Photo by: National Underclassmen Football Combine
NUC Texas Feature - Christian Sam
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Christian Sam will be the first to admit he had butterflies in his stomach when the lights first came on before Allen's season opener in the new $60 million Eagle Stadium.
Not only was the atmosphere rocking like never before, Allen was facing defending state champion Southlake Carroll without their two offensive stars, quarterback Alec Morris (Alabama signee) and running back Jonathan Williams (Arkansas signee), from a year ago.
But Sam, a relatively unknown junior linebacker at the time, knew something special was in the air. He was right.
The young Eagles defied the odds and steamrolled Southlake Carroll 24-0 the first time the Dragons had been shut out since 1997.
"Outside people didn't know we had a chance. But we always knew," Sam said. "It was one of the loudest games ever, and we just went all out. We shocked everybody."
That signature win was truly the start of something remarkable. Allen would go on to capture the 5A Division I state title and finish the year 15-1.
And Sam blossomed into one of the top linebackers in the Dallas-area. The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder racked up 57 tackles and 11 sacks and FBS schools from around the country began to take notice.
"It was kind of unreal when I got my first offer from SMU (after defeating DeSoto in the semifinals)," Sam said. "It was a great feeling and then we went on to win state and did everything we always dreamed of."
Fast forward six months later and Sam now holds 20 offers. As it does to most top-flight prospects, the recruiting process has taken its toll, but Sam is nearing a decision and has narrowed it down to six.
But two are sticking out from the pack.
"Baylor is close to home, and it's just a great upcoming program. They have been recruiting me really hard, and I just like what they have to offer," he said. "I really like it there, and Coach (Art) Briles and Coach (Jim) Gush are great coaches.
"Every time I go to Texas Tech, I have a great time. I really like the coaches because they are just great people and really care about me. They are doing some great things there."
Arizona State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and SMU are the other schools in contention for Sam, who plans on making his decision before his senior season so he can focus on helping Allen repeat as state champions.
"Just because we won state doesn't mean we've stopped working. I think this offseason was the hardest one yet," Sam said. "I have to step up and take more of a leadership role to help us get back there. We are hungrier than ever."
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