Get to know Browns No. 126 overall pick Dylan Sampson
CLEVELAND, Ohio — A third-team AP All-American, and the SEC offensive player of the year out of Tennessee, Sampson will keep rocking orange on the football field after the Cleveland Browns selected him in the fourth-round with the No. 126 overall pick.
He tied a 95-year old Volunteer record with 22 rushing TDs from 1,491 yards with an average of 5.8 yards per carry. Sampson also caught 20 passes for 123 yards and was one of the best all-purpose back in the nation.
With a natural feel for setting up blocks, vision to see running lanes develops and the instincts to make the right decision based on whatever a situation may call for, Sampson turned into a star in his only year as Tennessee’s full-time starting running back.
Setting records is nothing new
During his time at Tennessee Sampson left his fingerprints all over the Volunteers’ record books. He set single season school records in rushing yards (1,491), rushing TDs (22), total TDs (22), points scored (132) and consecutive games with a rushing TD (11), which is also the Volunteers’ career record.
He also finished second in single season 100-yard rushing games (10) and career rushing TDs (35), and third in single season rushing yards per game (114.7) and career 100-yard rushing games (13).
Perspective shifting trip to Africa
Sampson was one of 34 student athletes in the 2023-24 VOLeaders Academy that visited Botswana and South Africa in the summer of 2024 with the goal of having a positive impact on social change through sports.
“It’s kind of put it in perspective,” Sampson said in a segment for ESPN’s College GameDay. “Even though a lot of the youth and a lot of the kids don’t have, probably, as much resources as we do here in the United States they still have a sense of maturity and just humbleness. It just meant a lot to me.”
Grew up a Saints fan
A Baton Rouge, Louisiana native, Sampson grew up a fan of the New Orleans Saints. He told the NFL on NBC that if there was an NFL player, past or present, that he would want to work with it would be one of two people.“I’d probably train with like Reggie Bush,” Sampson said. “Or Alvin Kamara or something like that. I might get a chance to train with (Kamara) if he’s up to it. I’ve been able to conversate with him a couple of times being at Tennessee.”
Musically inclined
Sampson isn’t much of a video game guy like plenty of other NFL players and prospects, but he loves the outdoors and he’s passionate about playing the guitar.
He sticks with the acoustic guitar, but has a vast rolodex of songs he can pull out at a moments notice.
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