Watch: Gamecock great Deebo Samuel scores long TD in NFL season opener
Deebo Samuel started his third NFL season with a bang.
The former South Carolina wide receiver hauled in the longest reception of his professional career for a touchdown in the San Francisco 49ers’ Week 1 game against the Detroit Lions. Samuel brought a pass from 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo 79 yards, tripping up Lions’ cornerback Jeff Okudah in the process.
The 79-yard touchdown pass was also the longest of Garoppolo’s nine-season NFL career. The touchdown brought the San Francisco to a 38-10 lead over Detroit in the third quarter. The 49ers ended up beating the Lions 41-33.
Samuel had a career-best performance on Sunday. He accumulated a career-high 189 yards on nine receptions, averaging 21 yards per catch.
Samuel, the 36th pick of the 2019 NFL draft, caught 90 passes for 1,193 yards in his first two seasons with the 49ers. He grappled with a hamstring injury throughout the 2020 season that limited him to seven games last season.
Former Gamecock tight end Jared Cook has five receptions for 56 yards, including a 23-yard catch, in the Los Angeles Chargers’ week one contest against the Washington Football Team. The Chargers defeated Washington 20-16.
This story was originally published September 12, 2021 at 3:41 PM.
