Mohamed Sanu Sr. (born August 22, 1989) is an American football wide receiver for the National Football League’s San Francisco 49ers. He attended Rutgers University and was taken in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. Sanu has also played for the Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, and Detroit Lions, among other teams.
Sanu was born to a Muslim household in Sayreville, New Jersey, and spent time as a child in his parents’ native Sierra Leone. Sanu came to the United States and settled in Dayton, New Jersey, where he went on to flourish as a triple-option quarterback at South Brunswick High School before enrolling at Rutgers University in 2009.
Sanu led the Vikings to their first postseason berth in over 40 years in his final season at South Brunswick High School, scoring three rushing touchdowns of at least 80 yards versus Edison High School.
Mohamed Sanu Sr career history
College Career
Sanu recorded 51 receptions for 639 yards and three touchdowns as a true freshman wide receiver. [7] Coach Greg Schiano’s first true freshman to start at wide receiver, Sanu was named the St. Petersburg Bowl’s Most Valuable Player in 2009. Sanu was a preseason All-Big East wide receiver in 2010. He has 13 receptions versus North Carolina in 2011. [8] The following week, he caught 16 passes. Sanu broke Pitt’s Larry Fitzgerald’s single-season receiving record of 115 for 1,206 yards in 2011.
Sanu caught 210 passes for 2,263 yards and 19 touchdowns while at Rutgers. He also punted twice for 67 yards and completed eight of 18 passes for 207 yards and four touchdowns.
Professional career
Sanu was chosen by the Bengals in the third round (83rd overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft. He got a four-year, $2.71 million contract with a $563,252 signing bonus.
On the first play from scrimmage against the Washington Redskins on September 23, 2012, Sanu threw a 73-yard touchdown pass to A. J. Green. This made him the first Bengals wide receiver to ever throw a touchdown pass and his first NFL reception.
Sanu signed a five-year, $32.5 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons on March 10, 2016.
Sanu was traded to the New England Patriots on October 22, 2019, in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Sanu had two receptions on two targets for 23 yards in his Patriots debut against the Cleveland Browns. Sanu had a season-high 10 receptions for 81 yards and a score in a 37–20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9. In a 20–13 loss against the Titans in the Wild Card Round, he recorded an 11-yard reception. In his first season with the Patriots, Sanu recorded 26 receptions for 207 yards and a touchdown.
Sanu signed with the San Francisco 49ers on September 18, 2020. On October 6, 2020, he was released.
Sanu was signed to the Detroit Lions practice squad on November 6, 2020. On November 21, he was promoted to the active roster for the team’s Week 11 game against the Carolina Panthers but was quickly sent to the practice squad following the game. On November 25, 2020, Sanu was promoted to the active roster.
Sanu re-signed with the 49ers on March 30, 2021. Before being placed on injured reserve on November 15, he appeared in eight games. On January 26, 2022, he was activated.
