As a high school senior, Sam LaPorta believed he was going to play college football at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

The Illinoisan had built strong relationships with the school’s coaching staff, gone on an official visit, and was ready to become a Falcon.

But things can change, and Sam did not end up at BGSU.

Iowa’s coaching staff offered Sam a scholarship on Dec. 13, 2018, just five days before the early signing period started for the class of 2019, and suggested he come to Iowa City for an official visit. Iowa was the only Power Five school to offer Sam a scholarship.

Sam’s record-setting career at Highland High School put him on Iowa’s radar. He caught 50 touchdowns and racked up 3,793 receiving yards. The then-wide receiver’s TD and receiving yardage totals ranked second and third in Illinois High School Association history, respectively.

Although Sam had amassed those numbers primarily as a wideout, Iowa’s coaching staff told the 6-foot-4, 200-pounder he could possibly make the switch to tight end if he became a Hawkeye.

While head coach Kirk Ferentz and company learned about Sam early in the recruiting process and invited him to their camps, they initially passed on the multi-sport athlete because their roster was already stacked with tight ends. Noah Fant and T.J. Hockenson, now in the NFL, occupied the top two TE spots on Iowa’s 2018 depth chart.

Behind Hockenson and Fant were Nate Wieting and Shaun Beyer — both of whom played more than 30 games for the Hawkeyes.

But Iowa’s tight end room would become thinner. Fant declared for the 2019 NFL Draft on Nov. 30. Hockenson did the same on Jan. 14.

“He came here to camp and it didn’t quite go the way he had hoped,” Iowa special teams coordinator LeVar Woods said of LaPorta’s initial appearance at one of the Hawkeyes’ prospect camps during summer 2018. “So, we kept moving on, ‘hey, we’ll keep watching you.’ And he just kept performing every single week. And every week I’d check the St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports page and see who was great, who’s doing well at receiving.

“Well, this guy from Illinois kept showing up at the top, and it was Sam. So, we kept following him, kept following him. Then, we had two tight ends, Noah and T.J., both declare for the draft. All of a sudden, now we had a need. We needed a guy and Sam kept performing and kept doing well.”

Sam’s mother, Staci LaPorta, said Iowa’s coaches gave Sam and his family less than 24 hours to decide if he was going to come on an official visit, and they were unsure what to do. So, Kirk Ferentz called Staci a day later to try to convince them to come to Iowa City.

Staci said Sam didn’t really want to make an official visit to Iowa because he hadn’t formed solid relationships with its coaching staff. The Hawkeyes’ last-second scholarship offer didn’t sit right with Sam, either.

“I think he was a little bit hurt by that,” Staci said. “… He started talking to more and more players and they got to go to those Iowa football games and stand on the sidelines and look at it from a different level. We never got that opportunity. So he was like, ‘I feel like I can play at that level. I don’t know, maybe not because nobody’s taking notice.’”

Staci said Sam didn’t want to make the four-hour trip to Iowa — though she and Sam’s high school football coach, Jim Wernecke, convinced him to go.

“Sam was torn,” Staci said. “He got to know a lot of the other coaches and kind of built relationships. He kind of gave his word, almost, to this other coach that he would come his way and sign. Then, last-minute, he got this other opportunity. He really felt bad about, you know, going against his [verbal] commitment.”

Staci and Sam agreed to go on the weekend visit the Hawkeyes’ coaching staff, and offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, in particular, proposed. Sam and Staci, however, insisted Sam be back in Highland for a varsity basketball game at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night. Sam was Highland’s starting power forward during the 2018-19 season.

Once Sam and Staci got to Iowa City, the Hawkeyes pulled out all the stops.

Director of recruiting Tyler Barnes, Brian Ferentz, Woods, and Hockenson joined Sam and Staci for a steak dinner at Iowa Chop House. Then, Sam went back to Hockenson’s place to hang out with the now-Detroit Lion and former Hawkeye kicker Keith Duncan.

While Sam was accompanied by Hawkeye athletes, Barnes, Woods, and Brian Ferentz tried to convince Staci that Iowa was the right school for her son.

“It was all legal because it was on their visit,” Brian Ferentz said. “It was at the Chop House. That’s when she finally warmed up to us a little bit. She finally spent some time with us and we groveled and apologized. You have to tell Staci I groveled more with her than I probably ever have with my wife, ever. We were desperate to have Sam on our team. It was worth it. I’m glad I was groveling, definitely has worked out.”

Ferentz groveled, Sam hung out with a future first-round NFL Draft pick and a Lou Groza Award finalist-to-be, and then, true to their plan, Sam and his mom drove back to Highland the next day for a basketball game versus Centralia.

Sam committed to Iowa on December 18 and signed one day later. And It didn’t take long for Sam to find his way onto the Kinnick Stadium turf.

