It’s All Comes from the Heart with Dylan Sampson

by Bo Marchionte
Published February 28, 2025, 03:37 PM

Indianapolis, IN – Football wasn’t always a part of Dylan Sampson’s life, and the road wasn’t always smooth. He first played in third grade but stepped away until seventh grade. After that, life threw some heavy challenges his way. The Great Flood of 2016 in Louisiana, his grandfather’s second battle with cancer, and the loss that left him searching for direction.

“I kind of lost my way for a minute,” Sampson said. “But, you know, I woke up and I found Romans 8:28, and He was just speaking to me. My family prayed over me, and I felt like this is what I should be doing—not just on the field, but off the field, too.”

That realization became his foundation. Through adversity, Sampson found purpose, driven by faith and the belief that his impact goes beyond the game. Before fully committing to football, Simpson found himself on a different path.

Track.

“To be honest, when I started running summer track, that was the first time I was introduced to discipline and hard work,” Sampson said.

It wasn’t just about running; it was about mentorship and growth. One of the most influential figures on that journey was Lance Williams.

“He was like one of my first big brothers outside of my real brothers,” Simpson said. “He brought me along, taught me the ways, taught me how to have fun and work at the same time.”

An old soul for such a young man, Sampson owns a 3.6 GPA and has a few semesters left before he earns his degree in information science and technologies. It correlates to his leadership that has seen him give pep talks as a sophomore at Tennessee.

“Coach (Josh) Heupel put me on a leadership council when I was a sophomore, I was the third running back coming off the bench,” Sampson said. “You know, guys like Joe Milton and you know, the rest of the seniors trusted me to kind of give the pregame speech sophomore year, even though I knew the very first place I was gonna be on kickoff was the sideline.

It’s just about influence, learning, your teammates, learning your players, building the connection, and just communicating as a whole, like we are in this together. You know, you just got to be passionate about the goals that we are trying to set and things you are trying to do. Like I always tell the young guys, like, if you care enough, you’ll become a leader, and you don’t even know.”

Sampson entered the 2024 season with something to prove. After years of rotating in the backfield, waiting for his chance to be the feature back, the Louisiana native finally got his opportunity and he delivered in a way that left no doubt. Leading the SEC with 1,401 rushing yards on 258 carries, including 22 touchdowns, he silenced any critics who doubted his ability to carry an offense.

His journey to the top wasn’t without obstacles. Many believed Tennessee needed to bring in another back, questioning whether Sampson could handle the workload. But instead of letting the doubt shake him, he used it as motivation.

“I take a lot of pride in {leading the SEC) because a lot of people didn’t think I could do it,” Sampson said. “You know, a lot of people thought we should have went out and gotten another (running) back. But this was the moment I’ve been waiting for my, like, my whole time at Tennessee.

You know, I kind of sat behind and rotated for a long time, and I knew the opportunity I had this year, so I was just eager to show people that every time I touch the field like I could be that guy.”

Sampson’s performance was a clean sweep of the most prized attributes for a running back with vision, patience, explosiveness, and now. Proven durability. He took control of Tennessee’s backfield and never looked back, proving he could be the foundation of an offense.

What made his season even more impressive was how he embraced the moment. Rather than feeling pressure, he thrived under it, knowing this was his time to showcase everything he had worked for. Every carry, every yard, and every touchdown were validation that he belonged among the elite.

Now, as the next chapter of his football career approaches, Sampson has already answered the biggest question surrounding him. He’s not just a capable running back. He’s the kind of player who rises to the occasion when given the chance. Both in his play and as a leader.

The only question that remains: Who will give him his next opportunity to prove it?