Deebo Samuel On NFL Training, Mindset & Giving Back In Spartanburg

On this episode of The Turf Powered by D1, Deebo Samuel returns to his hometown of Spartanburg, South Carolina, to host a free youth camp and share his story of growth, resilience, and elite performance in the NFL.

From his training philosophy and weekly offseason routine to the importance of recovery, coaching influence, and building the right support system, Deebo breaks down what it really takes to stay at the highest level. He opens up about lessons learned from high school to the pros, the evolution of his training approach, and how he maintains longevity while competing in the league.

He also reflects on playing for the South Carolina Gamecocks, San Francisco 49ers and Washington Commanders, the importance of belief and mentorship, and why giving back to the next generation of athletes is so important to him.

This episode is all about mindset, gratitude, and the grind behind greatness—straight from one of the NFL’s most dynamic playmakers.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

My number one thing is like it gotta be fun. Everything is not all right. Um tensed up. We're here to have fun. Like, that's how I play. I play anger free. Go out there and have a blast. We've been doing this all our life. Let's just go have fun.

SPEAKER_01 0:26

Welcome to the turf powered by D1. We're so excited to have the Swiss Army Knife of the NFL uh league. Man, we got one of the most electric wide receivers out there. We got Debo Samuel in the house from uh the 49ers to the commanders to sitting here in your hometown, Spartanburg, South Carolina. Welcome out to the podcast, man.

SPEAKER_00 0:49

Yes, sir. Excited to have you. Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_01 0:51

Man, uh we're doing an event today, and you're giving back to this community. You're running a free camp for all these athletes in the surrounding area. Uh, when we were talking about doing this event and you thought about coming back here and you think about all those athletes, what's something that you want to give to those athletes that were like you back in the day, just trying to get to the league or get to that next level?

SPEAKER_00 1:13

Um, first things first, like it's not easy. Um, it takes sacrifices, it takes hard work, um, it takes good guidance. Because without guidance, you know, it you can't go too far. You got to have people you can lean on and you gotta trust in yourself first before you even put your mind to doing anything.

SPEAKER_01 1:27

Yeah, that's awesome. So um we were talking real quickly about your training, and you know I love talking about training. Uh so when right now in an offseason, like how many times a week are you training and how has that shifted throughout the years?

SPEAKER_00 1:42

Um, you know, it's kind of early right now in the offseason, so we kind of go in two to three times and kind of mixing it up. Like Wednesday is typically like your recovery day. Let's flush legs, get ready for Thursday and Friday, and like Mondays and Fridays are your hard days. Because Friday is like you know, all the strength coaches look at it and all right, ain't no telling what you're gonna do this weekend, so let's try to kill you. It's legs, sprints. Then Monday is also another hard day is because you're coming off the weekend. All right, let's get you back ready for Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

SPEAKER_01 2:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:08

So two to three times a day.

SPEAKER_01 2:09

You got some powerful legs. You're running through people like an old fullback. You know, you're like trucking people. Uh so when you uh like how how much how much of an emphasis is it on your lower body uh versus your upper body at this level?

SPEAKER_00 2:23

Um, what's so crazy is um I think I'm just like naturally like built this size. Like I think I kind of took it out after my dad, because my dad kind of like a big bokey guy. So it's like my like my build was already kind of like natural. But in a sense, though, you also have to maintain, so like in college, like, you know, in the college life is like, all right, let's get real strong, real fast. And like when you get to the league, it's not all that all right, put 600, 500 on your back and just just try to. So it's like more so maintaining how, like, you know, longevity. Let's like not approve all the tendons in your knees, your shoulders, this and the third. So it's like more so maintaining.

SPEAKER_01 2:59

When you were think, think back to to young Debo when you were training over on the on the field over in Greenville, when you were seventh grade and you're once again trying to aspire to get to this level. Like, what are the what are the some of the exercises? Because you know, we got a lot of kids out there that are at that age that want to get there. What are a couple of the exercises maybe that meant a lot to you that really helped you get faster, more explosive, quicker and those things? All the way back to the seventh grade.

SPEAKER_00 3:26

I mean, you don't have to go you seventh, eighth grade, ninth grade, seventh grade. Seventh, eighth grade. Like, I'm not gonna lie, I was a little wild little kid just doing everything. But um, ninth and tenth grade, um, I would say more so going to my 11th grade. I met um Mark Hodge, um the head coach of Sponberg High School, and he put a big emphasis on explosiveness as in power cleaning, as in squatting. As in this is one thing that I've never been able to do that he tried to get all us to do when he first got there. And he's I don't know if he's still trying to do it, he tried to get you to power clean from the knees, like as in on your knees, and you try to jump up, but that's something I could never do. But I've seen a couple people do it that he's trained, so um, it works. Yeah. So, like more so being more explosive in the hips and you know, um, the knee drive when you run, so you know like how lengthy and how long the field is, like it's sustained durability for sure.

