Sample Followed Petersen To UW For ‘Special Experience’
November 14, 2017 | Football
By Rich Myhre
During his years at Bellevue's Newport High School, tight end Drew Sample was good enough to draw the attention of college football recruiters from the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Among the suitors were coaches from Oregon State, Utah, Utah State, Montana and Idaho.
But all through the recruiting process, one coach and one program stood out to Sample. It was Boise State University and the Broncos' then-head coach, Chris Petersen.
"You could just tell the type of person he was," Sample recalled. "I wasn't just another football player to him. I was a person and someone he cared about."
While still in high school, Sample traveled with his father to the Boise State campus and a meeting with Petersen in his office. Sample's initial perceptions about the coach were confirmed during that visit.
"(Petersen) was never someone he's not," he said. "He was always just a real genuine person, and that's something I was definitely attracted to. … When my dad and I met with him in his office, we talked to him and it wasn't just about football. It was about what he saw, how he ran the program, (the importance of) academics and all those kinds of things.
"He said, 'I want you to play football for me, but I also want you to become a real man and become someone that you're happy with as a person, not just as a football player.' I thought that was really cool.
"When my dad and I came away from that meeting, I was like, 'Wow, that's someone I want to play for.' I really believed in what he had to say."
A few months later, a funny thing happened. Then-Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian left to take the head coaching job at USC and, a few days later, Petersen was named as his UW successor.
The news set off a celebration in the Sample household. Not only would Drew still get the chance to play for Petersen, but it would be at Washington, the hometown team.
"When we saw he was coming to Washington, obviously this was someone I wanted to play for and now it was in my own back yard." And when Sample got a subsequent scholarship offer from the Huskies, "that was kind of it for me," he said.
Now, some four years later, Sample is nearing the end of his fourth Washington season (he redshirted as a true freshman in 2014). He has been a productive contributor since making his debut, playing in every game of 2015 and 2016, and all but three games this season. He missed games against Fresno State, Colorado and Oregon State due to a leg injury suffered against Montana in late September.
But all that playing time was never a given. Instead, it has been a direct result of Sample's determination and dedication to get better.
When Sample arrived on campus, said UW tight end coach Jordan Paopao, he was "actually a pretty skinny kid." And since skinny tight ends are essentially a contradiction in terms – after all, the position calls for a lot of blocking, which requires bulk and muscle – Sample had to devote a lot of time that first year to being in the weight room.
"He just grinded in the weight room and was able to put on a lot of good weight," said Paopao of the 6-foot-5, 259-pound Sample, who has added an inch of height and about 25 pounds of weight since his freshman season.
But that kind of commitment is hardly surprising for anyone that knows Sample, Paopao went on.
"In my mind, what separates Drew is his work ethic," he explained. "Drew is an extremely competitive guy. He doesn't like being second in anything, and he really takes pride in a lot of his work, from run blocking to pass catching. Again, it's just that eagerness and hunger to be the best. I think that's Drew Sample in a nutshell.
"The other thing about him is that he's one of the best guys in terms of being able to coach because he's so hungry and so eager to learn everything about the game. He has an unbelievable retention of information, so you're able to throw a lot of stuff at him and it sticks."
That drive "is something that never turns off," Paopao said. "Drew is ultra-competitive in just about everything he does."
Weight training is an integral part of a NCAA Division I program like Washington, and the Huskies permit no shortcuts or excuses. During the offseason, Sample estimates that he lifts weights three or four days a week, usually for more than an hour at a time. The offseason workouts are intended to build muscle, while the in-season sessions are more about maintaining strength, which means UW players usually lift three days a week for about 45-60 minutes once the season begins, Sample said.
Those workouts, under the direction of head strength and conditioning coach Tim Socha, "are really demanding," Sample said. "But for me it's always been something that I've really enjoyed. I enjoy putting in the work because if you put the work in you see the results. … If you throw yourself into it, it's something that can be really rewarding."
At the same time, Sample also had to immerse himself in the study of football. Because as much as players need physical strength to excel, they also need mental prowess. And for tight ends specifically, it is necessary to understand all the elements of run blocking, pass blocking and pass receiving, and then to be savvy enough to switch abruptly from one assignment to another with a call change at the line of scrimmage.
For a first-year college player, "it can be overwhelming," Sample admitted. "It took me at least a year before I started to feel more comfortable and was able to play fast without having to think so much. There's just so much information when you first come in, and it can be hard.
"There's definitely a lot on our plate," he added, "but it's exciting and a good challenge because you get to be involved in so many things."
Sample has been helped along the way by Paopao, but also in the early years by some of the older tight ends in the program at the time. Players like Josh Perkins, Michael Hartvigson, Darrell Daniels and David Ajamu.
Now a fourth-year junior, Sample will have one remaining season at Washington after this year. When it is over, he will leave with a business degree and also with the understanding that playing football for the Huskies has allowed him to be part of something special.
"To me, one of the things that stands out is the community the UW has," he said. "Not only in school, but also in the (broader) community. The fans have always been super supportive, and I saw that growing up here from (the outside) and now being a part of it."
The other highlight, Sample said, has been the opportunity to help Petersen grow his program at Washington.
"Coming in (as a freshman) with a new coaching staff, that was definitely something that was challenging and exciting," Sample said. At the outset, "everyone was trying to figure out the coaches and the culture (they) wanted. But in the last couple of years, and once that started to come together, it's been really a special experience."
