American football player Sam Hartman might not be a top quarterback prospect for the 2024 NFL draft, but he certainly has the experience and skills to play in the National Football League. After years of college football, the Charlotte, North Carolina native is set to continue his football journey in one of the world’s biggest sports leagues. Hartman ended his college career with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team of the University of Notre Dame in December 2023, opting out of the Sun Bowl championship to prepare for the 2024 NFL.
While Sam Hartman’s football aspirations have gained a new lease on life at Notre Dame, he’s always been on the radar of the sports. He gained nationwide recognition in high school, playing for Davidson Day School in North Carolina and Oceanside Collegiate Academy in South Carolina. He threw 6,388 yards with 69 touchdowns during his sophomore and junior seasons at Davidson, bagging the Charlotte Observer Player of the Week award four times. As a senior at Oceanside, he led his team to a 7-3 record, racking up 3093 yards passing and 29 touchdowns.
Sam Hartman Starred In Peter Berg’s Sports Documentary Series
A standout quarterback in high school, Sam Hartman was one of the players featured in QB1: Beyond the Lights, a sports documentary series directed by Peter Berg. Made up of 40 episodes spread across four seasons, the series premiered its first season on Netflix in February 2017. Alongside Re-al Mitchell and Justin Fields, Hartman starred in the series’ second season, which revolves around the best quarterbacks in high school football. It follows quarterbacks from differing backgrounds in their final season of high school football. While Mitchell has been off the radar, Hartman is hopeful to kick off his NFL career in 2024, whereas Fields has been playing in the league for the Chicago Bears since 2021.
He Spent Six Years Playing College Football
Following a brilliant high school football career, Sam Hartman embarked on a college football journey that lasted for six years, first at Wake Forest University and then at the University of Notre Dame. His freshman year saw him set several school records, including the best statistical debut in school history. He was one of the five freshman quarterbacks to start the 2018 season in the FBS. However, he only managed four games as the backup quarterback in 2019, the first of his three years as a sophomore. Three redshirt seasons later, he transferred to Notre Dame, where he completed his college career.
Sam Hartman Looks Up To Jalen Hurts and Aaron Rodgers
In preparation for his professional career, Sam Hartman hopes to become an NFL quarterback star of Aaron Rodgers and Jalen Hurts caliber. He shared this during an appearance on the Heisman Trophy podcast in September 2023. Hartman thinks highly of the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles players. He admires their personalities as much as he esteem their style of play. “I love Jalen Hurts,” he said, “…I think that is a guy I look at and like to watch. I wish I could run like him and throw like him, but he is someone I have a heavy respect for, and know he’s one of a kind.” Hartman expressed a similar sentiment about Rodgers, acknowledging he adores “…who he is (and) his persona of playing the game.”
His Brother Joe Hartman Played Basketball At Haverford College
The quarterback isn’t the only athlete in his family; his older brother, Joe Hartman, was once a college athlete. He played football and baseball in high school before settling for basketball. Joe had his college career at Haverford College, where he was a member of the school’s men’s basketball team from 2016 to 2020. When he graduated, the older Hartman turned to his Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and Biophysics for a professional career. He worked as a medical assistant at the Urology Specialist of the Carolinas for a year before taking up employment with the University of Florida in August 2021. Joe still works for the institution in Gainesville, Florida, as a research assistant.
He Lost His Adoptive Brother In 2015
Apart from Joe Hartman, the quarterback had another older sibling, an adoptive brother named Demitri Allison. Sam Hartman’s parents, Lisa and Mark Hartman accepted Allison into their home when Sam was 12. He blended in and became a member of the family. Allison was also an athlete: he played football as a wide receiver at Elon University until his tragic death in November 2015. Allison jumped from a 10-story balcony at a residence hall, and his death was ruled a suicide.
Allison’s passing was a big shock for Sam, who struggled to make sense of how “the nicest guy in the world was responsible for taking his own life.” Speaking to Faith Driven Athlete, the quarterback disclosed he observes a ritual every game to honor the memory of his late brother. “I put the initials D.A. on my wristband… They’re for my brother, Demitri. He may have had a different last name… and we may not have shared a bloodline, but he was a brother in every sense of the word,” stated the quarterback.