The Strength of Samson
Before he reported to training camp, ex-UH star Samson Satele sat down with MidWeek to talk about his record-breaking rookie season with the Miami Dolphins. As a UH Warrior, Samson Satele was The King, and following his senior season was considered by analysts the second best center in the 2007 NFL draft.
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waiting for that day to come and when I got that call ... My dad’s been my coach since I was 7 years old playing football, and to this day he is still my coach ... That day we hugged and everything came out - all my tears, all the hard work my dad put in for me. I was waiting for that moment to happen. Hopefully, one day I’ll have a son and raise him how my father raised me.”
He’ll get that chance soon enough. He and Lenora are expecting their first child, a son, in September.
The influence of Samson’s parents is clearly evident in their 300-pound son. He has Faalata’s strength and sense of humor, and a thoughtfulness that he seems to have tapped directly from his mother Norine. Both parents speak of faith and pride in their son without any hint of living vicariously through his success. It’s this background that makes his agent, former UH standout Leo Goeas, feel that his client is perfectly suited to handling the pressure that comes with an NFL career.
“He has a level of maturity and professionalism already than you don’t often see in a young kid,” says Goeas. “He had this demeanor about him that you just knew he was going to be something special. It makes my job easy. Not all my guys are like him. Sam’s a guy I don’t have to worry about at night going clubbing. He’s very, very mature. He understands it’s a great opportunity for him and he treats it with respect.”
Though now able to purchase pretty much anything he wants, including two WWE championship belts, he hasn’t forgotten the lean years. The Sateles were not wealthy, but they got by. Dad worked two jobs and Mom raised the kids. Now, sitting in their comfortable home just steps from Kapolei Golf Course, those struggles are just memories.
“The thing that shocked me was when I first saw my paycheck,” Samson says. “It was for a large amount of money. I don’t want to say how much, but that’s when it really hit me that it took me 15 years to get to this point, to where I am standing right now with this check in my hand. A couple of tears came to my face because I wanted to buy my mom a house. She’s always wanted a house. I bought her a house, and I bought them a car.”
No matter the accolades awarded in college, once he arrived in camp he was just another rookie looking to steal someone’s job. And as he is not one to let his mouth run amok, thereby upsetting those who could help him. So he took a more cerebral approach to let everyone know that he wasn’t content to just sit on the sidelines.
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Splitting time at both guard and center during mini camp, Samson would quietly answer questions for both positions while at meetings, whether they were directed at him or not. Whenever the opportunity arose to show he was just as familiar with the play book as he was with the weight room, he took advantage.
“I wanted the guys to know that I knew the plays and I studied the play book hard, to let the players and the coaches know that football is what I wanted to play since I was a little kid, and that I’m here for a long time.”
The plan worked. When he returned for fall camp, the former all-state basketball player was a full-time center and on the fast track to starting the season opener against Washington and its 626 pounds of defensive tackles, Cornelius Griffen and Anthony Montgomery.
“I earn my respect on the field, not through talking,” he says. “I’m no vocal leader. When I have to (speak up) I will, but I like to get my respect from my actions and what I do on the field. I got that from the veterans. I had a lot to prove to them, and I got it right after preseason. We just went on from there.”
He even found himself accepted by the veterans. Whereas they once had him picking up towels with the other rookies - “I thought they were going to tie me up to the goal posts.” - now he was told to relax while the other newcomers carried out the team’s little tasks.
Moving up the practice depth chart is one thing, but it’s all theory until you’ve locked up with an NFL veteran.
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“The first preseason game was against Jacksonville, and at the time they had Marcus Stroud and John Henderson, so when I broke the huddle and I saw two big trees, I went ‘OK, this is the NFL.’”
The on-field lessons continued each week as he was forced to learn on the fly against opponents who brought different skill sets he had to learn how to handle.
“Duane Robinson (Texans) is quick with his hands,” he says. “Vince Wolfolk (Patriots) stand his ground like no other man. Casey Hampton (Steelers) was the strongest, fastest guy I ever faced.”
Samson said it took four games before he started to really feel like he belonged.
While the off-season is meant for relaxation, rehabilitation and spending time with family, the soon-to-be second-year starting center has been itching to get back to Miami and begin the turnaround from last season’s 1-15 disappointment.
“I’ve been on the Dolphins web-site every day since I’ve been here. Reading the stories they have on there, looking at everything. I just feel that everything is different. He (Parcells) really changed that place around. I think we’ll be good this year. We’ll be great.”
They’d better be. Parcells likes losers the way children like liver, and the pressure is on to get better in a hurry. Miami had a good draft, even if they didn’t grab Samson’s choice with the first pick, Colt Brennan. Their 2008 opponents went just 119-137 last year, with San Diego (11-6) and Seattle (10-6) coming to Miami.
With hard work, a favorable schedule and a little luck, the Dolphins could experience a major turnaround.
And Samson may just find himself on the Aloha Stadium turf come February.
At least, that’s his goal.
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