SPEAKER_01 4:14

That's awesome. Like we, you know, and then when you start thinking about training and how it evolves, because you know, when you're young, you got to build that foundation. Then you get in college and like some of these coaches and they put it they put a lot on you.

SPEAKER_00 4:25

Yeah, too much.

SPEAKER_01 4:26

Yeah, sometimes too much. And then uh, and then all of a sudden you go to the pros and it's like, okay, I mean, the NFL stands for not for long, you know, for a reason because a lot of guys get injured. And so uh you've been you've been fortunate to have an amazing career and continue to play at like this high level. Is there anything in the pros that maybe like um you've done you know recently to like help you continue to keep this career rolling?

SPEAKER_00 4:52

Um more so like, you know, um, like you said, NFL stand for not for long. So um, you know, I've dealt with injuries and you know, I've blessed to, you know, have a good staff around me that helps me get through those things. Um, but one thing that I'm big on is needling, as in acupuncture and dry needling, as in like um for those that don't know. Scared of needles.

SPEAKER_01 5:12

I'm scared of needles.

SPEAKER_00 5:14

I'm scared of needles too, but uh it's not as it's not as bad of a needle as you think. It's not like an injection. It's like kind of like a needle they put in spots where it's like bruised or have like tight tissue, and when it hit the spot, it like release the muscles. So I'm big on like needling for is like recovery and that will keep me, you know.

SPEAKER_01 5:33

That's good. That's good. So you talk about your high school coach. Um, with love, like one of the other things we do here on the podcast, we talk a lot about coaching and about how to how to inspire and motivate athletes to reach their goals. Um, none of us got to where we've gotten to alone. You know, you you at some point you've had a coach believe in you, or maybe a coach who didn't believe in you that spurred you on to get you kind of to that next spot. You know, when you think about the coaches that you've had along the career, what are the type of qualities that really got you going?

SPEAKER_00 6:06

Um, more so uh believing in me more than you believed in yourself. Um, so Mark Hodge came from a school called Carolina in Greenfield. And the first conversation we had, and I didn't know him, and you know, I moved from Sponbird and went to Emin. I went to Chapman High School. So the first conversation we had was just crazy. I tell everybody, I was talking to a um Trenton, um, the running back from Spongebob High School, he was on the track with me this morning. We was working out. Um he's going to Rutgers. He was like, man, how was Coach Hodge? I was like, bro, the first time I met him, I was like, I don't like this guy. Because like I came from Spawnbird and went to Emin and I was like, you know, you this kid, and I was like, all right, I'm better than everybody out here. He was like, I don't give a f for who you are. Like, you can go back to Spongebob. That was our first interaction. And I was like, yo, like, like, who is this dude? So like that was our first interaction. Ever since then, like, me and him has been like this. Like, he knows my family, he knows my kid, like, all those things. So that's like one of the most impactful coaches that I've had.

SPEAKER_01 7:02

That's awesome. You were in the transfer portal before the transfer portal. Uh uh, man, how about how about that? Like, you would have made a lot of money in the NIL days. Holy smokes, South Carolina been wheeling out the truckload. Uh you know, so you talked a little bit right there about your about your son. Like, what what kind of what kind of uh parent coach are you gonna be, you know, as he gets into youth sports?

SPEAKER_00 7:31

Um like my dad was my coach growing up, yeah, by the way. Um I can have six touchdowns and he'd be like, hey bro, that was terrible what you just did. Like the like he he cool with like, all right, you did this, this, that, and the third, but this is what you did bad, and you could probably had eight. But like, as right now, like I just let him just run, do whatever he wants. So like he's he's be five in December, so I think like five, six, seven age is when like we'll really get to move around. So right now, I'm just letting him run around, do whatever he wants. So um that five to seven range is when we'll figure out what he wants to do and then we'll attack it.

SPEAKER_01 8:03

Are you gonna be that quiet parent on the sideline? Are you gonna be that like pacer? Are you gonna be the the nah?

SPEAKER_00 8:09

Nah, I'm not gonna nah. I'm gonna be that guy, like yo, like I'm gonna be the I'm gonna be the loud one. I remember a couple basketball games in high school. My dad was like this close from the referee, just yelling like it was it's crazy. It was fun though.

SPEAKER_01 8:22

It was fun. Is that was that was that the D1 uh AAU team? No, this was high school basketball. Oh, it was high school. He was like the front row of every game. Did you ever go to D1 Greenville? Did you ever train there? Oh, you trained at D1 Greenball back in the day.

