Sam Cowart Samuel Cowart , III ( February 26 , 1975 ) is a former American college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League ( NFL ) for eight seasons . He played college football for Florida State University and was recognized as an All - American . A second - round pick in the 1998 NFL Draft , he played professionally for the Buffalo Bills , New York Jets , and Minnesota Vikings of the NFL . Cowart was a Pro Bowl selection in 2000 . Early years . Cowart was born in Jacksonville , Florida . He attended Mandarin High School in Jacksonville , and played for the Mandarin Mustangs high school football team . As a senior football player , he was a Super Prep high school All - American selection and a " USA Today " All - America honorable mention , named the Jacksonville Defensive Player of the Year , and won first - team all - state honors , and helped lead the Mustangs to the district championship in the state playoffs . College career . Cowart attended Florida State University , where he played for coach Bobby Bowden ' s Florida State Seminoles football team from 1993 through 1997 . He was a reserve linebacker on the Seminoles ' 1993 national championship team . In 1995 , he led FSU in tackles in with 115 ( 76 solo ) , finishing sixth in the Atlantic Coast Conference ( ACC ) in that category . The same year , Cowart had three quarterback sacks and 13 tackles in the FSU - Florida game ( at Florida ) to earn ABC player of the game honors . Returning in 1997 after a knee injury that kept him out of the 1996 season , Cowart earned consensus first - team All - American recognition , leading the team with 116 tackles . He also set an FSU team record with three fumbles returned or recovered for touchdowns . He was a finalist for the Butkus Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy and winner of the ACC ' s Brian Piccolo Award for the conference ' s " Most Courageous Player . " Professional career . Buffalo Bills . Cowart was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft . He played for the Bills for four seasons and received a trip to the Pro Bowl in the 2000 season . Before he was cut down by injuries , Cowart , was a sideline - to - sideline force on a playmaking par with Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis . Cowart was the Pro Bowl heart of Buffalo ' s defense until he was chopped down by Frank Middleton , a Tampa Bay Buccaneers guard , resulting in a severe ankle injury that ended his 2000 season after 12 games . Cowart also suffered a season - ending Achilles ' tendon tear in Buffalo ' s 2001 season opener . " He and Ray Lewis were the best linebackers in the league before Sam suffered that Achilles ' injury , " said former Defensive Coordinator Ted Cottrell . New York Jets . After the 2001 season , Cowart went to the New York Jets . He played as a starting linebacker for them in thirty of thirty - one games of the first two seasons . His third season he played nine games and only started two . Minnesota Vikings . Cowart was indirectly involved in the Minnesota / Oakland trade that sent Randy Moss to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for linebacker Napoleon Harris , a 1st round pick ( 7th overall ) and a 7th round pick . Cowart was then traded by the New York Jets , to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for the 7th round pick that was received from Oakland . He only played one season for the Vikings starting fourteen of fifteen games he played in . Houston Texans . After the 2005 season the Vikings released Cowart . Cowart signed with the Houston Texans to become their starting middle linebacker until he was injured and was to miss the whole season . While injured , rookie DeMeco Ryans took over the middle linebacker duties and was so impressive that he was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year . After the Texans made Ryans their full - time starter they felt that they did not need Cowart any more so he was released after the 2006 season .