SUNY Cortland Athletics

2025: Sam was a second team All-Empire 8 selection as a wide receiver and a third team All-Empire 8 honoree as an all-purpose performer...Was chosen to the Div. III Football Academic All-District team by College Sports Communicators...Played in and started 10 games during the season for the Red Dragons...Finished with 28 receptions for 466 yards (16.6 YPR) and four touchdowns, rushed 16 times for 113 yards (7.1 YPA), and threw one for 41 yards and a touchdown...Also returned two punts for 21 yards...Caught at least one pass in 9-of-10 games, including multiple receptions eight times...Made five catches for 102 yards, including a season-long 42-yard reception, in a road win at St. John Fisher...Had four catches for 63 yards and rushed one time for 24 yards in a home victory over Alfred University...Made two grabs for 71 yards and carried one time for 13 yards in a road win at Hartwick...Caught three passes for 57 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown reception, and threw a 41-yard touchdown pass in a home victory over Utica...Registered five receptions for 50 yards at Ithaca in the 66th Cortaca Jug Game...Made three catches for 46 yards against Grove City...Tallied three receptions for 36 yards and a touchdown in a home victory over Brockport...Recorded two receptions for 27 yards and a touchdown in a road win at Alfred State...Made a 14-yard touchdown grab in a road win at Morrisville. 

2024: Sam played in two games with one start but missed most of the season due to injury...Made 14 catches for 165 yards and one touchdown with a long reception of 49 yards, and threw one pass for 42 yards and a touchdown...Caught 10 passes for 140 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown reception, in a road win over Brockport...Made four catches for 25 yards, and threw a 42-yard touchdown pass on a trick play in a home win over Ithaca in the 65th Cortaca Jug Game.

2023: Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and all-league first team defensive back...Finished fourth on the team with 49 tackles despite playing in only 10 games due to injury...Registered two interceptions, two pass breakups and a forced fumble...Averaged 6.3 yards on four punt returns...Empire 8 Co-Defensive Player of the Week and D3football.com National Team of the Week selection after totaling 10 tackles, an interception and a pass breakup in a win over Brockport that clinched the league title for the Red Dragons...Nine tackles, six solo, in NCAA second round versus Grove City...Eight tackles, six solo, against Alfred...Intercepted a pass at St. John Fisher...Empire 8 President’s List for fall semester.

High School: Graduated from G. Ray Bodley in 2023...National Honor Society member...School’s Senior Athlete of the Year...Oswego Palladium Times Male Athlete of the Year...Three-year football starter...Two-time all-league...All-Central New York as a senior...Four-year member of basketball team, three as a starter...Two-time first team all-league...All-state and All-CNY as a senior...Five-year baseball starter...Four-time first team all-league...All-CNY as a junior and senior...Played one year of golf and earned second team all-league honors.

Other: Parents are Kim and Randy Cotton...Has two siblings, Cole and Rylie.