Wake Forest Athletics
Hartman Building to be a Stronger Quarterback and Bigger Leader for Deacs
10/8/2020 12:30:00 PM | Football, Les Johns
“Anybody we play, especially the Power-5 level, you need to have some size on you,” - Sam Hartman
Bigger, faster, stronger and more mature, Wake Forest starting quarterback Sam Hartman believes he's ready to parlay his experience largely on the bench a year into an outstanding 2020 leading the Demon Deacon offense.
Before the start of the season, he earned the distinction of being named a team captain, becoming the first sophomore with that honor since Ryan Janvion in 2014.
"I'm excited and honored," Hartman said. "I definitely think we've had a really good camp, although it's been flipped on its head in this COVID world. We've been focused and locked in. It's been more of a challenge, being named a captain in this era of uncertainty. But I feel like both the offense and defense have been doing a really good job."
As a freshman, Hartman weighed a little less than 180. He showed flashes of brilliance in his debut campaign, throwing for nearly 2,000 yards and 12 touchdowns before missing the final four games of the season with a leg injury. He's bulked up in the last two years, entering the 2020 season at about the 215 mark.
"I might have gotten up to 220 with my mom's cooking," Hartman jokes about the time he spent at home during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Anybody we play, especially the Power-5 level, you need to have some size on you," he explained. "It's about durability. There will be plays I will need to extend. Any successful quarterback in the ACC has to make plays after the pocket breaks down. That will be a key to this season, and I have to have the size and strength to avoid an arm tackle. That will allow me to make a throw or run for a couple years here and there."
With the ACC shifting with a 10+1 scheduling model for the modified 2020 campaign this offseason, it's important for the Deacs to continue to stay relatively COVID-free. Hartman is confident the staff is putting the team in the right situations on a daily basis.
"Kudos to the coaches and staff for all the preparation to keep us safe, often moving to double practices to keep us separated," he said. "The work to keep us healthy on and off the field is a testament to how much they love us."
Hartman understands the importance of continuing to take protective measures against the virus throughout the season.
"It's more about the people around me," he said. "You never know, because members of our team could very well have underlying conditions. I want to play football. I realized quickly in this thing the only way we could do that was by wearing a mask, socially distancing, and by not taking risks.
"One guy on the team could end the season just like that. I think we've done a good job. If you party, go out and get COVID, you can end our season. The message has been strong, and we've done a good job of executing so far."
Before the start of the season, he earned the distinction of being named a team captain, becoming the first sophomore with that honor since Ryan Janvion in 2014.
"I'm excited and honored," Hartman said. "I definitely think we've had a really good camp, although it's been flipped on its head in this COVID world. We've been focused and locked in. It's been more of a challenge, being named a captain in this era of uncertainty. But I feel like both the offense and defense have been doing a really good job."
As a freshman, Hartman weighed a little less than 180. He showed flashes of brilliance in his debut campaign, throwing for nearly 2,000 yards and 12 touchdowns before missing the final four games of the season with a leg injury. He's bulked up in the last two years, entering the 2020 season at about the 215 mark.
"I might have gotten up to 220 with my mom's cooking," Hartman jokes about the time he spent at home during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Anybody we play, especially the Power-5 level, you need to have some size on you," he explained. "It's about durability. There will be plays I will need to extend. Any successful quarterback in the ACC has to make plays after the pocket breaks down. That will be a key to this season, and I have to have the size and strength to avoid an arm tackle. That will allow me to make a throw or run for a couple years here and there."
With the ACC shifting with a 10+1 scheduling model for the modified 2020 campaign this offseason, it's important for the Deacs to continue to stay relatively COVID-free. Hartman is confident the staff is putting the team in the right situations on a daily basis.
"Kudos to the coaches and staff for all the preparation to keep us safe, often moving to double practices to keep us separated," he said. "The work to keep us healthy on and off the field is a testament to how much they love us."
Hartman understands the importance of continuing to take protective measures against the virus throughout the season.
"It's more about the people around me," he said. "You never know, because members of our team could very well have underlying conditions. I want to play football. I realized quickly in this thing the only way we could do that was by wearing a mask, socially distancing, and by not taking risks.
"One guy on the team could end the season just like that. I think we've done a good job. If you party, go out and get COVID, you can end our season. The message has been strong, and we've done a good job of executing so far."
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