Eagles rookie honors late brother by making NFL: ‘I started to let him live inside of me’

PHILADELPHIA — Every time Eagles rookie safety Andre’ Sam doubts himself, he imagines what his brother would say to motivate him.
Sam, who signed with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent this past spring, has spent the season on the practice squad. But the struggle to become an NFL regular is nothing compared to the heartbreak he experienced during the first 18 years of his life.
Sam lost his father and grandfather when he was 6 years old, and on the first day of his senior year of high school in 2016, his 23-year-old brother, Aaron Sam, was shot and killed during a home invasion in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
BUY EAGLES TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETMASTER
Andre‘ Sam didn’t know how to move forward without his older brother, who was one of his biggest role models. He even contemplated retiring from football because his passion for the sport temporarily faded.
But over the last eight years, Andre’ Sam has turned his pain into purpose, persevering through difficult times to fulfill Aaron Sam’s dream of making it to the NFL.
“I started to let him live inside of me,” Andre’ Sam told NJ Advance Media last week. “Like we are both in the NFL. We both play for the Eagles. We are both doing this and that. So it’s amazing.”
Aaron Sam, who was one of the best safeties in the Southland Conference while at McNeese State, believed he would make it to the NFL one day.
So when Andre’ makes a mistake during practice or doesn’t feel like playing through soreness, he hears his brother encouraging him. He believes Aaron would have cherished being in his position, so that thought pushes him to work harder.
Now, Andre’ is fighting for a spot on the Eagles’ 53-man roster.
During the week, he practices with the scout team defense — a group of practice squad players and backups who simulate looks for the starting offense. His role is not glamorous and does not come with a lot of job security, but he doesn’t let that affect his attitude.
“He came in as an undrafted player, underdog guy. Ever since he’s been here, he’s been making plays,” said Eagles safety Tristin McCollum, who spent last year on the practice squad. “He’s been showing flashes of a great player. He’s a smart dude. He knows how to read and react quickly. He’s going to have a big role in this league.”
After all, Andre’s come a long way to reach this point anyway.
‘Never take no for an answer’
Andre’ faced his first round of doubt in high school, ultimately shattering it thanks to a mantra from his brother to “never take no for an answer.” College coaches told Andre’ — now 5-10, 194 pounds — that he was too slow and too small to be a Division I safety, and as a result, he received no scholarship offers during his senior season at Iowa High School in Louisiana.
But in 2017, he walked on at McNeese State — Aaron Sam’s former college team and a DI program — and redshirted as a freshman before eventually earning a scholarship. He played seven seasons (2017-23) for three different college programs: McNeese State (2017-2021), Marshall (2022) and LSU (2023). The NCAA granted him a medical waiver to play an extra year last fall.
“When we lost him, it was kind of a lost love for football and just life,” Andre’ Sam said. “I just knew that I can’t give up now. It was like, ‘I got to keep going no matter how rough it get, how long it may take.’”
‘He wanted to go on the field and coach him’
The Sam brothers lived in a rural neighborhood outside of Lake Charles, where they enjoyed fishing, shooting their BB guns, driving four-wheelers and riding horses.
Andrea Sam said her sons became more competitive as they got older and spent a lot of their time playing basketball and football. Aaron always won those battles because he was stronger and taller.
After their father died in 2006, Aaron developed a closer relationship with Andre’. When Aaron attended Andre’s football games, Aaron often got upset when he saw him make a mistake.
“It was like he wanted to go on the field and coach (Andre’) right at that time,” Andrea Sam told NJ Advance Media. “When I lost my husband, Aaron was 13. So he immediately thought he was the dad. He was teaching his brother. (Football) was their passion. He always felt that he had to show Andre’ and teach him.
“Even when Andre’ thought Aaron was wrong, he just let him show him. He was like, ‘Mom, I know how to do it.’ They had a tight bond. Very, very close.”
