Davidson Day QB’s prolific night came 3 weeks after 24-pound weight loss, surgery
By Langston Wertz Jr.
DAVIDSON
Friday night in Asheville, Davidson Day junior quarterback Sam Hartman had one of the top 10 passing games in Mecklenburg County history. He threw for 493 yards in a 41-28 loss to Erwin High, a 3A public school.
Three weeks before, doctors were removing a baseball-sized growth from Hartman’s neck, the result of a bacterial infection that caused him to drop from 173 pounds to 149 in about two weeks.
Sam Hartman (left) and Davidson Day coach Chad Grier. Special to the Observer
“I’ve never seen or heard anything like this,” Davidson Day coach Chad Grier said. “If you had seen him when he lost all the weight, you wouldn’t recognize him. I’m telling you, he didn’t look good.”
Turns out, Hartman – who committed to Wake Forest in June – had a small tear in the thyroid gland that allowed bacteria to funnel into his shoulder.
What started as mild pain in the left shoulder grew worse. The pain traveled from his shoulder to his neck. Hartman’s throat became so sore he couldn’t eat. He was already having trouble sleeping.
His parents took him to nearly a dozen doctors before one diagnosed the thyroid problem. Doctors split the thyroid in half, removed the bacterial growth and fused the tear. Hartman was left with a 4-inch scar just below his throat.
“He grew an inch in the offseason (to 6-foot-1) and he put on this muscle,” Grier said. “He looked great. Then, in a matter of weeks it was gone. But when he got out of the hospital, he was so determined to play against (Asheville) Erwin. I wasn’t gonna be the one to tell him, ‘You aren’t going to play.’”
Grier said Hartman worked on his footwork in the hospital while attached to an IV.
But while in the hospital, Hartman said he began having doubts about his return to the team. One day, though, he walked the halls of the hospital and saw children being treated for cancer, treatments that robbed some of their hair.
“Seeing the chemo room and the kids in there, they have no hair and they’re walking around having fun,” said Hartman, who threw for more than 2,500 yards as a sophomore last season. “I looked at my situation and said I’m so blessed and luckier than they are, and they’re happier than me. That switched my mindset.”
The surgery was Hartman’s second emotional test in less than a year.
In November, former SouthLake Christian football player Demitri Allison, who was attending Elon University, committed suicide in Chapel Hill. Grier coached Allison in Pop Warner youth ball and recalled Allison’s tough upbringing.
Hartman’s family adopted Allison and helped him with his schoolwork. His suicide came two days before Davidson Day’s state championship win against Charlotte Latin.
“(Allison) got offered by Ivy League schools and took a scholarship to Elon,” Grier said. “He blossomed in every way. I remember I went to Sam’s house right after it happened. That was Sam’s brother. It was devastating. I said, ‘I don’t expect you to play Friday.’ Before I could say anything else, he looked at me and said, ‘I’m playing.’ ”
Hartman changed his jersey number -- from No. 2 to Allison’s No. 10 -- and threw for 170 yards and two touchdowns in beating Charlotte Latin. Davidson Day finished 12-0 and claimed its first private school Division I state championship.
Later, Hartman saw his name listed by recruiting sites as the No. 1 quarterback recruit in North Carolina for the class of 2018 and the No. 16 pro-style quarterback recruit nationally in his class.
In recovering from his July 29 surgery, Grier said he saw the same determination from Hartman as he did last November following Allison’s death.
“A lot of us went to visit him, and I don’t know if he was trying to Jedi mind trick himself or he really believed it,” Grier said, “but he never hesitated to say, ‘I’m playing against Erwin.’ But you would look at him and say, ‘Man, it’s gonna be awhile.’ ”
Doctors cleared Hartman a week before the Erwin game. Hartman hadn’t thrown a ball in a month.
“That first practice was rough,” he said. “Before, I could throw the ball 60 (yards) easy and now I’m at 50, putting everything into it, but my mom (Lisa) said, ‘Take it easy. Take it slow.’ ”
Every practice, Hartman got a little better, a little stronger. By last Thursday’s walk-through, Grier was convinced Hartman, now up to 160 pounds post surgery, would start.
“He’s not 100 percent,” Grier said, “but even at less than 100 percent, he’s better than most high school quarterbacks you’ll see.”
Friday night in Asheville, Hartman’s first pass was for an 80-yard score to sophomore Nolan Groulx. Hartman finished by completing 30 of 53 passes for 493 yards and two touchdowns. It is eighth-highest single-game passing performance by a Mecklenburg County quarterback. He completed 11 of his first 12 throws and stood up to pressure from Erwin’s defense, withstanding several hard hits.
“It was kind of tough,” Hartman said. “But the adrenaline kicked in. Putting on pads and cleats again was a great feeling. I felt blessed to be out there. It was a great experience playing. I was disappointed to not come out with the victory. I know we can do a lot better.”
Davidson Day will play Arden Christ School Friday at Hough High. Hartman said he can’t wait to take the field and continue his comeback.
“I’m taking it day-by-day,” he said, “and hopefully my arm strength comes back. But I’m very happy. I’m using it as another part of my story. If you never have a setback in life, you’ll never be able to handle one. You never know how to get back from your lowest point to your high point.
