MONMOUTH, Ore. – There are always a different variety of leaders and the way they present their messages. For Marquis Sampson, he may not be the most vocal person around, but when he does talk, he means business. When he gets on the field, he continues to lead with his work ethic and helping to guide the Western Oregon University football team.
Not only was he part of a team that made history securing the share of the first Great Northwest Athletic Conference title in school history, but he has been part of an offensive that was explosive on any given play. Now just because he is a wide receiver, doesn't mean you won't see Sampson in the backfield taking a reverse or possibly making a pass, the versatility keeps defenses on edge at all times.
The main memorable moment of the season was of course collecting the GNAC title and not only was it memorable for WOU, it was also the first title Sampson was able to win at any level in sports.
"It was really nice, because for me that was my first time in sports where I have won a championship. To see all our hard work finally pay off and for the University, that was great," Sampson said.
In the game that sent WOU into the record books was of course a game that would come right down to the end. Leading up to the big block, Sampson did plenty of damage to help set the Wolves up for success. He led the team with three catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown that Sampson collected was a big one as not only was it the first score of the game, it came on a fourth-and-13. Showing his versatility, Sampson also rushed twice for eight yards and returned a kickoff for 29 yards. He will always remember the championship from that day and also the big play by the special teams with Tyler Wharf and Nate Proctor, Jr., executing a perfect setup for the game-ending block.
"When I think back to that Azusa Pacific game, the biggest thing that will stick with me forever is obviously the blocked kick, shout out to Nate Proctor, Jr. That feeling of getting to a championship level and succeeding is something that you can't replace," Sampson said.
Ending the season with a conference championship is always a goal early on in the season and it was something that the Wolves had on their mind that the 2019 season was going to be a championship or bust mentality.
"When we came into the season, our mentality was really championship or bust, as everyone was locked in. So, I think when we won a share of the GNAC title, it wasn't a surprise to any of us, it is what we expected," Sampson said.
While Sampson sure helped with a receiving group that compiled 2,452 yards and 21 touchdowns, the Wolves showed during the 2019 campaign that this team was much more than one dimensional. Not only did Ty Currie throw for 2,397 yards and 20 touchdowns, he rushed for 825 yards and 11 scores. The ground game, anchored by Omari Land's 1,014 yards and nine touchdowns and Nico Jackson's 729 yards and seven touchdowns, the Wolves rushed for 2,672 yards and 30 touchdowns constantly posing a threat to opposing defenses on how to defend the Wolves.
"Our running game was a big part of our offense this past season. We had two of the best running backs in the GNAC in Omari and Nico. We also had Ty who was able to run when he needed as well. It really opened up a lot of things for us," Sampson said.
Individually on the season, Sampson caught 21 passes for 348 yards and four touchdowns. He added eight rush attempts for 36 yards and also returned nine kickoffs for 202 yards, with a long return of 67 yards. When looking back on all the possible ways that he can be a playmaker, he of course wants to make a big play for a touchdown, but wants to help the team in any way possible, once again showing a leader and team-first mentality.
"I think any playmaker's favorite part of the game is scoring those long touchdowns, but I'm always going to be a team guy first. Wherever I'm needed, I'm going to do it. Whether it's blocking for Omari on a 90-yard run or catching footballs across the middle in traffic," Sampson said.
Sampson has been able to thrive in the environment at WOU, enjoying the chance to be at a smaller group, but being able to play a sport that he loves at the collegiate level. Also, like many that end up playing at some of the smaller divisions, he has the added extra chip on his shoulder of going out to prove other schools wrong and also to show WOU that they made the right decision giving him a chance.
"What I enjoy most about playing at WOU are the dudes that surround me in my position group. It's all love and we all have each other's back. We show up to work everyday and don't complain about anything. We felt that in our group we were those guys that didn't get any chances anywhere else to play college ball and we embrace that. We were trying to prove each week that we belong in college football and show the coaches at WOU that it was the right thing to take a gamble on us," Sampson said.
With a few years under his belt at the college level, he has been able to really adapt and see the game in a new light which helps him each week in the games and preparing every week.
"Things I've improved on the most since playing at WOU for me has been able to slow the game down and identify coverages before and after the ball is snapped," Sampson said.
Another added benefit of an explosive offensive that ended up with 5,119 yards of total offense and 53 touchdowns, was knowing that when he was running a route, odds were pretty good that he would end up with a good matchup in the secondary.
"With Omari and Nico carrying the load, it was great having two of the best running backs in the GNAC and the best quarterback in Ty. It made our jobs as receivers easier, because every team had to respect our run game and that left a lot of matchups for us that we believed we could win and did win across the board," Sampson said.
Sampson also came into a program that has been turning out some top wide receivers over the years. In recent seasons you have Tyrell Williams playing in the NFL and Paul Revis who set numerous records at WOU before playing professionally for a time as well, something that helps inspire the current and future Wolves that enter the program.
"Knowing all of this inspires me more than you know, because it shows that if you stay focused on this and put the work in, you can really make it out there," Sampson said.
With no spring ball on campus this past spring, Sampson and the rest of the team has had to adjust to remote workouts to stay in shape and find ways to keep ready before coming back to campus.
"I've felt that I've grown as a player, even in quarantine. I have a receiver trainer (Big 12 Performance) that I have been going to. He played college ball at a high level, touched the NFL and also was a big-time player in Arena Football. It is nice to just work with him and soak in as much knowledge as I can right now," Sampson said.
In addition to having to find ways to workout remotely away from teammates was the challenge of still staying up on course work that all went remote during the spring as well.
"It was a little tough adjusting to online classes and workouts being remote, but things happen and all you can do is preserve," Sampson said.
Another resolve of the 2019 Wolves was their ability to play away from Monmouth. WOU posted a 7-4 record overall, but held a strong 4-1 record away from home that included four straight wins.
"My favorite memory from this season was being so good on the road. It is always nice to go into someone else's stadium and make it yours. Of course, winning the GNAC title will always be the top memory, but the road success was something that was great as well," Sampson said.
With the fall season currently postponed, Sampson and the rest of Wolves football will hope to return to the field soon so that they can have a season that may very well take place during the early parts of the 2021 calendar year.
"I'm mostly looking forward to cashing in on all this hard work that we've put into the offseason again. It's like working your first 40-hour work week and sitting around waiting on payday anticipating what the check is going to look like. I don't think it will matter when our season is played, we've got faith in each other and know we'll be ready when it's time to go," Sampson said.
When the season does start, Sampson will enter the year as a redshirt junior, looking to make the most of two more seasons left on the field. Another one of the many local products on the WOU roster, Sampson, originally from Madison High School in Portland, will be set to take another step in helping to lead the Wolves into a season that will certainly be memorable in more ways than one.
