2023 Football Roster
Roster
Sami, Jalen
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Jersey Number 99
Jalen Sami
- Position:
- DL
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-7 / 330
- Class:
- Sixth Year
- Hometown:
- Colorado Springs, Colo.
- High School:
- Vista Ridge
- Prev School:
- Colorado
Bio
Career Bio (PDF)
CAREER NOTES: Sixth-year graduate transfer from Colorado joined the Spartans in the summer of 2023 and played one season at Michigan State . . . earned his bachelor’s degree from CU in ethnic studies in August 2022 . . . played in 50 career collegiate games . . . played 40 games at Colorado from 2019-22, including 32 starts at defensive tackle (19 consecutive to close his CU career) . . . played in 10 games in 2023 at MSU . . . finished his collegiate career with 98 tackles (45 solo, 53 assists), including 9.0 tackles for loss (26 yards) and 2.5 sacks (11 yards) . . . had 83 tackles (42 solo, 41 assists), with 8.5 for losses (22 yards) and two sacks (7 yards) at Colorado . . . had 15 tackles (three solo, 12 assists) with a half sack (4 yards) and one QB hurry at Michigan State . . . had two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery (all at Colorado) . . . played more than 1,500 snaps (1,520) on defense and 235 snaps on special teams in his four seasons for the Buffaloes (2019-22).
2023 SEASON (SIXTH-YEAR GRADUATE SENIOR): Played a total of 216 snaps on defense in 10 games . . . tallied 15 tackles (three solo, 12 assists) with a half sack (4 yards) . . . tied his career high with five tackles in 30 snaps vs. Penn State at Ford Field . . . notched two tackles in 35 snaps in game at Indiana . . . posted three tackles in game at Ohio State, in paying season-high 36 snaps . . . collected one tackle in 11 snaps in Nebraska game . . . tallied first TFL and sack of MSU career with 0.5 sack in game at Minnesota in registering 17 snaps . . . collected one tackle in Michigan game, notching 29 snaps . . . posted one solo tackle in playing 17 snaps at Rutgers . . . logged 20 snaps in Richmond game . . . posted one tackle and one QB hurry in Spartan debut in season opener vs. Central Michigan, notching 19 snaps.
2022 SEASON (GRADUATE SENIOR AT COLORADO): Recorded a career-best 28 tackles (15 solo, 13 assists) and three tackles for loss in 12 games, all starts . . . played 475 snaps on defense and 80 on special teams . . . named CU’s defensive player of the week vs. Arizona State (Oct. 29) with two tackles and one TFL . . . played a season-high 50 snaps with four tackles at Oregon State (Oct. 22) . . . had four tackles and a forced fumble vs. Air Force (Sept. 10).
2021 SEASON (REDSHIRT JUNIOR AT COLORADO): Played in all 12 games with 11 starts at defensive tackle . . . honorable mention All-Pac-12 choice by the coaches . . . named second-team All-Colorado by the National Football Foundation’s Colorado Chapter . . . recorded 27 tackles, including a career-high four tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks . . . compiled 453 snaps on defense and 43 on special teams . . . had a season- high five tackles vs. UCLA (Nov. 13) . . . named a game captain for the Arizona State game (Sept. 25) . . . had three stops vs. Minnesota (Sept. 18) . . . named the CU defensive player of the week after posting three stops, including two TFLs and a sack, in the season opener vs. Northern Colorado.
2020 SEASON (REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE AT COLORADO): Played in all five regular season games, including two starting assignments (UCLA, Stanford) . . . saw action on 176 snaps on defense and 80 on special teams . . . had four tackles on the season . . . posted two stops vs. Arizona.
