Deebo Samuel delivers history-making play for 49ers to start Super Bowl

It didn’t take long for Deebo Samuel to make his presence felt in Super Bowl 54.

The former South Carolina receiver and San Francisco 49er rookie had two carries on the Niners’ first drive. Samuel took a reverse 32 yards on San Francisco’s first drive and had another run of seven yards later in the drive.

The Samuel run was the longest by a wide receiver in Super Bowl history, breaking Seattle’s Percy Harvin 30-yard run in 2014. Samuel later broke the record for total yards rushing (53) by a receiver in the NFL’s biggest game.

In the second quarter, Samuel had a pair of catches on a 49ers’ TD drive that tied the game at 10-10. He broke a 14-yard run on the first drive of the second half dropping a shoulder to finish it.

Samuel finished the game with 53 yards rushing and caught a team-high five passes for 39 yards in the 31-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Samuel is having a big rookie season for San Francisco. He had 81 catches for 802 yards and had 14 rushes for 159 yards with six total TDs.

The Chapman High product led all receivers in rushing yards in regular season. In the playoffs, he has nine catches for 88 yards and three rushes for 49.

FORMER GAMECOCKS IN RECENT SUPER BOWLS

2020 — Deebo Samuel (San Francisco 49ers) and Rashad Fenton (Kansas City Chiefs)

2019 — Stephon Gilmore (New England Patriots)

2018 — Alshon Jeffery (Philadelphia Eagles) and Stephon Gilmore (Patriots)

2017 — Patrick DiMarco (Atlanta Falcons)

2016 — Darian Stewart (Denver Broncos)

2015 — Lemuel Jeanpierre (Seattle Seahawks)

2014 — Lemuel Jeanpierre (Seattle Seahawks) and Sidney Rice (Seahawks – injured reserve)

2013 — Emanuel Cook (Baltimore Ravens) and Chris Culliver (San Francisco 49ers)

2010 — Jamar Nesbit (New Orleans Saints)

This story was originally published February 2, 2020 at 6:56 PM.