During his years at Bellevue's Newport High School, tight end Drew Sample was good enough to draw the attention of college football recruiters from the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Among the suitors were coaches from Oregon State, Utah, Utah State, Montana and Idaho.
But all through the recruiting process, one coach and one program stood out to Sample. It was Boise State University and the Broncos' then-head coach, Chris Petersen.
"You could just tell the type of person he was," Sample recalled. "I wasn't just another football player to him. I was a person and someone he cared about."
While still in high school, Sample traveled with his father to the Boise State campus and a meeting with Petersen in his office. Sample's initial perceptions about the coach were confirmed during that visit.
"(Petersen) was never someone he's not," he said. "He was always just a real genuine person, and that's something I was definitely attracted to. … When my dad and I met with him in his office, we talked to him and it wasn't just about football. It was about what he saw, how he ran the program, (the importance of) academics and all those kinds of things.
"He said, 'I want you to play football for me, but I also want you to become a real man and become someone that you're happy with as a person, not just as a football player.' I thought that was really cool.
"When my dad and I came away from that meeting, I was like, 'Wow, that's someone I want to play for.' I really believed in what he had to say."
A few months later, a funny thing happened. Then-Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian left to take the head coaching job at USC and, a few days later, Petersen was named as his UW successor.
The news set off a celebration in the Sample household. Not only would Drew still get the chance to play for Petersen, but it would be at Washington, the hometown team.
"When we saw he was coming to Washington, obviously this was someone I wanted to play for and now it was in my own back yard." And when Sample got a subsequent scholarship offer from the Huskies, "that was kind of it for me," he said.
Now, some four years later, Sample is nearing the end of his fourth Washington season (he redshirted as a true freshman in 2014). He has been a productive contributor since making his debut, playing in every game of 2015 and 2016, and all but three games this season. He missed games against Fresno State, Colorado and Oregon State due to a leg injury suffered against Montana in late September.
But all that playing time was never a given. Instead, it has been a direct result of Sample's determination and dedication to get better.
When Sample arrived on campus, said UW tight end coach Jordan Paopao, he was "actually a pretty skinny kid." And since skinny tight ends are essentially a contradiction in terms – after all, the position calls for a lot of blocking, which requires bulk and muscle – Sample had to devote a lot of time that first year to being in the weight room.
"He just grinded in the weight room and was able to put on a lot of good weight," said Paopao of the 6-foot-5, 259-pound Sample, who has added an inch of height and about 25 pounds of weight since his freshman season.
But that kind of commitment is hardly surprising for anyone that knows Sample, Paopao went on.
"In my mind, what separates Drew is his work ethic," he explained. "Drew is an extremely competitive guy. He doesn't like being second in anything, and he really takes pride in a lot of his work, from run blocking to pass catching. Again, it's just that eagerness and hunger to be the best. I think that's Drew Sample in a nutshell.
"The other thing about him is that he's one of the best guys in terms of being able to coach because he's so hungry and so eager to learn everything about the game. He has an unbelievable retention of information, so you're able to throw a lot of stuff at him and it sticks."
That drive "is something that never turns off," Paopao said. "Drew is ultra-competitive in just about everything he does."
Weight training is an integral part of a NCAA Division I program like Washington, and the Huskies permit no shortcuts or excuses. During the offseason, Sample estimates that he lifts weights three or four days a week, usually for more than an hour at a time. The offseason workouts are intended to build muscle, while the in-season sessions are more about maintaining strength, which means UW players usually lift three days a week for about 45-60 minutes once the season begins, Sample said.
Those workouts, under the direction of head strength and conditioning coach Tim Socha, "are really demanding," Sample said. "But for me it's always been something that I've really enjoyed. I enjoy putting in the work because if you put the work in you see the results. … If you throw yourself into it, it's something that can be really rewarding."
At the same time, Sample also had to immerse himself in the study of football. Because as much as players need physical strength to excel, they also need mental prowess. And for tight ends specifically, it is necessary to understand all the elements of run blocking, pass blocking and pass receiving, and then to be savvy enough to switch abruptly from one assignment to another with a call change at the line of scrimmage.
For a first-year college player, "it can be overwhelming," Sample admitted. "It took me at least a year before I started to feel more comfortable and was able to play fast without having to think so much. There's just so much information when you first come in, and it can be hard.
"There's definitely a lot on our plate," he added, "but it's exciting and a good challenge because you get to be involved in so many things."
Sample has been helped along the way by Paopao, but also in the early years by some of the older tight ends in the program at the time. Players like Josh Perkins, Michael Hartvigson, Darrell Daniels and David Ajamu.
Now a fourth-year junior, Sample will have one remaining season at Washington after this year. When it is over, he will leave with a business degree and also with the understanding that playing football for the Huskies has allowed him to be part of something special.
"To me, one of the things that stands out is the community the UW has," he said. "Not only in school, but also in the (broader) community. The fans have always been super supportive, and I saw that growing up here from (the outside) and now being a part of it."
The other highlight, Sample said, has been the opportunity to help Petersen grow his program at Washington.
"Coming in (as a freshman) with a new coaching staff, that was definitely something that was challenging and exciting," Sample said. At the outset, "everyone was trying to figure out the coaches and the culture (they) wanted. But in the last couple of years, and once that started to come together, it's been really a special experience."
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