Sam Paulescu
Encyclopedia
Samuel Paulescu is an American football
punter who is currently a free agent
. He was signed by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
as a street free agent in 2006. He played college football
at Oregon State
.
Paulescu has also been a member of the Dallas Cowboys
, Denver Broncos
, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, Washington Redskins
, and San Francisco 49ers
.
to Romanian immigrant parents Nick and Persida Paulescu, he was fluent in Romanian before he could speak English. Paulescu played soccer, track and football at Whittier Christian High School
in La Habra, California
. He earned four letters in football and soccer, and two in track and field. He kicked a prep career-best 43-yard field goal as a junior, also scored 17 goals in soccer as a junior. In addition to kicking, Paulescu also played wide receiver, running back and defensive back. He was team defensive MVP as a senior and a first-team All-Olympic League in 2001 as a kicker. Sam played in the 605 All-Star game in the summer of 2002. As a junior, he scored three touchdowns, intercepted two passes and kicked a 43-yard field goal in one game.
under head coach Gene Murphy
in 2003. He was selected first team All-American by J.C. Grid-Wire and by J.C. Athletic Bureau, earned first team All-Mission Conference; first team all-California J.C. Region IV, and first team All-California as selected by the California Community College Football Coaches Association. As a place-kicker, Paulescu was the fifth-leading scorer among California Junior College players. He scored 73 points in 10 games (37-37 PAT, 12-17 FGs) booted a 57-yard field goal against Santa Monica, and was perfect on all three attempts over 41 yards. Paulescu made a 25-yarder in overtime to give Fullerton a 24-21 win over Riverside on Nov. 15. As a punter, he averaged 45.6 yards on 46 attempts during the regular season, with a long of 84 yards, raising his average to 46.5 yards after three playoff games. Paulescu also bettered his all-time long punt with an 86-yarder against Santa Monica in the Nov. 22 U.S. Bank Beach Bowl. As a freshman in 2002, he averaged 36.7 yards on 53 punts. Paulescu’s special teams coach at Fullerton was Jim Wren, who was USC’s punter in 1996 when Mike Riley
was the offensive coordinator.
In his two years at Oregon State Paulescu ended his career as arguably the top punter in the program’s history. He was named to the Pac-10 All-Conference First Team as a senior, marking the first punter in OSU history to earn such lofty accolades. Paulescu averaged 43 yards per punt as a senior and ended his OSU career with 48 punts downed inside the 20-yard line – 24 each season. Of note: Pac-10 Special Teams Player of the Week in 2005 after having six punts downed inside the 20, including two at the 1-yard line, in a win at No. 18 California; 21 punts of 50-plus yards during his career, including a career-best of 69 yards vs. Washington State in 2004; began his senior year on the Ray Guy Award
watch list; honorable mention All-Pac-10 as a junior and OSU Special Teams Co-MVP.
after not being drafted in the 2007 NFL Draft
. He was released before the 2007 season
after not beating out Mat McBriar
for the starting
punting job.
signed him after releasing Paul Ernster
. Paulescu made his debut in week 17 against the Minnesota Vikings
, making five punts
for a total of 221 yards. On August 30, 2008 Paulescu was released by the Broncos.
and was placed on injured reserve. While replacing McBriar, during a home game against Tampa Bay when he delivered a hard tackle on returner, Clifton Smith
, at midfield. Paulescu was released at the end of the season.
on November 6, 2009. After punting in one game on November 8 against the Atlanta Falcons (3 punts, averaging 50 yards per punt), he was waived on November 14.
on December 1, 2009 due to the injury of Dirk Johnson
. He was waived on April 26, 2010.
on December 14, 2010. He replaced Hunter Smith
, who was cut from the team the same day. He was released on July 28, 2011.
. He was waived on August 30.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
punter who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was signed by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
as a street free agent in 2006. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Oregon State
Oregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...
.
Paulescu has also been a member of the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, and San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
.
Early years
Born in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
to Romanian immigrant parents Nick and Persida Paulescu, he was fluent in Romanian before he could speak English. Paulescu played soccer, track and football at Whittier Christian High School
Whittier Christian High School
Whittier Christian High School is a non-profit, non-denominational, Christian high school located in La Habra, California. It was founded in 1958. The high school has recently built a new gymnasium dubbed the Leon Davis Event Center, after the school spirited worker Leon Davis. The school has...
in La Habra, California
La Habra, California
La Habra is a city in the northwestern corner of Orange County, California. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,239. Its related city, La Habra Heights is located to the north of La Habra, and is in Los Angeles County.-Origin of name:...
. He earned four letters in football and soccer, and two in track and field. He kicked a prep career-best 43-yard field goal as a junior, also scored 17 goals in soccer as a junior. In addition to kicking, Paulescu also played wide receiver, running back and defensive back. He was team defensive MVP as a senior and a first-team All-Olympic League in 2001 as a kicker. Sam played in the 605 All-Star game in the summer of 2002. As a junior, he scored three touchdowns, intercepted two passes and kicked a 43-yard field goal in one game.
