Sam Ehlinger

Sam Ehlinger's Biography

Samuel George Ehlinger, known more popularly as Sam Ehlinger, is a celebrated American professional football star. Born on the 30th of September in 1998, Sam now plays as a quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, a team in the National Football League (NFL). Before his rise to professional stardom, Sam made a name for himself playing college football with the Texas Longhorns. During his time at the University of Texas, he led the team to the Big 12 Championship Game in 2018, as well as two bowl games.

Sam’s football prowess first manifested when he attended Westlake High School in Austin, Texas. He was skillfully coached by Todd Dodge during this time, helping him develop a formidable knack for the game. By the time he graduated, he had broken records left by esteemed of Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks like Drew Brees and Nick Foles to become the all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns for the school. This remarkable athletic performance didn’t go unnoticed, and Sam was rewarded in kind. He was named as the MaxPreps National Junior of the Year after his junior season and was rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com.

His impressive athletic record led to numerous offers from various universities including Florida State, Houston, McNeese State, Oklahoma State, SMU, Texas Tech, and Wyoming. A Texas native at heart, Sam chose to accept an offer closer to home and committed to the Texas Longhorns of the University of Texas at Austin on July 28, 2015.

The arrival of Sam at the Texas Longhorns coincided with the appointment of their new head coach, Tom Herman. The new coach inherited a formidable offense led by sophomore starting quarterback Shane Buechele, which led to competition between Sam and Buechele for the starting position. Sam was set into action in the spring game where he scored a touchdown and passed for 148 yards with the second-team offense against the first-team defense.

Despite this early performance, he continued as second-string quarterback at the start of the season. However, when Buechele sustained an injury to his throwing shoulder during the opening game, Sam was offered the opportunity to take practice repetitions with the first-team starters. This marked the beginning of his journey in the university’s quarterback rotation.

In his first career start for Texas, Sam led the team to a 56–0 victory against the San Jose State Spartans, passing over 222 yards and scoring a touchdown along with 48 rushing yards. His performance made an impression, he was just the tenth freshman ever to start a game at quarterback for the university.

Though the starting quarterback role was not yet his permanently, due to Buechele’s recovery from injury, Sam was once again selected to start against the #4 USC Trojans. This decision paid off as Sam completed 21 of 40 passes and two touchdowns. The lost, however, when Sam fumbled the ball over during the second overtime period, allowing USC to win on a second field goal. Despite this setback, Sam had thrown for 298 yards, setting a new record for the second-most passing yards by a true freshman in university history.

Over the course of the next few games, Sam proved to be a force to be reckoned with. He was named the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Player of the Week for his performance against the Kansas State Wildcats. He led Texas to a 40–34 double overtime victory in which his 380 passing yards marked a personal high for 2017 and the most by a true freshman at Texas. His performance against the 12th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners saw him pass for 278 yards and rushed for 106 yards, making him the first freshman quarterback in school history to rush for over 100 yards in back-to-back games.

Despite a concussion in a game against Oklahoma State Cowboys and a brief stumble due to an inner ear issue, Sam continued to play exceptionally. He led Texas to a significant victory in the Texas Bowl with 33–16, where he played as the main quarterback for the first and much of the second half. Throughout the season, Sam rose from being a second-string quarterback to become the team’s leading passer and rusher.

As the 2018 season started, Sam was once again pitted against Buechele for the starting quarterback position. However, he gained the upper hand and was named the starter for Texas’ season opener against the Maryland Terrapins. Despite early setbacks, Sam quickly bounced back, leading the Longhorns to victories against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane and the 24th-ranked USC Trojans. Sam’s performance against the 7th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners, where he accounted for 386 yards and five touchdowns, solidified his position as one of Longhorns’ most formidable players.

Sam’s tenure within the football field was marked with significant accomplishments and a level of play that earned him the attention of the National Football League. This resulted in his selection by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft – cementing his role as a professional athlete. The journey of Samuel George Ehlinger from a high school athlete to an NFL player has been nothing short of remarkable, a testament to his exceptional skills on the football field.