Living Dream for Two

By Jim Gazzolo

 Andre Sam has had to overcome a lot to reach his ultimate dream destination. 

There was the death of his brother, Aaron, just before the start of Andre’s senior season at Iowa High School.

That came after he lost both his father and grandfather at the age of six.

Despite a solid high school career, Sam had zero offers when it came to college and had to walk on at McNeese State, the school just 11 miles away from his home, just to keep his hopes alive. 

There are not a lot of offers for a 150-pounder from a smaller school. 

While at McNeese he had to play through three head coaches and deal with a pair of hurricanes that wiped out almost all of the Cowboy facilities. He even had to sit out a fall season that was postponed until the spring because of COVID.

Even when McNeese gave him a scholarship Sam seemed to have to wait forever to get playing time.

Sam would transfer to Marshall for a year and then tinker with both Tulane and Miami before finally ending up last season at LSU. Last Friday, after one season in Baton Rouge, Sam declared for the NFL Draft in hopes of living out his football career on the biggest stage.

All this while dealing with a stuttering speech disorder that made him uncomfortable speaking in public. At 25 Sam has overcome all that to get where he is today.

But it’s the memory of his brother that Sam says has kept him going through it all.

“I think about Aaron every second of every single day,” Sam said during an interview earlier this year. “I know he wants me to continue being the best version of me on and off the field. I’m not just living my dream; I’m living our dream.”

That was a repeat of what Sam said while he was still at McNeese two years ago.

“I know he is out here with me, pushing me to be my best,” said Sam in Aug. of 2021. 

Back then he was also playing for his community, which was just a year removed from devastating storms.

“We have been through a lot and McNeese is a big part of the community,” Sam added. “We want to play to help them.”

His time at McNeese meant so much to him that he remembered it Friday while making his announcement. 

 To Cowboy Nation: Thank you for taking a chance on me and giving me an opportunity to showcase my talent as a walk-on. I am forever grateful.

As a Cowboy he played in all seven games in the spring of 2021, leading the team in tackles with 52 and interceptions with three. That fall he had 70 tackles and another interception while playing in all 11 games.

After his four years at McNeese Sam moved on to Marshall and finally winding his way to LSU. 

Now he is taking his shot at pro football in hopes of keeping both his dream and his brother’s alive. 

Sam may still be a long shot to make it in the NFL but after all he has already overcome you shouldn’t bet against him.

 Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers McNeese athletics. He is the host of Poke Nation on CBS-Lake Charles.