2019 SEASON (REDSHIRT FRESHMAN AT COLORADO): Played in 11 of 12 games for Coach Mel Tucker, including 11 starts at defensive tackle . . . played a total of 416 snaps on defense with 24 tackles (11 solo, 13 assists) . . . had 1.5 TFL, a half sack and one fumble recovery . . . was given the team’s Tyronee “Tiger” Bussey Award for inspiration in the face of physical adversity . . . also appeared on 96 plays on special teams . . . named a game captain in the season finale at Utah; had five tackles and a sack against the Utes . . . named the team’s defensive and special teams player of the game after helping the Buffaloes to a 20-14 win over Washington on Nov. 23 . . . made a game-saving tackle on a punt return and also had five stops against the Huskies . . . named CU’s defensive player of the game with four tackles in the win at Arizona State on Sept. 21 . . . in the season-opening win over Colorado State on Aug. 30, had one tackle and a fumble recovery in his first live action since 2016.
2018 SEASON (FRESHMAN AT COLORADO): Redshirted . . . joined the team in January 2018 as a grayshirt . . . went through the first half of spring practice before suffering a knee injury that forced him to miss the entire season.
HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA: Played at Vista Ridge High School under Coach Jerimi Calip . . . recorded 55 tackles, 15.5 TFLs and nine sacks in nine games as a senior in 2016 . . . was a second-team 5A-4A All-Area selection by The Gazette and a second-team all-state honoree by CHSAANow.com and Max Preps . . . garnered first-team All-Pikes Peak League honors in addition to being named the conference’s co-defensive lineman MVP . . . listed as the top defensive tackle prospect and No. 12 player overall in Colorado by 247Sports for the Class of 2017 . . . posted 10 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in a victory over Dakota Ridge on Sept. 16 . . . helped Vista Ridge to a 9-2 record, a berth in the state playoffs, and the Pikes Peak League title as a junior in 2015 with 30 tackles, nine TFLs and four sacks . . . was also on the track and field team and earned honorable mention accolades as a junior on The Gazette’s all-area team . . . born May 6, 1999, in Colorado Springs, Colorado . . . son of Taleo and Relya Sami . . . his late father, Taleo, served eight years in the Army . . . his older brother, Grady, played on the offensive line at Southern Utah . . . his sister, Gya’ni, competed on the track and field team at Colorado . . . last name is pronounced sah-me.
CAREER NOTES: Sixth-year graduate transfer from Colorado joined the Spartans in the summer of 2023 and played one season at Michigan State . . . earned his bachelor’s degree from CU in ethnic studies in August 2022 . . . played in 50 career collegiate games . . . played 40 games at Colorado from 2019-22, including 32 starts at defensive tackle (19 consecutive to close his CU career) . . . played in 10 games in 2023 at MSU . . . finished his collegiate career with 98 tackles (45 solo, 53 assists), including 9.0 tackles for loss (26 yards) and 2.5 sacks (11 yards) . . . had 83 tackles (42 solo, 41 assists), with 8.5 for losses (22 yards) and two sacks (7 yards) at Colorado . . . had 15 tackles (three solo, 12 assists) with a half sack (4 yards) and one QB hurry at Michigan State . . . had two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery (all at Colorado) . . . played more than 1,500 snaps (1,520) on defense and 235 snaps on special teams in his four seasons for the Buffaloes (2019-22).
2023 SEASON (SIXTH-YEAR GRADUATE SENIOR): Played a total of 216 snaps on defense in 10 games . . . tallied 15 tackles (three solo, 12 assists) with a half sack (4 yards) . . . tied his career high with five tackles in 30 snaps vs. Penn State at Ford Field . . . notched two tackles in 35 snaps in game at Indiana . . . posted three tackles in game at Ohio State, in paying season-high 36 snaps . . . collected one tackle in 11 snaps in Nebraska game . . . tallied first TFL and sack of MSU career with 0.5 sack in game at Minnesota in registering 17 snaps . . . collected one tackle in Michigan game, notching 29 snaps . . . posted one solo tackle in playing 17 snaps at Rutgers . . . logged 20 snaps in Richmond game . . . posted one tackle and one QB hurry in Spartan debut in season opener vs. Central Michigan, notching 19 snaps.
