Amari Gainer (born June 22, 2000) is an American professional football linebacker for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles and North Carolina Tar Heels.
| No. 53 – Las Vegas Raiders | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Linebacker |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | June 22, 2000 |
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight: | 236 lb (107 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Chiles (Leon County, Florida) |
| College: | Florida State (2018–2022) North Carolina (2023) |
| Undrafted: | 2024 |
| Career history | |
| |
| Roster status: | Active |
| Player stats at PFR | |
Early life
editGainer was born on June 22, 2000, and grew up in Tallahassee, Florida.[1] His father was a wide receiver who played college football for the Florida State Seminoles.[2] He attended Lawton Chiles High School where he was a standout football player, totaling 93 tackles, 24 tackles-for-loss (TFLs) and 12 sacks as a senior.[3] He was a top-250 recruit and a four-star prospect, ultimately committing to play college football for Florida State, the school his father had attended.[3][4][5]
College career
editAs a true freshman at Florida State in 2018, Gainer suffered a broken foot and redshirted, having appeared in four games during the season.[3] He became a starter in 2019.[3] With 13 games played, and nine starts, in the 2019 season, he recorded 69 tackles, seven TFLs and 3.5 sacks.[2][6] He then was the team-leader with 65 tackles in 2020.[7] Gainer recorded 59 tackles, 5.5 TFLs and a sack during the 2021 season, then posted 17 tackles, 1.5 TFLs and a sack in 2022.[2]
Gainer transferred to the North Carolina Tar Heels for his final season in 2023, ending his stint at Florida State having made 210 tackles, 19 TFLs, six sacks and five forced fumbles.[2][8] In his lone year with the Tar Heels, he appeared in all 13 games and posted 27 tackles, six TFLs and 2.5 sacks.[2]
Professional career
editAfter going unselected in the 2024 NFL draft, Gainer signed with the Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted free agent.[9][10]
References
edit- ^ "Amari Gainer". Fox Sports.
- ^ a b c d e "Amari Gainer". North Carolina Tar Heels.
- ^ a b c d Reed, Tashan (October 3, 2019). "Instant impact: In the first start of his career, Florida State's Amari Gainer showed off his skill set". The Athletic.
- ^ "Former Chiles Timberwolf turned Florida State Seminoles receiving preseason honors". WTXL-TV. July 26, 2021.
- ^ Henry, Jim (July 3, 2023). "Former Chiles High, FSU linebacker Amari Gainer settles in at North Carolina". Tallahassee Democrat – via archive.ph.
- ^ Weiler, Curt (April 3, 2021). "FSU linebacker, Tallahassee native Amari Gainer thriving in new versatile role". Tallahassee Democrat.
- ^ Fernandez, Andre C. (August 22, 2021). "Amari Gainer setting a high standard for Florida State's young core of linebackers". Tallahassee Democrat.
- ^ Alexander, Chip (August 18, 2023). "From Florida State to North Carolina: Amari Gainer wants to make name for himself". The News & Observer.
- ^ "Raiders announce undrafted free agents". Las Vegas Raiders. April 27, 2024.
- ^ Hill, Adam (August 24, 2024). "Raiders report: Rookie linebacker states his case in preseason finale". Las Vegas Review-Journal.