Sam Acho

Sam Acho

refer to caption

Acho with the Arizona Cardinals in 2014
No. 49 Chicago Bears
Position: Outside linebacker
Personal information
Date of birth: (1988-09-06) September 6, 1988
Place of birth: Dallas, Texas
Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight: 260 lb (118 kg)
Career information
High school: Dallas (TX) St. Mark's
College: Texas
NFL Draft: 2011 / Round: 4 / Pick: 103
Career history
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 7, 2016
Total tackles: 180
Quarterback sacks: 14.0
Forced fumbles: 8
Interceptions: 3
Pass deflections: 10
Player stats at NFL.com

Samuel Onyedikachi Acho (born September 6, 1988) is an American football outside linebacker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). Acho played college football at the University of Texas. He was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

Early years

Acho attended St. Mark's School in Dallas, Texas. Starring for the football team, Acho had 12 sacks as a senior and 10 as a junior and was a team co-captain both years. He was also the state private school champion in both the shot put and discus.

College career

As a freshman at the University of Texas, Acho played in 11 games, recording six tackles and a sack. As a sophomore in 2008, he recorded 15 tackles and three sacks. As a junior in 2009, Acho started all 14 games and was named honorable mention All-Big 12 by The Associated Press after recording 55 tackles and eight sacks.

After his senior season in 2010, Acho was voted team MVP.[1] He also won the William V. Campbell Trophy, given annually to college football's top scholar-athlete, as well as the Wuerffel Trophy, college football's premier award for outstanding community service,[2] and was a finalist for the Lott Trophy. During that senior year, the Sporting News named Acho one of the 20 smartest athletes in sports, a list that included two other college players and 17 professionals from the four major American sports.

Professional career

Arizona Cardinals

Acho was selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the 103rd pick overall of the 2011 NFL Draft. In his rookie season as a Cardinal, he made 40 tackles, had 7 sacks, and generated 4 forced fumbles. Acho's 7 sacks are the second most ever by a Cardinals rookie, trailing Simeon Rice’s 12.5 in 1996.[3] On October 23, 2011, Acho recorded his first career sack in a 32-20 loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers.[4] On October 30, 2011, Acho recorded his first career forced fumble in a 30-27 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.[5] On October 21, 2012 Acho recorded his first career interception in a 21-14 loss against the Minnesota Vikings.[6] Acho started all 16 contests for the Cardinals, putting together career-highs in tackles (45), sacks (4), interceptions (2), pass break-ups (3), quarterback hits (12) and tackles for losses (6) in 2012.[3] On September 23, it was announced that he would miss the rest of 2013 season and be placed on injured reserve due to a break in his leg in the Week 3 loss to the New Orleans Saints.[7][8]

Chicago Bears

On April 1, 2015, Acho signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Bears.[9] During the preseason, Acho was sidelined for 3 weeks after suffering from mononucleosis.[10] In his first season with the Bears in 2015, Acho recorded 60 tackles, three tackles-for-loss, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery while appearing in 15 games with seven starts.[11]

He signed on for an additional year on March 28, 2016.[11]

On September 18, 2016, Acho was credited with a sack against quarterback Carson Wentz and the Philadelphia Eagles, his first sack since the 2014 season.[12]

Personal

Acho during the 2012 NFL season.

Acho's brother, Emmanuel Acho, also played football for Texas, where he was a consensus All Big 12 linebacker in 2011.[13] Emmanuel is currently a free agent.

In 2015, Sam earned an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona.[14] In 2016, both Sam and Emmanuel Acho went to Nigeria to participate in Living Hope Christian Ministries' medical mission Operation Hope.[15]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Texas teammates name Sam Acho their top player
  2. ↑
  3. 1 2 "Chicago Bears: Sam Acho". www.chicagobears.com. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
  4. ↑ "Steelers vs. Cardinals - Box Score - October 23, 2011 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  5. ↑ "Sam Acho: Game Logs at NFL.com". www.nfl.com. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  6. ↑ "Cardinals vs. Vikings - Box Score - October 21, 2012 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  7. ↑ Urban, Darren (September 23, 2013). "Linebacker Loss With Sam Acho, Lorenzo Alexander". AZCardinals.com. Retrieved 2013-11-27.
  8. ↑ Gantt, Darin (September 23, 2013). "Cardinals put Alexander and Acho on IR". NBCSports.com. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
  9. ↑ "Bears ink Sam Acho to one-year deal". www.chicagobears.com. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
  10. ↑ Campbell, Rich (2015-09-24). "Bears' Sam Acho reveals his mystery illness". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2016-07-26.
  11. 1 2 "Bears agree to 1-year deal with Acho". www.chicagobears.com. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
  12. ↑ Mayer, Larry (2016-09-20). "3 things that stood out in Bears loss". Chicago Bears. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  13. ↑ Brothers Sam and Emmanuel Acho star on defense for Texas Longhorns while maintaining academic excellence
  14. ↑ Why Sam Chose Thunderbird
  15. ↑ "Acho brothers take part in medical mission to Nigeria". NFL.com. 2016-07-06. Retrieved 2016-07-26.
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