Sammie Lee Hill - Pro Football Rumors

NFL Reinstates DL Sammie Lee Hill

May 8th, 2018 at 4:10pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL has reinstated former Lions and Titans defensive lineman Sammie Lee Hill, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Hill has been suspended since November 2016.

Given that Hill has been away from the game for more than a full season, it’s not clear what kind of market he’ll find for his services. The former fourth-round pick is 31 years old and turns 32 in November.

Hill served a four-game suspension as a free agent in 2016 for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Months later, he was hit with a one-year ban for an undisclosed violation.

In the past, the Seahawks and Jets showed interest in Hill, so they could be candidates to reach out to him this time around.

Hill, an Alabama native, has 97 games with 48 starts to his credit. Over the years, he has amasses seven sacks and nearly 160 total tackles.

Sammie Lee Hill Banned For At Least One Year

November 29th, 2016 at 4:50pm CST by Zachary Links

Free agent defensive tackle Sammie Lee Hill, has been suspended for a period of at least a year, a league source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Hill last played for the Titans.

Hill, 30, served a four-game suspension as a free agent earlier this season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. It’s not clear what led to today’s ban, but his history played a role in the lengthy ban.

An MCL injury limited Hill to only ten games (five starts) with the Titans in 2015, and Tennessee expressed no interest in re-signing him during free agency. No other clubs were knocking down Hill’s door, either, as his only known visit came with the Seahawks in March. The Jets took a look at Hill earlier this month, but they did not sign him. It’s possible that we won’t see Hill in the NFL again.

Jets Work Out DT Sammie Lee Hill

November 7th, 2016 at 7:06pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets auditioned defensive tackles Sammie Lee Hill, Jordan Hill, and Lawrence Virgil, as well as offensive tackle Arturo Uzdavinis today, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Sammie Lee Hill, who will turn 30 years old tomorrow, served a four-game suspension as a free agent earlier this season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Injuries limited Hill to only 10 games (five starts) with the Titans in 2015, and Tennessee expressed no interest in re-signing him during free agency. No other clubs were knocking down Hill’s door, either, as his only known visit came with the Seahawks in March.

Jordan Hill, meanwhile, was released off Seattle’s injured reserve list earlier this season. Hill, 25, was a key reserve during the 2014 campaign, posting 5.5 sacks, and was a part-time player (10 appearances) last season as well. He’s worked out for several teams since being cut loose by the Seahawks, including the Falcons, Bengals, Redskins, and Colts.

NFL Suspends Sammie Lee Hill And Prince Shembo

August 29th, 2016 at 6:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The NFL has suspended two players that are currently unemployed, as defensive tackle Sammie Lee Hill and linebacker Prince Shembo have both been handed bans. Hill will be suspended four games, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link), while Shembo is banned for two games, tweets Doug Kyed of NESN.com.

Hill, 29, was accused of sexual assault back in 2014, but it’s more likely (given the length) that this suspension is for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. In his seventh NFL season, Hill played in 10 games for the Titans, starting five, and picked up six tackles. He missed a portion of the season thanks to an MCL injury, and he’s continued to sit on the open market since March, though he did take a meeting with the Seahawks earlier this year.

Shembo, meanwhile, was accused of killing his ex-girlfriend’s dog. According to Denica Williams, Shembo’s former girlfriend, she left Shembo and her Yorkie unattended at the linebacker’s home, and the dog was unresponsive when she returned. Per a necropsy, the cause of death was blunt force trauma, and the animal also had a fractured rib, a fractured liver, and several other injuries. However, the charges against Shembo were later dismissed.

It’s not the first time that Shembo has run into off-field trouble. The former Falcons linebacker was investigated for allegedly sexually assaulting a Saint Mary’s College freshman in 2010, though he was never charged in that case. Lizzy Seeberg, Shembo’s accuser, killed herself 10 days after the alleged incident.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

FA Rumors: Okung, Galette, Raji, Forte

March 14th, 2016 at 11:55am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent offensive tackle Russell Okung has offers on the table from the Lions, Steelers, and Giants, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, who reports (via Twitter) that Okung is talking to Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak today. Meanwhile, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link) hears that the Giants are probably an underdog for the former first-round pick, who has no other visits scheduled for now.

While La Canfora doesn’t indicate that the Seahawks have made a formal offer to Okung, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Seattle is out of it. We heard last week that the Seahawks were making a push to bring back their tackle, and it’s possible he’ll give his longtime team a chance to match offers he receives from rival suitors. Since he’s representing himself, Okung’s time on the market has lasted a little longer than it otherwise might have, but it looks like there’s a decent chance of him getting something done this week.

Let’s round up a few more free agent rumors from around the NFL…

Junior Galette remains in a holding pattern, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post, who reports that the pass rusher would like a one-year deal that would pay him in the $7-9MM range. Jones writes that Washington has made one-, two-, and three-year offers to Galette, but they’re all low on base salaries and heavy on incentives.
The Panthers are in the market for players to contribute to their defensive tackle rotation, and David Newton of ESPN.com says that the team has interest in B.J. Raji. Carolina also brought in Paul Soliai for a visit over the weekend, as we previously heard.
In a conversation with reporters, including Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter links), Matt Forte said today that the Buccaneers and Cowboys were among his suitors, and the Patriots and Packers also expressed “minor interest.” Forte, who ultimately signed with the Jets, added that not receiving an offer from the Bears was a “hard pill to swallow.”
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), defensive tackle Sammie Lee Hill is the latest in a series of interior defenders to visit the Seahawks, who are looking to beef up the middle of the line in the wake of Brandon Mebane‘s departure.

Sammie Hill Accused Of Sexual Assault

December 8th, 2014 at 9:32pm CST by Rory Parks

Titans defensive tackle Sammie Hill has been accused of sexual assault and the claim is being investigated by the Atlanta Police Department, according to Jordan Buie of the Tennessean. As Buie writes, a 37-year-old woman in Houston contacted Houston police last Wednesday and reported that she was assaulted by Hill in a hotel room in Atlanta.

Hill, who has two sacks and 25 total tackles this season, has discussed the matter with the Titans, who released the following statement:

“We will let the police investigate the allegation and we will provide any assistance they need. We have discussed the matter with Sammie and we will continue to gather facts.”

We will pass along more information as it becomes available.