UW Recruiting 2013: Sammie Long (Lakes High School) Interview

Sammie Long is one of the early commitments Washington Huskies Head Coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff have landed from the class of 2013. Rivals.com gave the Lakes HS wide receiver a three-star rating and ranked him as the No. 8 player from the state of Washington.

Long committed to the Huskies in late March, joining the long list of recent Lakes HS players to become Huskies. He will join former Lancers turned Huskies Jamaal Kearse, Sione Potoa'e and Willis Wilson when he joins the team next year.

We talked to Long briefly about his commitment to the Huskies, his plans for the summer and a few other topics.

Read the interview below.

For those who haven't seen you play, how would you describe your strengths as a wide receiver?
My strengths would have to be my route running, hands and being able to catch the ball at the highest point.

Is there a particular wide receiver in the NCAA or in the NFL you try to emulate?
No, I just try to play to the best of my ability, but people have compared my game to A.J. Green in his college days.

What are your plans for this summer football-wise?
I may attend a couple Barton [Football Academy] camps. I'm debating on either going to NFTC [Nike Football Training Camp] or [the] Northwest Elite Camp. I will spend most of my time with my teammates as we plan on bonding and working hard to improve for this upcoming football season.

You committed early to the Huskies back in March, take us through your decision making process.
At first I imagined my life as a Husky by looking back at all the games I attended and all the fan support I received — I loved it. I always thought about how [the Huskies] were the first to pull the trigger, which in my mind, I felt like they believed in me. I waited a couple months and [then] decided it was time.

What is it like to play at Lakes HS, a school that's found so much recent success on the football field?
It's great, you get a lot of publicity, also since over 60% of our students/athletes are army dependents, you never know who is going to come through at any time. The coaches are great and the teachers are very supportive.

Did Jamaal and Jermaine Kearse along with the few other Lakes players now at UW play any role in your choice in choosing the Huskies?
They played a small part, although their input was quite useful. I still had to make the decision myself, but it's great having older brothers that look out for you.

Who has given you the biggest hit in practice or in a game?
Honestly it would have to be Jamaal Kearse during my freshman year.

Did you play any other sports growing up or in high school? What made football your primary sport?
I have always played basketball and ran track on the side, but I just believe football was what I was born to do.

Give us a short preview of what to expect from Lakes football next season.
This upcoming season you should expect nothing less than what you always see, but our goal is to be better than any other Lakes team that has ever played In Harry E. Lang Stadium.

Thanks for your time Sammie, do you have anything else you'd like to add?
You're welcome. Go Dawgs!