Sam Hartman eager to prove himself approaching the Senior Bowl
Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman drops back to attempt a pass during Senior Bowl practice Wednesday January 31, 2024 at Hancock Whitney Stadium. (Lynn Harrington/stayaliveinpower5)
MOBILE, Ala. — When it comes to experience, leadership and production, there’s no denying Sam Hartman checks all of those boxes.
The former Wake Forest and Notre Dame quarterback is coming off a prolific collegiate career, in which he broke several ACC records. Not to mention he’s the Demon Deacons’ career leader in passing yards, and touchdown tosses. Hartman believes everything he has accomplished up to this point will help him on his journey to the NFL Draft.
After three days of scrimmaging against the best of the best during Senior Bowl week, Hartman is feeling positive about where he stands. The Charlotte native looked decent during the final practice, with a couple of completions over the middle and out in the flats.
Adjusting to NFL playbooks should be a smooth transition for Hartman, considering he’s a natural at adjusting on the fly. After all, he played multiple seasons under Warren Ruggiero’s scheme at Wake Forest, and operated just fine under a new staff last year at Notre Dame. That’s why Hartman is comfortable in any offense at the next level.
“Whatever one I end up in will be good,” Hartman said. “I think it’s football at the end of the day, and I’ve done it all at this point.”
The gunslinger is definitely a winner, and his success isn’t going unnoticed. However, Hartman didn’t separate himself from the other signal-callers competing at the Senior Bowl, including Oregon’s Bo Nix and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr.
What stood out to everyone in attendance at Hancock Whitney Stadium was his lack of size. Hartman measured in at six-foot one, and weighed 209 pounds. On top of that, some scouts are still questioning his arm strength. Which is why Hartman is using it all as motivation. He understands that there’s going to be a learning curve, so he doesn’t let himself get too caught up in the moment.
“Never getting too high, never getting too low, even at practice like this, there’s a lot of pressure,” he said. “You’re going to miss throws, you’re going to make bad reads, but it’s how you rally around that and keep pushing.”
The Senior Bowl is Saturday, and he’s eager to leave a lasting impression on the NFL executives. Everything is coming full circle for Hartman. All of his blood, sweat and tears through the years can pay off in a big way if he takes advantage of this opportunity. Hartman has also been training with Penix out in California. From footwork, to accuracy, and reading defenses under center will all be vital for him.
The 24-year old has been on this stage plenty of times though, and isn’t afraid of the spotlight. Hartman’s football knowledge is a strength, and he’s all about building chemistry with his teammates. It’s no mystery that he played for great coaches in Dave Clawson and Marcus Freeman.
Hartman is an individual of character, who wants to win the trust of his teammates and coaches. Those attributes should be beneficial on his path to the NFL Draft. At the end of the day, Hartman just wants to build momentum on Saturday, and carry it over to the Scouting Combine.
“I’m experienced, I’m self-aware, and I’m resilient, so I’m looking forward to finishing out strong.”