2022 SEASON (GRADUATE SENIOR AT COLORADO): Recorded a career-best 28 tackles (15 solo, 13 assists) and three tackles for loss in 12 games, all starts . . . played 475 snaps on defense and 80 on special teams . . . named CU’s defensive player of the week vs. Arizona State (Oct. 29) with two tackles and one TFL . . . played a season-high 50 snaps with four tackles at Oregon State (Oct. 22) . . . had four tackles and a forced fumble vs. Air Force (Sept. 10).
2021 SEASON (REDSHIRT JUNIOR AT COLORADO): Played in all 12 games with 11 starts at defensive tackle . . . honorable mention All-Pac-12 choice by the coaches . . . named second-team All-Colorado by the National Football Foundation’s Colorado Chapter . . . recorded 27 tackles, including a career-high four tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks . . . compiled 453 snaps on defense and 43 on special teams . . . had a season- high five tackles vs. UCLA (Nov. 13) . . . named a game captain for the Arizona State game (Sept. 25) . . . had three stops vs. Minnesota (Sept. 18) . . . named the CU defensive player of the week after posting three stops, including two TFLs and a sack, in the season opener vs. Northern Colorado.
2020 SEASON (REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE AT COLORADO): Played in all five regular season games, including two starting assignments (UCLA, Stanford) . . . saw action on 176 snaps on defense and 80 on special teams . . . had four tackles on the season . . . posted two stops vs. Arizona.
2019 SEASON (REDSHIRT FRESHMAN AT COLORADO): Played in 11 of 12 games for Coach Mel Tucker, including 11 starts at defensive tackle . . . played a total of 416 snaps on defense with 24 tackles (11 solo, 13 assists) . . . had 1.5 TFL, a half sack and one fumble recovery . . . was given the team’s Tyronee “Tiger” Bussey Award for inspiration in the face of physical adversity . . . also appeared on 96 plays on special teams . . . named a game captain in the season finale at Utah; had five tackles and a sack against the Utes . . . named the team’s defensive and special teams player of the game after helping the Buffaloes to a 20-14 win over Washington on Nov. 23 . . . made a game-saving tackle on a punt return and also had five stops against the Huskies . . . named CU’s defensive player of the game with four tackles in the win at Arizona State on Sept. 21 . . . in the season-opening win over Colorado State on Aug. 30, had one tackle and a fumble recovery in his first live action since 2016.
2018 SEASON (FRESHMAN AT COLORADO): Redshirted . . . joined the team in January 2018 as a grayshirt . . . went through the first half of spring practice before suffering a knee injury that forced him to miss the entire season.
HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA: Played at Vista Ridge High School under Coach Jerimi Calip . . . recorded 55 tackles, 15.5 TFLs and nine sacks in nine games as a senior in 2016 . . . was a second-team 5A-4A All-Area selection by The Gazette and a second-team all-state honoree by CHSAANow.com and Max Preps . . . garnered first-team All-Pikes Peak League honors in addition to being named the conference’s co-defensive lineman MVP . . . listed as the top defensive tackle prospect and No. 12 player overall in Colorado by 247Sports for the Class of 2017 . . . posted 10 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in a victory over Dakota Ridge on Sept. 16 . . . helped Vista Ridge to a 9-2 record, a berth in the state playoffs, and the Pikes Peak League title as a junior in 2015 with 30 tackles, nine TFLs and four sacks . . . was also on the track and field team and earned honorable mention accolades as a junior on The Gazette’s all-area team . . . born May 6, 1999, in Colorado Springs, Colorado . . . son of Taleo and Relya Sami . . . his late father, Taleo, served eight years in the Army . . . his older brother, Grady, played on the offensive line at Southern Utah . . . his sister, Gya’ni, competed on the track and field team at Colorado . . . last name is pronounced sah-me.
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