2018 Football Roster
Sam Craft
- Position:
- WR
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-0 / 210
- Class:
- Redshirt Senior
- Hometown:
- Memphis, Tenn.
- Prev School:
- Olive Branch HS
Career
Has appealed for a medical redshirt for the 2017 season and plans to return for a sixth year in 2018 ... Suffered knee injury in the 2017 preseason ... Also received a fifth-year medical redshirt for 2017 after playing in only four games in 2016 before suffering injuries that ended his season … Graduated in May 2017 with a degree in physical education … Working on a second degree in interdisciplinary studies ... Has played in 36 games, making 23 starts ... Enters final campaign as squad’s third-leading active rusher with 782 yards on 212 carries ... Has 13 rushing TD ... Has 64 receptions for 660 yards and four scores ... Has 19 multi-reception games ... Also has 15 kick returns for 309 yards ... Has 1,751 all-purpose yards and 19 total TD ... Also played in 18 games with the Memphis men’s basketball team after the 2015 Birmingham Bowl and made seven starts … Averaged 2.1 points and 1.2 rebounds in the 2015-16 season.
Awards (Academic/Athletic)
Tiger 3.0 Club for the 2013 fall and 2014 spring semesters.
2017 (Fifth Year)
Suffered a knee injury in preseason training camp and missed the entire 2017 season ... Received a medical redshirt waiver for a sixth year of eligibility after suffering a season-ending knee injury in preseason drills.
2016 (Senior)
Saw action in only four games before missing the remainder of the season with injuries … Awarded a medical redshirt following the season … Made one start vs. Temple … Rushed for 16 yards on 16 carries … Caught 10 passes for 126 yards and one TD … Ran for a season-high 14 yards on six carries in a home win over Bowling Green … Had a season-best 48 receiving yards on two catches vs. the Falcons … Scored his lone TD of the season vs. Bowling Green … Hauled in a season-high four receptions in games vs. Ole Miss (4-35 yards) and Temple (4-43 yards) … Final game action of the season came in a road victory at Tulane … As a result of injuries, sat out the final seven games of the season, including the Boca Raton Bowl … Missed the season’s first two contests as a result of a hamstring injury suffered in preseason drills.
2015 (Junior)
Played in 12 games and made six starts ... Started the first six games of the season ... Only game missed was the Navy contest ... Team’s third-leading rusher with 333 yards on 82 carries ... Also had eight receptions for 114 yards and 11 kick returns for 213 yards (second on team) ... His 660 all-purpose yards (333 rush/114 receive/213 return) was sixth on the team ... Posted season highs for rushing yards (72) and attempts (12) in the season-opening win over Missouri State ... Had consecutive 50-yard rushing performances in wins over Bowling Green and Cincinnati ... Tied a season high with 12 rushing attempts vs. the Bearcats ... Recorded top receiving game of season in a road win at Bowling Green ... Caught a season-best three passes for a season-high 63 yards and one TD vs. the Falcons ... His 60-yard TD reception — a career-long catch — tied the contest at 34-all late in the third period ... Totaled a career-high 184 all-purpose yards (50 rush/63 receive/71 return) vs. Bowling Green ... The 71 kick-return yards and four kick returns vs. the Falcons were career bests ... Had two catches for 33 yards and a score in the road win at USF ... His 20-yard TD reception was the Tigers’ first score and pulled them to within 10-7 early in the second quarter ... Rushed for 20 yards on eight carries in the win over Ole Miss ... Scored on a four-yard TD run late in the second quarter to give Memphis its first lead of the contest at 17-14 ... Rushed for 31 yards on four carries in a road win at Tulane ... Gained 40 yards on four rushing attempts in a road setback at Temple ... Had a career-long 26-yard rush vs. the Owls ... The 26-yard rush came in the first scoring drive of the games ... On a 1st-and-10 from the Memphis 45, ran to the Temple 29 ... Six plays later, Jake Elliott kicked a 31-yard FG for a 3-0 lead ... Saw action in the Birmingham Bowl and had five rushes for 12 yards and one kick return for 23 yards ... Joined the Tigers basketball team for the 2015-16 campaign following the Birmingham Bowl ... Saw action in 18 games and made seven starts ... Averaged 2.1 points and 1.2 rebounds ... Dished out 17 assists and had six steals.
2014 (Sophomore)
Despite playing in eight games due to a midyear injury, ranked third on the team in rushing yards with 331 yards on 89 carries and three TD ... Also one of nine players to register double-digit receptions with 15 catches for 83 yards … Started six games (4 at WR/2at RB) … Started the season opener vs. Austin Peay and scored the Tigers’ first points on a two-yard plunge just 2:49 into the contest … Finished the game with eight carries for 27 yards and one score and also had three receptions for 14 yards … Caught three passes for 38 yards and had six carries for 19 yards and a TD in a road loss at UCLA … Helped put the Tigers ahead early with a 17-yard catch to convert a 3rd-and-5 play to continue the team’s 75-yard drive that resulted in a score for a 7-6 lead … Also scored on a seven-yard run in the second quarter to give Memphis a 14-13 lead … In a 36-17 win over Middle Tennessee, ran for 52 yards on six carries and also had an eight-yard reception … First career start at running back came in the Tigers’ 41-14 American Athletic Conference opener at Cincinnati … Carried the ball 38 times, the fourth-most rushing attempts in school history … Ran for 170 yards and scored on a six-yard run in the third quarter ... The 38 carries and 170 rushing yards both were career bests … In the game, Memphis had 69 rushing attempts, sixth-most in school history … The Tigers had 610 yards of total offense in the Cincinnati game, sixth-most in school history … Also started at running back against Houston and rushed for 49 yards on 17 carries ... Also caught four passes for 24 yards vs. the Cougars … Missed the next five games with an injury before returning to play against Connecticut in the regular-season finale in which the Tigers captured the American Athletic Conference title … Started at receiver vs. BYU in the Miami Beach Bowl … Had seven rushes for 28 yards in the thrilling 55-48 double-overtime victory over the Cougars ... In the second quarter, converted a 3rd-and-2 play with a nine-yard run to set up a score that increased the Tigers’ lead to 24-14.
