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Sam Hartman is not someone who comes into mind when thinking of 2024 NFL quarterback prospects.
Initially playing for Wake Forest, he proved to be one of the better players in the history of the lowly Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) program, setting virtually every Demon Deacons passing record, reaching two bowl games, and being named MVP in both of them before transferring to Notre Dame for 2023.
But he has another reason to potentially get fans invested: his unique look, which features a flowing mane of black hair and full beard and mustache. Hartman proudly showed their voluminosity during his 40-yard dash on Saturday, to the amazement of the league's community who watched a slo-mo video of it.
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Sam Hartman speaks up on proving his worth at Draft Combine
Before his workout, Sam Hartman spoke with Sports Illustrated's Ryan Roberts about his mindset heading into his first pro-style event. He called his experience, resilience, and self-awareness the traits that would make him stand out as a leader on the field.
“I've been a captain at two different spots for years. Out of my six, I’ve been a captain four times. I've had two almost career ending life threatening injuries. I played in something like 50 games... I've played in two systems and went into two locker rooms as a captain in life and sitting in the interviews and going to talk to the coaches.”
He also shared his thoughts on preparing for the event, satyng that he had been studying the various drills to improve his stock:
“I've worked on the offseason to kind of hone in on my forty, the jumps, everything. On the field, just feeling smooth, quick, being accurate, getting it all out on time and making some completions and showing some velocity behind it. At the end of the day, I want to go out there and have fun. It's an unbelievable opportunity for me to go out and say that I got to go to the Combine."
Hartman wound up being the only quarterback to do the 40-yard dash, going 4.80 seconds.
