigan and Rice University. He competed in the 60 meters and 100 meters, posting personal bests of 6.82 seconds and 10.70 seconds, respectively, but also participated in the 60 meter hurdles, with a personal best of 8.42 seconds, and in the 1000 meters, with a personal best of 2:52.83 minutes.
He also specialized in the high jump and long jump, and also competed in the pole vault, with a personal best of 3.04 meters, and in shot put, with a personal best of 12.11 meters.
Personal bests
| Event | Time (seconds) | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 meters | 6.82 | Houston, Texas | February 27, 2009 |
| 60 meter hurdles | 8.42 | Lincoln, Oregon | February 4, 2012 |
| 100 meters | 10.70 | Tulsa, Oklahoma | May 15, 2009 |
| 1000 meters | 2:52.83 | Birmingham, Alabama | February 26, 2012 |
| Event | Mark (meters) | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Jump | 2.00 | Lincoln, Oregon | February 3, 2012 |
| Long jump | 7.52 | Tulsa, Oklahoma | May 15, 2009 |
Professional career
2013 Pro Day
| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
200 lb (91 kg) |
4.32 s | 1.45 s | 2.43 s | 3.93 s | 6.57 s | 42 in (1.07 m) |
11 ft 2 in (3.40 m) |
26 reps | |||
| All values from ProDay.[7] | ||||||||||||
Oakland Raiders
McGuffie went undrafted in the 2013 NFL Draft, he signed a contract with the Oakland Raiders on April 27, 2013. On August 25, 2013, he was waived by the Raiders.
Arizona Cardinals
McGuffie was signed to the Arizona Cardinals practice squad. He was released on September 17, 2013.
New England Patriots
McGuffie was signed to the New England Patriots practice squad in December 2013. He was released on March 11, 2014.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
McGuffie spent the 2014 CFL season with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League as running back/wide-receiver. He did not see any playing time, and was released by the Blue Bombers on April 6, 2015.[8]
Bobsled career
On October 26, 2015, McGuffie was announced as a member of the USA Bobsled National Team.[9]
References
- ^ Tim Hyland. "2014 Michigan State Football Preview". About.com Sports.
- ^ "YouTube – Running Back Sam McGuffie Verbally Commits". Youtube.com. Retrieved November 5, 2008.
- ^ "U-M RECRUITING: Sam McGuffie struggled with Michigan pick – almost went to Cal | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press". Freep.com. Retrieved November 5, 2008.
- ^ "Report: Sam McGuffie set to enroll at Rice".
- ^ "riceowls.com Sam McGuffie Bio – Rice University Official Athletic Site Rice University Official Athletic Site – Football". riceowls.com.
- ^ "Sam McGuffie shifts to new role for Owls". Houston Chronicle.
- ^ "Sam McGuffie – Rice, WR : 2013 NFL Draft Scout Player Profile". nfldraftscout.com.
- ^ "Bombers Add Two to Roster, Release One". Blue Bombers.
- ^ Bird, Amanda (October 26, 2015). "USA Bobsled National Team Announced". USABS. Retrieved October 26, 2015.