Mohamed Sanu is a professional American football player who plays in the wide receiver position for NFL side Atlanta Falcons. He was drafted in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals and after a 4-season stint with the team, he joined the Atlanta Falcons in 2016.
Mohamed Sanu Bio (Age)
Mohamed Sanu Sr. was born on August 22, 1989, to Aminata Koroma and Samuel Sanu. His parents are originally from the West African country, Sierra Leone where he spent a few years of his childhood. He eventually returned to the US at age 6 alongside his older sister Jabbie and they were raised in Dayton, New Jersey. His father was also a professional athlete who played for the Sierra Leone national soccer team in his youth.
Mohamed Sanu schooled at South Brunswick High School where he was a letterman in football as well as track & field. Playing as a triple-option quarterback, Sanu led the school’s team to their first playoff berth in almost 4 decades. Having exceeded the NJSIAA’s age limit, Mohamed Sanu was not qualified to play in his senior year and thus graduated 6 months early from high school.
In January 2009, Sanu enrolled at Rutgers University where he made history as the first Rutgers player to start as a wide receiver whilst a freshman. The talented player caught 51 passes for 639 yards with 3 touchdowns, 62 rushing attempts for 346 yards, and 5 rushing touchdowns as a wildcat quarterback. He was also named the MVP at the 2009 St. Petersburg Bowl in which Rutgers trumped the UCF Knights. Sanu was also voted unanimous preseason All-Big East wide receiver in 2010.
In his 3-season stint with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team in which he played 38 games, Mohamed Sanu had 210 receptions for 2,263 yards and 19 touchdowns, with a 3,019 net yardage. He equally had 8 passes completed out of 18 for 207 yards and 4 touchdowns. After his junior season, Sanu entered the 2012 NFL Draft where he was picked in the 3rd round by the Cincinnati Bengals as the 83rd overall pick.
NFL Career
Mohamed Sanu marked his NFL debut on September 23, 2012, in the Bengals’ match against the Washington Redskins. Coming in as a wildcat quarterback, he recorded the first touchdown pass of his professional career to A. J. Green, becoming the first wide receiver to ever throw a touchdown pass in the history of the Cincinnati Bengals. He continued with this record-breaking form in the weeks that followed until his rookie season was brought to an end owing to a foot injury.
Mohamed Sanu returned in the 2013 season featuring in all 16 games for the Bengals and finishing with 47 receptions, 455 yards, and two touchdowns. Owing to injury woes of teammates A. J. Green and Marvin Jones, Sanu had a bigger role in the Bengals 2014 season. He improved on his previous season’s performance with 56 receptions for 790 yards and 5 touchdowns. In his last (2015) season with the Cincinnati Bengals, the talented player caught 33 passes for 394 yards.
Mohamed Sanu joined the Atlanta Falcons in March 2016 on a five-year deal valued at $32.5 million. In his first (2016) season with the Falcons, he had 59 receptions for 653 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Falcons clinched the NFC South title and equally made it to Super Bowl LI where they were overpowered by the New England Patriots. In the 2017 season, Sanu had 67 receptions for 703 yards and 5 touchdowns as the Falcons made it to the playoffs with a 10–6 record.
Wife or Girlfriend, Is Mohamed Sanu Married?
Marriage could be in Mohamed Sanu’s plans for the near future, however, he is yet to take that major step. The NFL star came very close to tying the knot in the past when he got engaged to his then-girlfriend Lauren Mackenzie in February 2016. The proposal was quite a memorable one as it took place in London’s Wembley Stadium during a match between English Premier League sides Liverpool and Manchester City.
Prior to their engagement, the duo had a child together. Their son Mohamed Sanu Jr. was born on August 21, 2015, a day before Sanu turned 25.
However, Mohamed Sanu Sr. did not eventually get married to his former fiancée Lauren Mackenzie. Sometime in early 2018, The Atlanta Falcons star got together with Dani Lee, a fashion entrepreneur.
Height, Weight, and Body Measurements
Mohamed Sanu Sr. is 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm) tall and maintains a weight of 98 kg (215 lb). Other details of his body measurements are yet to be confirmed.
