Sam Silas

{{Short description|American football player (1940–2023)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Use American English|date=June 2023}}

{{Infobox Canadian Football League biography

| name = Sam Silas

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1940|9|25|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Bartow, Florida

| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|12|17|1940|9|25|mf=y}}

| death_place = Lakeland, Florida

| team =

| number = 72, 78

| status =

| position1 = Defensive end

| height_ft =

| height_in =

| weight_lb =

| college = Southern Illinois

| AFLDraftedYear = 1963

| AFLDraftedRound = 6

| AFLDraftedPick = 46
(By the Boston Patriots)

| AFLDraftedTeam =

| playing_years1 = 1963–1967

| playing_team1 = St. Louis Cardinals

| playing_years2 = 1968

| playing_team2 = New York Giants

| playing_years3 = 1969–1970

| playing_team3 = San Francisco 49ers

| playing_team4 = Portland Storm (WFL)

| career_highlights =

| ProBowls = 1 (1965)

| DatabaseFootball = SILASSAM01

}}

Samuel Louis Silas (September 25, 1940 – December 17, 2023){{cite web |title=Obituary for Samuel Louis Silas "BIG RED" at GAUSE FUNERAL HOME |url=https://www.gausefuneralhomeinc.com/obituary/samuel-silas |website=www.gausefuneralhomeinc.com |access-date=19 February 2024 |language=en}} was an American professional football player who was a defensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL).{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-star-ledger/163675265/ | title=Giants' Sam Silas–he's happy in New York | work=The Star-Ledger | date=August 20, 1968 | accessdate=22 January 2025}} He was selected by the Boston Patriots in the sixth round (46th overall) of the 1963 AFL Draft. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1963 to 1967, for the New York Giants in 1968, and for the San Francisco 49ers from 1969 to 1970.{{Cite web |title=Sam Silas |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/SilaSa00.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221013015243/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/SilaSa00.htm |archive-date=2022-10-13 |access-date=2023-04-22 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} He went to one Pro Bowl during his eight-year career, and was selected to one All-Pro team. Silas played for the Portland Storm of the World Football League in 1974.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}}