Samaje Perine (/səˈmɑːdʒeɪ ˈpiːraɪn/ sə-MAH-jay PEA-rine; born September 16, 1995) is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Oklahoma, and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Perine currently holds the NCAA FBS record for most rushing yards in a single game, which he set as a true freshman in 2014 by rushing for 427 yards against Kansas.
Early years
Perine was born and raised in Jackson, Alabama, but later moved with his family to Pflugerville, Texas, where he attended Hendrickson High School as a member of their football and track and field teams. He was a three-year starter at running back for the Hendrickson Hawks football team. He rushed for 1,993 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior. In his final year, he rushed for 1,492 yards and 12 touchdowns.
In track & field, Perine competed in sprints and jumps. At the 2011 Manor Relay, he earned first-place finishes in both the triple jump (46 ft, 0.5 in) and long jump (20 ft, 8 in) events, while also anchoring the 4 × 100 and 4 × 200 relay squads, helping lead them to victory. He recorded a personal-best time of 11.37 seconds in the 100-meter dash in 2011.
Perine was ranked as a four-star recruit and the No. 13 running back in the nation by Rivals.com. In March 2013, he committed to the University of Oklahoma to play college football. He also had offers from Alabama, Nebraska, TCU, and Tennessee.