A fourth-round pick of the Bengals in 2021, Sample has played in 30 games over the past two seasons and serves as a rotational DE ... Has 3.5 career sacks (two in 2022) and five TFLs ... Lined up for 411 defensive snaps in the 2022 regular season, then appeared in each of Cincinnati's three postseason games ... Had a sack on Patrick Mahomes and a TFL on Jerick McKinnon in the AFC Championship at Kansas City ... Posted 14 tackles and 1.5 sacks as a rookie in 2021, and played in three of team's four postseason contests, including Super Bowl LVI ... Also contributes on special teams ... Spent four seasons (2017-20) at Tulane University and as a senior was rated as the most valuable defensive lineman in college football by Pro Football Focus.
Selected by Cincinnati in fourth round of 2021 NFL Draft (111th overall) ... Signed with Bengals on 5-17-21.
2021—Played in 14 regular-season games and three postseason games as a rookie for Cincinnati ... Played 310 defensive snaps and totaled 14 tackles and 1.5 sacks ... Made NFL debut in season-opener vs. Minnesota (no statistics) ... Recorded first NFL sack on Sept. 26 at Pittsburgh, when he took down Ben Roethlisberger for a five-yard loss in the first quarter ... Split a sack with S Vonn Bell on Dec. 5 vs. the L.A. Chargers ... Suffered hamstring injury on Dec. 26 vs. Baltimore and missed the final two regular-season games ... Saw action on 67 defensive snaps in postseason for Cincinnati ... Missed the AFC Championship at Kansas City due to a groin injury, but returned to action in Super Bowl LVI (no stats).Â
2022—Played in 16 regular-season games with one start at LDE ... Recorded 25 tackles (17 solos), with four TFLs and two sacks ... Saw action on 411 defensive snaps ... On Sept. 25 at the N.Y. Jets, sacked QB Joe Flacco for a six-yard loss in the second quarter ... Posted four tackles on Nov. 27 at Tennessee, including a TFL on RB Dontrell Hilliard for a five-yard loss in the fourth quarter ... Started at LDE on Dec. 24 at New England and tallied season-high six tackles, including a five-yard sack of QB Mac Jones on third down to force a Patriots punt in the second quarter ... Logged six tackles, with one sack, one TFL and a PD in postseason ... In AFC Championship at Kansas City, tackled RB Jerick McKinnon for a one-yard loss in the first quarter, then sacked Patrick Mahomes at line of scrimmage on third-and-one in the second quarter.
College:Spent four seasons (2017-20) at Tulane ... Played in 46 career games (38 starts), and totaled 130 tackles and 11.5 sacks ... As a senior in 2020, totaled 52 tackles and a career-high six sacks, and was named by Pro Football Focus as college football's most valuable defensive lineman ... Earned Defensive MVP honors at the 2021 Senior Bowl.
High school/personal:Hometown is Snellville, Ga. (outside Atlanta), where he attended Shiloh High School ... As a senior, posted 50 tackles, four sacks, two FFs and a FR ... Shiloh High School is also the alma mater of former Bengals DE David Pollack ... Finance major at Tulane.
