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
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
Washington
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
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
| 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
- ^ 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.