Oregon Running Backs Coach Ra'Shaad Samples Addresses Alleged Driving Incident

The second week of fall camp quickly became a week dominated by the Oregon Ducks' running back position in the headlines.

Running backs coach and assistant head coach Ra’Shaad Samples spoke to the media on Wednesday and addressed everything from standouts in the backfield to injury concerns. One of the notable subjects Samples spoke about was his alleged DUII and reckless driving incident that was first reported on by The Oregonian’s Ryan Clarke in April.

oregon ducks rashaad samples running backs jordon davison injury dierre hill dajuan riggs simeon price tradarian ball brandon — Oregon running backs coach Ra’Shaad Samples works with players during practice with the Oregon Ducks Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Everything Ra’Shaad Samples Said After Practice

Addressing His Off-Field Situation and Accountabilities:

“Yeah, back in April, I made some decisions that I regret now. I wish I could take back, right? And they were addressed back in April, and coach Lanning held me accountable. You know, I have to take full accountability of that, and I continue to take full accountability of that.”

“And it's just important that I continue to grow and earn those guys' trust in the locker room, grow my coworkers' trust, and grow the trust of the people here in this building. You know, other than that, man, just continuing pushing those guys every single night.”

Jordon Davison’s Status Amid Injury Reports:

“Yeah, I'm not sure what information was talked about or said, but I mean, I know that kid just practiced his butt off. You know, he had a really good day in practice today. He finished runs. He's continuing to get his body. He’s a really hard worker. He works in it and on and off the field, and he's continuing to become a leader every single day.”

What He Learned About Jordon Davison’s Toughness From Playing Through a Broken Collarbone:

“That's a funny question. I learned a lot about his toughness that day. I think that week actually I showed Jordon a film because he got hurt the week before, so I showed him some type of Kobe walking off the field after his Achilles injury, you know, I showed him the bloody sock game. “

“You know, I showed him a bunch of guys persevering through injury. I didn't think he was going to try to do it himself, right? So, he got hurt, and he just pushed through. And then after the game, he was like, ‘I knew something was wrong.’”

“What a tough kid to like push through that, finish the game, and go help us win the game, go score two touchdowns after a broken collarbone. I'm so proud of that kid's toughness.”

How Jordon Davison Offseason Transformation Has Paid Dividends:

“Yeah, it's every single day. So right, Jordon's running sprints, extra sprints after practice. We have a curl bar in our meeting room. He's hitting curls before and after meetings. We got a jump rope in there.”

“He's hitting the jump rope before and after meetings. So, like, he's focused. He knows, and the good thing about my relationship with Jordon, my relationship with Dierre. I've been knowing those guys since they were juniors in high school, and time flies, man. I can be really honest with that kid, and he's really honest with me, and so it allows me to push him to get better in a really uncomfortable way.”

Simeon Price, Da’Juan ‘Dink’ Riggs and Freshmen Running Backs:

“Yeah, especially those two freshmen, man. There's been so much growth from those guys. Like they really been playing some good ball here lately. The two guys that are super versatile, they can play receiver, they can catch the ball out the backfield.”

“They're mismatches, man, in every facet, and so they're continuing to grow as far when it comes to the playbook. Those guys are learning the physical it takes to play this game at a high level. And I think that’s the biggest transition we need. When you come from high school and play this game, you gotta continue to be physical every single day.”

“So, I’ve been enjoying those guys. And Simeon and Dink, man. They’re guys that are veterans. That are voices in the room that show leadership, and they're continuing to raise the bar and the standard for every guy in the room.”

Importance of Younger Players Getting Early Reps:

“Well, everybody in the room's development is super important, but like as a young guy, right? You look at what those young guys did last year. I know we look at Jordon and Dierre, as guys who played a lot of football, but they haven't played as much as you think they have. So, they still have a lot of room to grow.”

“So, like, young guys developing in that room is so important, and it's really cool that Jordon and Dierre were just freshmen. So, they talk to those guys. They're able to echo sentiments that I've shared with them, coaching points, just philosophies that I've shared with them, just coming fresh off of it. But those young guys, T-Ball and Brandon Smith, they have to develop fast. We saw how many running backs we had to rely on last year.”

Da’Juan Riggs Transformation Watching From the Sideline Last Season:

“Yeah, I think it was an attitude transformation also, right? So, you talk about a guy who had to grow, who did have some flashes freshman year, and it's always frustrating, when you feel like you have a glimmer of hope, or you feel like you have something that you know you deserve or you've earned, and it doesn't come the way you expect it to come.”

“And I think that bothered him early on in the season, man. But he's been such a positive person in that room. He's been such a positive light for those guys. All the guys love him. He's the personality of the room, right?”

“So, Dink is the guy who makes everybody laugh, makes everybody smile, makes everybody happy to be here. And when he's that guy, he plays really good ball. And I think so. I think he's growing as a person, and it's helping his habits, is helping his mindset on and off the field, which letting him be a better player.”

