Sam Merriman

Sam Merriman (born May 5, 1961) is a former American football player, a linebacker in the National Football League for five seasons. Selected in the seventh round of the 1983 NFL draft by the Seattle Seahawks, he played college football for the University of Idaho in the Big Sky Conference.

Sam Merriman
No. 51
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1961-05-05) May 5, 1961
Tucson, Arizona
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:229 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High school:Tucson (AZ) Amphitheater
College:Idaho
NFL Draft:1983 / Round: 7 / Pick: 177
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Player stats at NFL.com

Early years

Born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, Merriman graduated from its Amphitheater High School in 1979.[1] He played college football at Idaho in the Big Sky Conference, recruited by head coach Jerry Davitch, a former Arizona Wildcat lineman and high school head coach in Tucson. Merriman had planned on playing at Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, also in the Big Sky, but a coaching change there altered his future further northward.[1]

Merriman was a four-year all-conference starter for the Vandals, but went through a coaching change after a disappointing 3–8 season in 1981, his junior year. He came close to transferring to Hawaii, but decided to stay in Moscow under first-time head coach Dennis Erickson.[1]

In Merriman's senior season in 1982, the Vandals were 8–3 in the regular season and advanced to the second round of the twelve-team Division I-AA playoffs, falling to eventual national champion Eastern Kentucky by eight in a televised game (WTBS) that wasn't decided until the final minute.[2][3]

Following his senior season, he played in the East–West Shrine Game at Stanford Stadium in mid-January.[4][5]

Professional career

Merriman was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round of the 1983 NFL Draft, the 177th overall pick. A reserve linebacker, he made his mark as a standout player on special teams for five seasons.[6][7] As a rookie in 1983, the Seahawks beat Denver soundly in the wild card game and met favored Miami at the Orange Bowl in the divisional round. It was a close contest with several lead changes; the Seahawks regained the lead 24–20 with under two minutes remaining. On the ensuing kickoff, Merriman recovered a Dolphin fumble inside the Miami thirty that led to a Seattle field goal, the final score of the upset victory.[8][9][10]

Entering his sixth season in 1988, Merriman was a likely starter at weak inside linebacker, but suffered a career-ending knee injury in the second preseason game against Detroit at the Pontiac Silverdome; it occurred during a punt return in overtime.[11][12][13] Placed on injured reserve, he was released by the team eight months later in April 1989.[13]

References
  1. Ramsdell, Paul (November 27, 1982). "Lucky Sam Merriman". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1C.
  2. Ramsdell, Paul (December 5, 1982). "Controversial EKU interception ends Idaho hopes". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  3. Ramsdell, Paul (December 6, 1982). "An unsavory end to a successful season". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
  4. "Sam Merriman picked to play in Shrine game". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). December 1, 1982. p. 1B.
  5. "Eason leads East to Shrine win". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. January 16, 1983. p. 8C.
  6. Weaver, Dan (July 18, 1984). "Low in the draft, high on the team". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 15.
  7. Jacobson, Bryan (December 20, 1986). "Like riding a bike". Idahonian. (Moscow). p. 25.
  8. Weaver, Dan (January 1, 1984). "Dolphins are 'Knoxed' cold". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. C1.
  9. "Seahawks? step away from Super Bowl". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire services. January 1, 1984. p. 1F.
  10. "Seattle surprises Miami, 27-20". Sunday Star-News. (Wilmington, North Carolina). Associated Press. January 1, 1984. p. 1D.
  11. "Seahawks lose Merriman for year". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. August 13, 1988. p. B1.
  12. Pierce, Oliver (September 14, 1988). "Merriman isn't merry on sidelines". Idahonian. Moscow. p. 9A.
  13. "Seahawks cut Merriman, two others". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. April 18, 1989. p. C3.
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