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Asante Samuel Jr. wins Defensive Rookie of the Month

The legacy couldn’t have asked for a better start to his NFL career.

San Francisco 49ers v Los Angeles Chargers Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

It’s been quite the first three weeks for Asante Samuel Jr. in the NFL.

So far, he’s helped the Chargers begin the Brandon Staley era with a 2-1 record, including wins against Kansas City and Washington (both winners of their divisions a year ago), thanks in large part to his stellar performance on the field.

After picking off a pair of passes over the past two weeks to go along with 11 total tackles and four pass breakups, Samuel was named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Month. He was honored alongside the Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase who won the offensive award for September.

After being selected in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft, Samuel has been everything that the Chargers hoped he’d be. He’s obviously shown his superb nose for the football on top of being a sure-tackler in space. What else could you ask from a rookie cornerback? The Bolts truly nailed this pick.