Taki Taimani
| No. 94 – Minnesota Vikings | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Nose tackle | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | October 6, 1999[1] | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 309 lb (140 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | East (Salt Lake City, Utah) | ||||
| College: | Washington (2018–2021) Oregon (2022–2023) | ||||
| Undrafted: | 2024 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| |||||
| Roster status: | Injured reserve | ||||
| Career NFL statistics as of Week 18, 2024 | |||||
| |||||
Sam "Taki" Taimani (born October 6, 1999)[1] is an American professional football nose tackle for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies.
Early life
[edit]Taimani attended East High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was rated as a four-star recruit and committed to play college football for the Washington Huskies.[2]
College career
[edit]Washington
[edit]In week 3 of the 2020 season, Taimani notched five tackles in a win over Utah.[3] In week 5 of the 2021 season, in a loss to Oregon State, he recovered a fumble which he returned 13 yards inside the Beavers 10-yard line.[4] In week 10 of the 2021 season, Taimani made the start where he tallied four tackles in a loss against Oregon.[5]
In his first four seasons at Washington from 2018 to 2021 Taimani totaled 71 tackles with three and a half being for a loss, two pass deflections, and a fumble recovery.[6] After the 2021 season, he entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal.[7]
Oregon
[edit]Taimani transferred to play for the Oregon Ducks.[8] In his final two seasons with Oregon in 2022 and 2023, he recorded 36 tackles with two and a half being for a loss, a pass deflection, and a fumble recovery.[9][10]
Professional career
[edit]| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 1+1⁄2 in (1.87 m) |
309 lb (140 kg) |
31+7⁄8 in (0.81 m) |
10+3⁄4 in (0.27 m) |
5.33 s | 1.84 s | 3.04 s | 5.03 s | 7.95 s | 25 in (0.64 m) |
8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) |
19 reps | |
| All values from Pro Day[11][12] | ||||||||||||
After not being selected in the 2024 NFL draft, Taimani signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent.[13] He was also selected by the Arlington Renegades in the 7th round of the 2024 UFL draft on July 17, 2024.[14] Taimani made the Vikings' initial 53-man roster.[15]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Taki Taimani". ourlads.com. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
- ^ Jude, Adam (9 December 2017). "Huskies get commitment from four-star lineman Sam Taimani". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ Raley, Dan (24 May 2020). "Identity Crisis? No, everyone knows Who Huskies' Taki Taimani Is". Washington Huskies on SI. SI.com. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ Raley, Dan (16 December 2021). "Taimani Leaves Disappointing UW Season Behind, Enters Transfer Portal". Washington Huskies on SI. SI.com. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ Raley, Dan (8 October 2023). "When Taki Taimani Returns to Husky Stadium, Will UW Fans Notice?". Washington Huskies on SI. SI.com. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ "Sam Taimani College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits". Sports Reference. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ Vorel, Mike (16 December 2021). "UW Huskies starting defensive lineman Sam 'Taki' Taimani enters NCAA transfer portal". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ Vorel, Mike (6 January 2022). "Former UW Huskies starting DL Sam 'Taki' Taimani announces transfer to rival Oregon". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ "Sam Taimani 2022 Game Logs". Sports Reference. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ "Sam Taimani 2023 Game Logs". Sports Reference. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ "2024 Pro Day Results" (PDF). GoDucks.com. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
- ^ "2024 NFL Draft Scout Taki Taimani College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
- ^ Dietz, Alec (28 April 2024). "Minnesota Vikings sign Oregon's Taki Taimani as undrafted free agent:What to know". The Register-Guard. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ "2024 UFL College Draft: Showboats select Kansas QB Jason Bean with No. 1 pick". FoxSports.com. July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
- ^ Krammer, Andrew (2024-09-06). "Undrafted rookies Dwight McGlothern and Taki Taimani 'beat the odds' to make Vikings roster". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2024-12-10.