During middle school, Andre’ trained with Aaron every summer to get ready for football season. Aaron held four workouts per day, with the first session beginning at 6 a.m. and the last one ending at 9 p.m. He made Andre’ swim to get in shape, run in the sand to become stronger and practice football techniques to improve his skills.
Andre’ frequently complained that he was too tired and needed a break from the heat. He wondered why Aaron pushed his limits.
Once Andre‘ realized the workouts made him better, he was more receptive to Aaron’s advice and practiced everything his brother taught him.
“He just showed me the exact things that a father would show his kid,” Andre’ said about Aaron’s impact. “From sports to school and to life. Just a huge, huge mentor. He loved me very, very hard. He stayed after me hard. I didn’t really like it. But looking back at it, that helped shape me and build me into the man that I am now and the man that I continue to grow into.”
‘My turn to give back’
Andre’ said he became “the man of the house” after Aaron died. He worked at Sonic during his senior year and picked up three jobs in college so that his mother could have more money to support his younger sister, Aasia Sam.
“(My mom) still woke up with a smile on her face and made sure me and my sister had food on the table and clothes on our back,” Andre’ Sam said. “We wasn’t late to practice, to a meeting. She’s the damn GOAT.
“She did what she was supposed to do. She raised us. Now it’s my turn to give back.”
Andre’ said his brother’s death “is still a lot” for him to handle. He has tried to stay strong for his family and become someone they could lean on during tough times.
But his mom has encouraged him to be himself and show emotions.
“I’m like, ‘Hey, I’m here. You can talk to me. I would rather you be open and honest with me. Don’t feel that just because I’m mom you can’t talk to me,’” Andrea Sam said.
When Andre’ Sam turned 23 years old, he moved away from the Lake Charles area for the first time in his life — to Huntington, West Virginia, when he went to Marshall.
It was then that he became even more grateful for his mom, who was now 15 hours away.
“You just grow up and just feel like, ‘Man, I can’t get raised by a woman,’” Andre’ Sam said. “That’s how I felt for a long time. I tried to do things on my own, and I learned from it. There was some highs and there were some lows.
“But once me and my mom got super close, me and my mom was able to talk about any and everything. I know if I need something, no matter what it is, she a phone call away and it’s vice versa for her.”
‘Making him proud’
Andre’ still feels connected to Aaron, eight years after his death. It comes when he speaks to his nephew and niece.
Aaron Sam’s 8-year-old son, Maddox, and 9-year-old daughter, Aadisyn, both admire “Uncle Andre’.”
After her son made Philadelphia’s practice squad, Andrea Sam bought an Eagles T-shirt and showed it to her grandson.
“I am so proud of Uncle Andre’ being in the NFL. I want to be just like him,‘” Andrea recalled Maddox telling her.
A couple of weeks ago, Andrea gave Maddox his own Eagles T-shirt. He’s been obsessed with it.
“They actually have some Ipads. So they will shoot me some messages saying, ‘Hey, we love and miss you.’ Small things like that add up,” Andre’ Sam said. “For me, I see them as Aadisyn and Maddox, but to me, they’re like the last little bit of my brother.
“I just plan on always being there for them and just letting them know they’re always welcome to talk to me about anything.”
While Andre‘ holds the people in his life close, he will never forget Aaron, whose love he has represented as tattoos on his body.
He has a portrait of Aaron on his right leg, Aaron’s name listed with his date of birth and year of death (1993-2016) on his left forearm and the words “forever 21” on his right forearm to honor his brother’s football career. Aaron wore No. 21 at McNeese State, and Andre’ wore that number for the Cowboys, too.
Andre‘ said the pain of losing his brother and other family members could have “kept tearing (him) down to the point where he damn near broke.” But he didn’t want his agony to get in the way of accomplishing his brother’s dream — and ultimately become a pillar for his family.
“My brother is forever going to be my favorite football player,” Andre’ Sam said. “It just feels very good to be making him proud right now.”
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Cayden Steele may be reached at [email protected]