2016 Sports Story that Mattered to Me: Sam Foltz No. 27

My name is Chris Savold, and the 2016 sports story that mattered to me were the numerous tributes to Sam Foltz.

One of the reasons why this sports story stood out to me was how reminiscent it was to the events following Sean Taylor’s death in 2007. One of my first memories of football was Taylor’s death, so obviously it holds a place in my heart to this day. In both cases, a young, warm, promising athlete was taken far too early from this earth with no warning. In both cases, the respective sports leagues stood still in remembrance of the young men.

Sam Foltz, along with former MSU punter Mike Sadler, were killed in a car crash on July 25th, 2016. LSU kicker Colby Delahoussaye was also injured in the crash, but he was able to return for the 2016 season.

Immediately after the crash, even though the crash occurred in the middle of the summer, Nebraska coach Mike Riley held a press conference. He spoke highly of the young punter, “He was really proud of being a Nebraska Cornhusker.” He continued on to say one of the reasons he was coaching was for “the passion guys like Sam have.” Some college football coaches are notoriously known for their hard-nosed mentality, but Riley’s glowing description of Foltz made one thing clear: the death of a good young man transcends the normal attitude of a BIG10 coach.

NFL players also showed their love for Foltz and Sadler on the NFL’s “My Cleats My Cause” day. Raiders punter Marquette King donned white cleats with the numbers 27 (Foltz) and 3 (Sadler) on the heel. Thomas Morstead, a punter for the Saints, also paid tribute to the fallen punters with this inscription on his cleats, “In Memory of Mike Sadler and Sam Foltz.”

Almost every BIG10 team had some sort of tribute to Foltz. Prior to their October matchup, Purdue’s captains gave a heartfelt speech to Nebraska’s captains at the coin toss. With the speech came a customized Sam Foltz Purdue jersey, which the Cornhuskers draped on their bench.

Ohio State went above and beyond for Foltz. In the Ohio State fan section, students held up signs which together displayed Foltz’s number, 27. On the sideline, a Foltz Jersey with an Ohio State helmet greeted the Nebraska team. During halftime, the marching band got in a formation that spelled out “SF 27.”

The lone survivor of the crash,  LSU kicker Colby Delahoussaye, wore cleats with “SAMIKE” written along the sole of the shoe. Illinois gave Nebraska a jersey with each player’s signature on it, showing how much Foltz’s death impacted each member of college football. Oregon laid out a Foltz jersey at midfield. Every single team felt for the families of Foltz and Sadler.

The tribute that stuck with me was Nebraska’s itself. On the first punt of the year, Nebraska took the field with just ten players, leaving Foltz spot open. The team let the clock run down to zero. With a classy move, Fresno State declined the delay of game penalty.

Football brings us together. Period. It’s more than a game. I played football for four years, and I built a strong relationship with each player on that roster. Football brings rivals together. Football brings us together.

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