Deebo Samuel had already distanced himself from the throng before he even got to Santa Clara. But to get there, he had to work hard, be persistent, and occasionally face criticism for his careless behavior.
Coach Mark Hodge of Chapman High School in Inman, South Carolina, where Samuel attended high school, recollects the moment when Samuel set foot on the field.
“He arrived belatedly,” stated Hodge. “I told him he wasn’t the best player I had coached.”
Given that Hodge had already tutored a few NFL players before Samuel, this may have been accurate at the time. The two now make jokes about it.
Hodge’s initial hopes have been far exceeded by Deebo Samuel.
With almost 900 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, Deebo Samuel has established himself as one of the NFL’s top offensive weapons. The San Francisco Forty-Niners are in a position to challenge for the franchise’s sixth Lombardi Trophy.
Samuel has acknowledged that he has occasionally found it difficult to stay on course, even in the NFL.
Samuel said he was in the worst shape of his life and referred to his 2022 performance as “awful”.
Like he did in high school, he put in a lot of work in the off-season to rediscover his rhythm.
Hodge and his family talked to KTVU on a Wednesday night from their kitchen table about observing Samuel as he learns to navigate his path. Sports Illustrated will fire the majority of its employees due to a broken license agreement.
Samuel was coached by Hodge beginning in his junior year.
Hodge claimed that both on and off the field, Samuel became the toughest worker he had ever taught.
“There were times when he didn’t have internet, so I would pick him up he would sit in my office and do his papers.”
Deebo Samuel was an A-and-B student, according to Hodge.
Hodge claimed that despite Deebo Samuel’s success in the classroom and on the field, it is his personality that has allowed him to flourish. Prediction and betting advice for Algeria vs. Burkina Faso on January 20, 2024
Deebo Samuel is very kind and has a smile that you won’t soon forget, according to Hodge’s wife Dana.
He also freely admits to having a sugar tooth.
Deebo Samuel often found Hodge’s candy drawer, which was previously kept exclusively for his three children, at Hodge’s desk, where he would often focus on his homework.
Hodge still FaceTimes Deebo Samuel almost every game these days, accompanied by his 9-year-old daughter Ruthie and his 16-year-old youngest son Joshua, who may be Samuel’s biggest fan.
“He used to be my boyfriend,” Ruthie remarked, grinning broadly and placing her hands on her cheeks. “I dressed up like him for Halloween.”
Ruthie was three when Deebo Samuel left for college, but she fell in love with him the moment she laid eyes on him.
Ruthie insisted on giving Deebo Samuel her favorite stuffed rhino when he needed ankle surgery in college, and she allowed him to keep it even after he recovered. 49ers supporters brave the wind and rain during the playoff matchup with the Packers.
During Samuel’s visits back home, the two played catch and colored together.
Ruthie conceded that Samuel is not as good an artist as he is a football player.
Ruthie has a message for her favorite football player as kickoff draws near.
Ruthie said, “I love you,” and then, after a lengthy pause, she continued, “I’m proud of you.”
Her father also has one for Kyle Shanahan, the coach.
“In y’all playoff loss you (Deebo Samuel) didn’t get the ball,” Hodge stated. “In the fourth quarter that’s what I would say remind him (Shanahan) to feed you in the end.”