“I know if I get an injury again, or anything, that I can come back from it.”
By Langston Wertz Jr.
DAVIDSON
Friday night in Asheville, Davidson Day junior quarterback Sam Hartman had one of the top 10 passing games in Mecklenburg County history. He threw for 493 yards in a 41-28 loss to Erwin High, a 3A public school.
Three weeks before, doctors were removing a baseball-sized growth from Hartman’s neck, the result of a bacterial infection that caused him to drop from 173 pounds to 149 in about two weeks.
Sam Hartman (left) and Davidson Day coach Chad Grier. Special to the Observer
“I’ve never seen or heard anything like this,” Davidson Day coach Chad Grier said. “If you had seen him when he lost all the weight, you wouldn’t recognize him. I’m telling you, he didn’t look good.”
Turns out, Hartman – who committed to Wake Forest in June – had a small tear in the thyroid gland that allowed bacteria to funnel into his shoulder.
What started as mild pain in the left shoulder grew worse. The pain traveled from his shoulder to his neck. Hartman’s throat became so sore he couldn’t eat. He was already having trouble sleeping.
His parents took him to nearly a dozen doctors before one diagnosed the thyroid problem. Doctors split the thyroid in half, removed the bacterial growth and fused the tear. Hartman was left with a 4-inch scar just below his throat.
“He grew an inch in the offseason (to 6-foot-1) and he put on this muscle,” Grier said. “He looked great. Then, in a matter of weeks it was gone. But when he got out of the hospital, he was so determined to play against (Asheville) Erwin. I wasn’t gonna be the one to tell him, ‘You aren’t going to play.’”
Grier said Hartman worked on his footwork in the hospital while attached to an IV.
But while in the hospital, Hartman said he began having doubts about his return to the team. One day, though, he walked the halls of the hospital and saw children being treated for cancer, treatments that robbed some of their hair.
“Seeing the chemo room and the kids in there, they have no hair and they’re walking around having fun,” said Hartman, who threw for more than 2,500 yards as a sophomore last season. “I looked at my situation and said I’m so blessed and luckier than they are, and they’re happier than me. That switched my mindset.”
The surgery was Hartman’s second emotional test in less than a year.
In November, former SouthLake Christian football player Demitri Allison, who was attending Elon University, committed suicide in Chapel Hill. Grier coached Allison in Pop Warner youth ball and recalled Allison’s tough upbringing.
Hartman’s family adopted Allison and helped him with his schoolwork. His suicide came two days before Davidson Day’s state championship win against Charlotte Latin.
“(Allison) got offered by Ivy League schools and took a scholarship to Elon,” Grier said. “He blossomed in every way. I remember I went to Sam’s house right after it happened. That was Sam’s brother. It was devastating. I said, ‘I don’t expect you to play Friday.’ Before I could say anything else, he looked at me and said, ‘I’m playing.’ ”
Hartman changed his jersey number -- from No. 2 to Allison’s No. 10 -- and threw for 170 yards and two touchdowns in beating Charlotte Latin. Davidson Day finished 12-0 and claimed its first private school Division I state championship.
Later, Hartman saw his name listed by recruiting sites as the No. 1 quarterback recruit in North Carolina for the class of 2018 and the No. 16 pro-style quarterback recruit nationally in his class.
In recovering from his July 29 surgery, Grier said he saw the same determination from Hartman as he did last November following Allison’s death.
“A lot of us went to visit him, and I don’t know if he was trying to Jedi mind trick himself or he really believed it,” Grier said, “but he never hesitated to say, ‘I’m playing against Erwin.’ But you would look at him and say, ‘Man, it’s gonna be awhile.’ ”
Doctors cleared Hartman a week before the Erwin game. Hartman hadn’t thrown a ball in a month.
“That first practice was rough,” he said. “Before, I could throw the ball 60 (yards) easy and now I’m at 50, putting everything into it, but my mom (Lisa) said, ‘Take it easy. Take it slow.’ ”
Every practice, Hartman got a little better, a little stronger. By last Thursday’s walk-through, Grier was convinced Hartman, now up to 160 pounds post surgery, would start.
“He’s not 100 percent,” Grier said, “but even at less than 100 percent, he’s better than most high school quarterbacks you’ll see.”
Friday night in Asheville, Hartman’s first pass was for an 80-yard score to sophomore Nolan Groulx. Hartman finished by completing 30 of 53 passes for 493 yards and two touchdowns. It is eighth-highest single-game passing performance by a Mecklenburg County quarterback. He completed 11 of his first 12 throws and stood up to pressure from Erwin’s defense, withstanding several hard hits.
“It was kind of tough,” Hartman said. “But the adrenaline kicked in. Putting on pads and cleats again was a great feeling. I felt blessed to be out there. It was a great experience playing. I was disappointed to not come out with the victory. I know we can do a lot better.”
Davidson Day will play Arden Christ School Friday at Hough High. Hartman said he can’t wait to take the field and continue his comeback.
“I’m taking it day-by-day,” he said, “and hopefully my arm strength comes back. But I’m very happy. I’m using it as another part of my story. If you never have a setback in life, you’ll never be able to handle one. You never know how to get back from your lowest point to your high point.
“I know if I get an injury again, or anything, that I can come back from it.”
