{{Short description|American football player (born 1997)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Dru Samia | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | current_team = | number = 73 | position = Guard | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|8|22}} | birth_place = Danville, California, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 5 | weight_lb = 306 | high_school = San Ramon Valley (Danville) | college = Oklahoma (2015–2018) | draftyear = 2019 | draftround = 4 | draftpick = 114 | pastteams = * Minnesota Vikings ({{NFL Year|2019}}–{{NFL Year|2020}}) * New York Jets ({{NFL Year|2021}}–{{NFL Year|2022}}) * Arlington Renegades ({{UFL Year|2024}}) | status = | highlights = * Big 12 Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year (2018) * First-team All-Big 12 (2018) * Second-team All-Big 12 (2017) | statleague = NFL | statseason = | statweek = | statlabel1 = Games played | statvalue1 = 15 | statlabel2 = Games started | statvalue2 = 4 | pfr = S/SamiDr00 }} '''Dru Samia III''' (born August 22, 1997) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive guard in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners. He played in the NFL for the Minnesota Vikings and New York Jets.
==College career== A four-star offensive tackle recruit, Samia chose Oklahoma out of 15 scholarship offers received.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dru Samia, 2015 Offensive tackle |url=https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2015/dru-samia-8334#school-interests |access-date=April 27, 2019 |website=Rivals.com}}</ref>
Samia won the 2018 Joe Moore Award, and was named a second-team All-American and first-team All-Big 12 Conference after moving from right tackle to right guard.<ref name="CrimsonMachine">{{Cite web |date=April 24, 2019 |title=Oklahoma Sooners Football – 2019 NFL Draft Profile: Dru Samia |url=https://www.crimsonandcreammachine.com/2019/4/24/18514150/oklahoma-sooners-football-2019-nfl-draft-profile-dru-samia-sacramento-california |access-date=April 27, 2019 |website=Crimson and Cream Machine}}</ref> Scouts noted Samia for his hustle to the whistle, but also noted an occasionally high pad level.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gayle |first=Austin |date=March 25, 2019 |title=Guard prospect Dru Samia to put technique first, intensity 'a very close second' in the NFL |url=https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/draft-guard-prospect-dru-samia-to-put-technique-first-intensity-a-very-close-second-in-the-nfl |access-date=April 27, 2019 |website=Pro Football Focus}}</ref> During his time at Oklahoma, Samia also made the All-Big 12 Academic Team twice.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rohde |first=John |date=October 26, 2018 |title=O-lineman Dru Samia continues to be rock steady |url=http://rohdeonsports.com/dru-samia/ |access-date=April 27, 2019 |website=Rohde OnSports}}</ref>
==Professional career== ===Pre-draft=== {{NFL predraft | height ft = 6 | height in = 4 3/4 | weight = 305 | dash = 5.29 | ten split = 1.84 | twenty split = 3.08 | shuttle = 4.70 | cone drill = 7.89 | vertical = 27.5 | broad ft = 8 | broad in = 5 | bench = 28 | arm span = 33 | hand span = 10 1/8 | wonderlic = | note = All values from NFL Combine<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dru Samia Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/dru-samia/32195341-4d03-1944-4710-58ebf1a89b9c |access-date=November 6, 2020 |website=NFL.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=2019 Draft Scout Dru Samia, Oklahoma NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1002964&DraftYear=2019 |access-date=March 17, 2023 |website=draftscout.com}}</ref> }}
At the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine, Samia ran the 40-yard dash in 5.29 seconds, recorded 28 reps on the bench press, a 27.5-inch vertical jump and a 101-inch broad jump.<ref name="CrimsonMachine" />
===Minnesota Vikings=== Samia was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round (114th overall) of the 2019 NFL draft.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 27, 2019 |title=Vikings Trade Up, Pick Oklahoma G Dru Samia in 4th Round of 2019 NFL Draft |url=https://www.vikings.com/news/vikings-select-okalahoma-g-dru-samia-in-the-4th-round-of-the-nfl-draft |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=Vikings.com}}</ref>
Samia was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the team on November 16, 2020,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Williams |first=Charean |author-link=Charean Williams |date=November 16, 2020 |title=Vikings place Dru Samia on COVID-19 list, activate Brandon Dillon |url=https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/11/16/vikings-place-dru-samia-on-covid-19-list-activate-brandon-dillon/ |access-date=December 24, 2020 |work=NBCSports.com}}</ref> and activated on November 25.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Williams, Charean |date=November 25, 2020 |title=Vikings remove Dru Samia from COVID-19 list |url=https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/11/25/vikings-remove-dru-samia-from-covid-19-list/ |access-date=December 24, 2020 |work=NBCSports.com}}</ref>
On August 31, 2021, Samia was waived/injured by the Vikings and placed on injured reserve.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 31, 2021 |title=Vikings Announce Roster Moves to Get to Initial 53 |url=https://www.vikings.com/news/roster-moves-initial-53-man-waived-injured |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=Vikings.com}}</ref> He was released on September 8, 2021.
===New York Jets=== On October 12, 2021, Samia was signed to the practice squad of the New York Jets.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Greenberg |first=Ethan |date=October 12, 2021 |title=Jets Sign OL Dru Samia to Practice Squad, Release S Sheldrick Redwine |url=https://www.newyorkjets.com/news/jets-sign-ol-dru-samia-to-practice-squad-release-s-sheldrick-redwine |website=NewYorkJets.com |access-date=October 14, 2021 |archive-date=October 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211018112856/https://www.newyorkjets.com/news/jets-sign-ol-dru-samia-to-practice-squad-release-s-sheldrick-redwine |url-status=dead }}</ref> He signed a reserve/future contract with the Jets on January 10, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Greenberg |first=Ethan |date=January 10, 2022 |title=Jets Sign 10 Players to Reserve/Future Contracts |url=https://www.newyorkjets.com/news/jets-sign-10-players-to-reserve-future-contracts |website=NewYorkJets.com}}</ref> He was waived on July 26, 2022, and placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Greenberg, Ethan |date=July 26, 2022 |title=Jets Sign QB Chris Streveler, WR Rashard Davis, OL Isaiah Williams |url=https://www.newyorkjets.com/news/jets-sign-qb-chris-streveler-wr-rashard-davis-ol-isaiah-williams |website=NewYorkJets.com}}</ref> He was released on March 13, 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Grindley |first=Wyatt |date=2023-03-13 |title=Jets Releasing OL Dru Samia |url=https://nfltraderumors.co/jets-releasing-ol-dru-samia/ |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=NFLTradeRumors.co |language=en-US}}</ref>
=== Arlington Renegades === On November 9, 2023, Samia signed with the Arlington Renegades of the XFL.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 9, 2023 |title=Three players sign letters of intent with XFL |url=https://www.xfl.com/xfl-latest-news/2023/11/09/three-players-sign-letters-of-intent-with-xfl |access-date=December 26, 2023 |work=XFL.com}}</ref>
==Personal life== Samia is half Samoan, and got a tattoo to signify the importance of the Samoan culture to him.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sooners ink |url=http://projects.oudaily.com/football-tattoos/ |access-date=April 27, 2019 |website=OU Daily}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.soonersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=209874541&DB_OEM_ID=31000&Q_SEASON=2018 Oklahoma Sooners bio] * {{twitter|drusamia}}
{{Vikings2019DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Samia, Dru}} Category:1997 births Category:Living people Category:American people of Samoan descent Category:Sportspeople of Samoan descent Category:Players of American football from Sacramento, California Category:American football offensive guards Category:Oklahoma Sooners football players Category:Minnesota Vikings players Category:New York Jets players Category:Dallas Renegades players