Three months after his enrollment, Sam was playing meaningful snaps as a true freshman. He made his collegiate debut in Iowa City against Miami (OH) in the Hawkeyes’ 2019 season-opener.

All in all, Sam played 12 of Iowa’s 13 games in 2019, including the Holiday Bowl in San Diego.

While some high school players take a year or so to learn Iowa’s systems well enough to see playing time, by all accounts, Sam was a quick study.

“One thing I really appreciate about Sam, the way he was as a freshman, he was seen and not heard in all the best ways,” Brian Ferentz said. “He understood that he hadn’t done what some of those other guys have done … But he was always just working. He was always listening to older guys, working, and trying to improve.”

LaPorta learned the tricks of the trade from tight ends like Beyer, Drew Cook, and Wieting.

Wieting, who is now back in Iowa City and enrolled in medical school, said he could see Sam picking up the offensive systems faster than normal. Wieting was Sam’s roommate for fall camp and all of Iowa’s 2019 road games.

“I’d say, really just being in camp, same as a roommate, you could tell that he was a quick learner,” Wieting said. “He was a great teammate. He knew that coming into the program, especially in Iowa, it typically is a developmental program. There are going to be some growing pains, and he did a really nice job that first camp, learning as much as he could and building and laying that foundation for what was to come.”

Some of those growing pains, Sam recalled, were dished out by notable Hawkeyes like A.J. Epenesa and Tristan Wirfs, who are now in the NFL.

“I thought to myself, ‘I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to play at this level,’ … I have quite a few stories of me on my ass,” Sam said. “But I’ve also had a lot of ‘aha’ moments in my career as well, where I’m just like, ‘this thing is working out for me, I’m doing what I set out to do.’”

Although Sam remembers the times when he questioned his ability to play at the Power Five level, Brian Ferentz said Sam’s self-belief and calm demeanor have helped him become one of the nation’s premier tight ends.

“The reason he played for us early, and the reason he’s continued to elevate and become a really good player, is because of who he is inside his head,” Brian Ferentz said. “The way he believes in himself, the way he works, the way he approaches everything, just goes out there and competes and lets it fall where it may. That, to me, is what makes him special.”

While Sam’s play went largely unnoticed for the first part of his freshman season, he burst onto the scene against Northwestern at Ryan Field on Oct. 26, 2019.

In a 20-0 Hawkeye win, Sam reeled in his first two collegiate receptions, including a 41-yard catch-and-run on a play-action pass from QB Nate Stanley.

Sam recorded at least one reception in the last six games he played in 2019. He caught six passes for 44 yards in the Hawkeyes’ 49-24 Holiday Bowl win over the USC Trojans.

“A lot of times, when we’re evaluating young guys, you’re trying to evaluate or accelerate maturity,” Brian Ferentz said. “Not an easy deal, difficult process. So, when you have a young guy that just kind of has it, it’s a good thing. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but the way they carry themselves, nothing’s too big for them. Whatever you throw at them, they just kind of handle it and keep going forward. He was that way.”

Many of Sam’s teammates said his work ethic is still as strong, if not stronger than it was when he came to Iowa City three seasons ago.

Quarterback Spencer Petras — who has thrown the ball to Sam more than any other Hawkeye passer — said LaPorta’s understanding of what a defense is doing is a big part of his success.

“I think his route-running has improved quite a bit and he really understands coverage, almost the level of a quarterback, which really helps, especially at tight end when, a lot of times, it’s about finding windows in zone coverage,” Petras said. “I know he’s worked really hard at that and understanding everything. It shows up on the field with just how consistently he gets open, how hard he is to cover for defenses.”

Wisconsin junior linebacker Nick Herbig called Sam a “polished route-runner” who has great hands and run-blocking ability.

“I love playing against Sam,” Herbig said at Big Ten Football Media Days on July 28. “I’ve played against him since my freshman year. He’s a grinder. You try to get off the block, but he’s still there on your hip like, ‘What’s this guy still doing here?’”

This season will likely be Sam’s last at Iowa. While he does have two years of eligibility remaining because the NCAA gave all 2020-21 athletes an extra year of eligibility because of COVID-19, he has suggested 2022 will be his final year with the Hawkeyes.

During a media availability session in April, Sam said he considered declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft. He will likely go pro in 2023.

Sam said one of the main reasons he returned to the UI was to finish up his business degree off the field, but Staci told The Daily Iowan Sam is returning this season with something to prove on it.

“I think that’s why he came back this year, he’s just like, ‘I was third-team All-Big Ten this year. I think I had the most yards, why am I third-team?’” Staci said. “He just has a chip on his shoulder. You know, from not even being recruited to Iowa, now, all of a sudden, he’s like, ‘I want to be the best tight end, I want to get the most yards.’ All right Sam, go get it.”