2013 (Freshman)
After playing a reserve role in the season’s first two weeks, started the final 10 games at wide receiver … Team’s second-leading receiver with 31 catches for 337 yards and one TD ... Had eight games with two or more receptions … Ran the ball 25 times for 102 yards and a team-high tying five rushing TD ... In first career start vs. Arkansas State, had a five-yard rushing TD and caught three passes for 32 yards, including a 24-yard reception on the team’s first play from scrimmage … Tacked on to the play was a 15-yard face-mask penalty, giving the Tigers the ball at the Red Wolves 38-yard line … Memphis scored six plays later for a 24-7 halftime lead … His five-yard TD run in the second quarter made him a part of the first father/son duo to score TD in school history … Father, Ray, caught TD passes against Southern Miss and Vanderbilt in helping Memphis to a 6-5 record his junior season … In American Athletic Conference opener against UCF, rushed for 28 yards on four carries and had two receptions for 30 yards … Trailing 24-17 with 1:46 to play in the game, had a 19-yard reception to move the ball to midfield, but the Tigers’ potential tying scoring drive stalled inside the UCF 10 ... Against SMU, rushed for 26 yards on four carries and had four receptions for 30 yards … Recorded a career-high 83 receiving yards against UT Martin … With three TD scored against Temple (2 rush/1 reception), tied for the sixth-most points scored in a game in school history … Had a season-high seven receptions for 62 yards vs. Temple ... Included in those seven catches was a 10-yard TD pass on the second-half opening drive to cut the Owls’ lead to 17-14 … Also had TD runs of one and three yards against Temple … Closed the year with four receptions for 51 yards against Connecticut.
High School
Played for head coach Scott Samsel at Olive Branch High School ... Named the 2012 Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) 6A All-Region I offensive MVP … Selected to 2012 The Commercial Appeal’s Best of the Preps Mississippi/Arkansas Team … As a senior in 2012, completed 116-of-234 passes for 1,798 yards and 14 TD … Threw four TD passes of 70 or more yards, including two to Jamil Collins, who is a current Memphis teammate … Also came close to rushing for 1,000 yards, finishing with 974 yards on 177 attempts and 16 TD … Had five 100-plus rushing games ... Caught 10 passes for 286 yards and four scores … On special teams, had eight kickoff returns for 25 yards … In third game of the season, averaged 25 yards per completion, going 8-for-16 for 201 yards with three TD … Helped the Conquistadors begin the season 4-0 with a strong rushing effort in a 43-33 win over Memphis University School (MUS) … Against MUS, carried the ball 24 times for 153 yards and three TD, including a 53-yard scoring run which gave Olive Branch a 14-12 lead in the third quarter … Had two TD in the fourth quarter, including an eight-yard score which highlighted a 29-point quarter and gave Olive Branch a 34-33 lead with 1:50 to play … Named the Touchdown Club of Memphis Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against MUS … The following week, had a season-high 164-yard rushing yards and three rushing TD in a 31-28 win over Southaven ... The three rushing TD performance was his second straight for the season … Registered season highs for pass completions, attempts and yards in a 21-0 shutout of Grenada … Was 13-for-27 passing for 231 yards and two TD ... Also ran for 98 yards and a score against Grenada … Began the 2012 MHSAA Class 6A playoffs by completing 7-of-11 passes for 175 yards and three TD in a 53-21 win over Warren Central … Also caught three passes for 103 yards and two scores in the playoff victory … As a senior, also played on the Olive Branch basketball team for head coach Eric Rombaugh ... Averaged 22.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.4 steals ... Transferred to Olive Branch High School after playing his junior year at Craigmont for head coach Cecil Vanhooks … Saw action in seven games at Craigmont in 2011, completing 45-of-89 passes for 928 yards and 10 TD ... Rushed for 466 yards on 67 carries and 12 scores … Helped lead the Chiefs to a district title for the first time in nine years … As a member of Craigmont’s basketball team in 2011-12, played in 32 games and averaged 12.9 points … Named the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) Class AAA Tournament MVP after helping lead the Chiefs to the 2011 state title ... Netted 15 points in the state championship game ... Craigmont finished 2010-11 with a 33-5 record ... In 2010, his AAU team placed second at the Peach Jam ... Played AAU basketball with former Tiger Shaq Goodwin.
Personal
Graduated with his degree in physical education and is working on a second degree in sports administration ... Son of Ray and Chiquita Craft ... Birthday is July 16 ... Father, Ray, played football at Memphis from 1986-88 and is a member of the University of Memphis campus police department ... His older twin brothers, Marcell and Montrell, played at North Alabama ... Also has a younger sister, Christina.