Dierre Hill Jr.’s Pass Blocking and Three-Down Ability:

“Dierre is, man, he's grown. His growth in the totality of the game is crazy, right? Pass blocking, seeing the defense, understanding the shell. I was just with him late last night, and he was like drawing up coverages, drawing up fronts, drawing up blitzes.”

“So, his understanding of the game is sometimes really unbelievable, from leaving last season to showing up this spring and then showing up again this fall. I think you’re gonna see an unrecognizable player when it comes from growth from last year to this year when it comes to picking up blitzers and understanding what's going on.

Skillsets in Dierre Hill Jr.’s Game That Allow Him to Play New Positions:

“Dierre is elite all over the field. He's a Swiss Army knife, and I think his game has grown as a receiver. Last year, he had the skill set of the receiver, right, but not the refinement. He wasn't polished. He had to continue to learn how to run routes.”

“You talk about spatial awareness, knowing where he's at on the field, understanding playbook and timing, where he's at in progression, where he's at, where the quarterback's eyes are going first. And now, like, he's a leader out there, man.”

“He can help get other guys lined up. He can help get other receivers lined up and win 21 personnel on win different formations. He can help get other guys lined up. So, he's a guy that you can use in a bunch of different ways.”

Observations From the Run Game With the Offensive Line:

“First off, I mean, like when it comes to front, I'm never worried. We got the law firm, A’lique Terry, Ryan Walk, and those guys, and that's the best O-line group in the country. You talk about coaches that get those guys ready.”

“So, like, we got a bunch of able guys, and we got some really able leaders in that room that's going to push those guys and get those guys right, but I mean, there's been no drop-offs. We've been able to run the ball and do exactly what we expect to do, and it comes down to execution, and it comes down to our ability to coach those guys and get those guys in the right spots and maximize their potential. And I think A‘lique Terry is the country at doing that.”

Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. Rejecting Complacency:

“I don’t think they’ve realized, probably because of me and how much I’m on them and how much I’m constantly critiquing them, correcting them, pushing them. I don’t think they felt the success they have as much of the outside world did because how those guys worked this offseason. It didn’t feel like guys who came off of what they thought was an amazing freshman season.”

“It felt like guys working their butt off to have the season that they expect themselves to have the next season. And again, you talk about Dierre’s growth has been insane when it comes to off the field and understanding the game and Jordon’s self-awareness as a person, running those extra sprints after practice, asking for a curl bar in the back of the room, asking for a jump rope.”

“He comes up to me, and he lets me know when I’m not pushing him hard enough and lets me know when he’s not feeling me at practice, and he needs to feel me more. So you talk about the self-awareness from Jordon and the off-field intelligence from Dierre. Those guys are hungry.”

Simeon Price’s Leadership:

“Simeon’s another coach in there. We call him ‘unc.’ The boys joke they don’t know who’s older, me or Simeon. He’s amazing, man. I couldn’t have wished for a better guy to get out the portal. He leads those guys.”

“Sometimes he asks me, ‘Coach Samp, let me just talk to these guys for a minute.’ And it’s different when you got a player-led room. When you got a guy in this room who had three or four different offensive coordinators, three or four head coaches giving you perspective from experience.”

“They all trust him. They believe in him. Those guys in that room love each other. Simeon has been a blessing to the room on top of what he brings to the football field.”

What a Successful First Scrimmage Looks Like:

“Yeah. So, the goal of ours is always to protect and own the ball. So as long as we protect that on the ball in this whole scrimmage, we make the plays we can make, we're gonna accomplish our goals. Our goal is to show up and give all we got every day.”

“We try not to put numerical goals or make stats because there's a lot of uncontrollables that come with this game. There's a lot of uncontrollables that comes with the scrimmage, and we have a really good defense.”

“And so, like when we go out there, we want to own and protect the ball. We want to align and sign the right way, and we want to finish every single run we can with our pass down moving forward.”

“And if we look at that tape and we're playing with fanatical effort, and we got the ball in our hands when the whistle's blown, we're gonna meet our goals because those guys are very talented guys.”

How Important the First Scrimmage is to Figuring Out Who Can Run Through Contact:

“Yeah, we talk about it in our room. We say win your ones, right? You gotta win your ones, right? So, I go along offenses to block them up. There's always gonna be a guy unblocked. There's always gonna be one left, right? Win your one-on-ones, right?”

“And it's important in these live situations that I see who can attack and win one-on-ones and who can play on contact and break through contact and break through tackles. So, like, that's important for me to see.”

“But again, I think we recruited the right guys. I think they would be here if they can do those things. As long as they can align, assign, play fast, protect the ball, and play with fanatical effort and have fun, I think those things are going to show up on tape.”

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