College career
Paulescu earned first-team All-American honors as a punter and place-kicker at Fullerton CollegeFullerton College
Fullerton College is the oldest community college in continuous operation in California, having been established in 1913. Current enrollment is 22,014.- History 1913 to 1972 :...
under head coach Gene Murphy
Gene Murphy
Gene Murphy was an American football player and coach. He was a quarterback for the University of North Dakota from 1960-1962. He then moved into an assistant coaching position, where he remained until 1977. He served as head coach for the team from 1978-1979...
in 2003. He was selected first team All-American by J.C. Grid-Wire and by J.C. Athletic Bureau, earned first team All-Mission Conference; first team all-California J.C. Region IV, and first team All-California as selected by the California Community College Football Coaches Association. As a place-kicker, Paulescu was the fifth-leading scorer among California Junior College players. He scored 73 points in 10 games (37-37 PAT, 12-17 FGs) booted a 57-yard field goal against Santa Monica, and was perfect on all three attempts over 41 yards. Paulescu made a 25-yarder in overtime to give Fullerton a 24-21 win over Riverside on Nov. 15. As a punter, he averaged 45.6 yards on 46 attempts during the regular season, with a long of 84 yards, raising his average to 46.5 yards after three playoff games. Paulescu also bettered his all-time long punt with an 86-yarder against Santa Monica in the Nov. 22 U.S. Bank Beach Bowl. As a freshman in 2002, he averaged 36.7 yards on 53 punts. Paulescu’s special teams coach at Fullerton was Jim Wren, who was USC’s punter in 1996 when Mike Riley
Mike Riley
Michael Joseph "Mike" Riley is an American football coach, currently the head coach of the Oregon State Beavers of the Pacific-12 Conference...
was the offensive coordinator.
In his two years at Oregon State Paulescu ended his career as arguably the top punter in the program’s history. He was named to the Pac-10 All-Conference First Team as a senior, marking the first punter in OSU history to earn such lofty accolades. Paulescu averaged 43 yards per punt as a senior and ended his OSU career with 48 punts downed inside the 20-yard line – 24 each season. Of note: Pac-10 Special Teams Player of the Week in 2005 after having six punts downed inside the 20, including two at the 1-yard line, in a win at No. 18 California; 21 punts of 50-plus yards during his career, including a career-best of 69 yards vs. Washington State in 2004; began his senior year on the Ray Guy Award
Ray Guy Award
The Ray Guy Award is presented annually to college football's top punter by the Greater Augusta Sports Council. The award is named after punter Ray Guy, a former All-American at Southern Mississippi and an all-pro player for the Oakland Raiders.-Criteria:...
watch list; honorable mention All-Pac-10 as a junior and OSU Special Teams Co-MVP.
Dallas Cowboys
He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas CowboysDallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
after not being drafted in the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
. He was released before the 2007 season
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
after not beating out Mat McBriar
Mat McBriar
Mat McBriar is an Australian American football punter in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys.-Early years:McBriar began as an Australian rules football player, playing Australian rules for Brighton Grammar School...
for the starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
punting job.
Denver Broncos
On December 28, 2007 the Denver BroncosDenver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
signed him after releasing Paul Ernster
Paul Ernster
Paul T. Ernster is an American football punter who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
. Paulescu made his debut in week 17 against the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, making five punts
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
for a total of 221 yards. On August 30, 2008 Paulescu was released by the Broncos.
Return to Dallas Cowboys
Paulescu was signed on October 14, 2008 as a replacement for McBriar, who suffered a broken foot against the Arizona CardinalsArizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and was placed on injured reserve. While replacing McBriar, during a home game against Tampa Bay when he delivered a hard tackle on returner, Clifton Smith
Clifton Smith (running back)
Clifton Smith, Jr. is an American football running back and return specialist for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
, at midfield. Paulescu was released at the end of the season.
Washington Redskins
Paulescu signed with the Washington RedskinsWashington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
on November 6, 2009. After punting in one game on November 8 against the Atlanta Falcons (3 punts, averaging 50 yards per punt), he was waived on November 14.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Paulescu was signed by the Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
on December 1, 2009 due to the injury of Dirk Johnson
Dirk Johnson
Dirk Johnson is an American football punter who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 1998...
. He was waived on April 26, 2010.
Return to Washington Redskins
Paulescu was signed for a second stint with the Washington RedskinsWashington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
on December 14, 2010. He replaced Hunter Smith
Hunter Smith
Hunter Dwight Smith is an American football punter, currently a free agent and most recently for the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
, who was cut from the team the same day. He was released on July 28, 2011.
San Francisco 49ers
On August 22, 2011, Paulescu signed with the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
. He was waived on August 30.