SPEAKER_00 8:36

That's when I was really, really good at basketball. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I was a basketball guy then, but I was also like not 6'3, 6'4, so I was just like, all right. You were explosive, though. I was really, really good. And but I was. What was your best dunk? Um, I used to windmill. I was just videos of, you know, me and the gym. Can you still do it? Uh I ain't I ain't hooped in a little minute. I ain't hooped in a little minute. I go get some shots up, but I ain't doing no, you know. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 9:00

Well, if um just kind of parting here, like when you start thinking about um once again, I'm I'm gonna go back to those young athletes because that's who who D1 serves. We're trying to help these athletes reach reach their goals and get to the next level. Um, what what would you want to tell them like when from your seat they're trying to get to where you're what would you try to tell them? What's the message you really want to leave?

SPEAKER_00 9:25

Um, more so what I kind of like what I said, it ain't easy. Um, it's gonna require a lot of hard work, a lot of sacrifices. Um, it's gonna be roads, and it's gonna be bumps in the road, and you gotta get over. Um it's not it's not gonna be easy. You gotta have you know the right people in your circle. But like once you set your mind to something, just hit it full stride and don't look back.

SPEAKER_01 9:44

Love that. I love that. You're so you're so intense, like on game day and all that. So how do you keep that energy? How do you keep that fire?

SPEAKER_00 9:50

I mean, I love the game. Like, I love the game. I just don't play it for the money and all the other stuff that come with it. Like, I actually love the game. Like, I've been playing it for a long time. Dude, I think that's so important. Because to play it for a while, you gotta love it.

SPEAKER_01 10:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:03

Going on year eight.

SPEAKER_01 10:05

Let's go.

SPEAKER_00 10:05

I started yay high. Let's get 12. Yes, sir. I'm working on 10 to 12. 10 to 12. My mark is 10, though. That's my when I first when I first got to leave, I'm like, all right, all right, let's push 10. And then, well, I'm going on year eight and I still feel good. So we'll we'll see how long it goes. Just keep dominating. Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_01 10:22

I love it. There are a lot of athletes out there that are five-star, four-star, you know, that are getting big NIL money, but then there's uh so many athletes out there that are the three-star, two-star, no-star. And you were a three-star athlete and you you probably got overlooked uh in your mind. And I I would say you got overlooked probably too, you know? And so you look at the body of work and you're like, man, what would what would you tell those uh zero-star, two-star, three-star kids right now?

SPEAKER_00 10:50

Um, I'm gonna I'm gonna answer a question before I answer that question. Like, the reason why me and Mark College is like this, I used to sit in Coach High's office and he used to FaceTime every college coach and make him watch the highlight on the phone. Like he used to flip the camera and be like, all right, watch this kid. But uh, more so of the three-star, five-star situation, I've played with a lot of five stars. I've seen a lot of five stars that wasn't good. Um I played a lot of two stars and three stars that was really good. So the amount of stars really doesn't make who you are. Um, you know how good you is. You know, like whenever you get the opportunity and it presents itself, you go out there and you show everybody what you're capable of. So, and that's like that's just how I detect it. Um, South Carolina was the biggest school that I had. It was close to home. I went there, I red shirt it the first year, and then half of that, when you look back.

SPEAKER_01 11:39

Yeah, you talked about your high school coach, and and I think you mentioned about your uncle about how he believed in you. Um, and that that belief from someone else really helped spur you on. How important do you think having that belief system from someone else is?

SPEAKER_00 11:53

That's more so of the the things I was talking about, having the right guys in your in your circle, the right group of people in your circle. Anyone that believed in you that give you a little bit of motivation, because it was like it was like a ride I remember yesterday. We was passing a gas station called D-Trax, which you probably still pass right now, um, over there by Park Hills Elementary School. And he was like, Man, um, I think you're gonna make it. And I was like, yo, like, I want to play in the NFL. And then like, I was a little bitty kid at that time. You know, you have dreams of whatever, and then like, I mean, in the blink of an eye, like, I'm a rookie year in the NFL, I'm playing in the Super Bowl, which was ridiculous. Like, that's that's things people dream of. And I played in two in-laws, both of them, which whatever.

SPEAKER_01 12:31

Yeah, I think it I think it's so important in life to block out certain voices and to make sure you you receive certain voices, right? Uh, and whether that's a coach, whether that's a teammate or a family member or whatnot, you know. I know here at D1 we try to constantly just be, we try to preach motivation and inspiration because we want to we want a belief system to be built here that you can accomplish and do whatever you put your mind to, and your body will go. So uh thanks for sharing that. Appreciate it. Yeah, nutrition's a big topic here with all our athletes, and so we always want to uh ask our athletes, you know, like, hey, what are you doing nutrition-wise? I know uh you probably evolved your your diet and changes or what you're doing. And so I'd love for you to share kind of what you do and what you believe and what you think might help some athletes out there.

SPEAKER_00 13:19

Um, speaking of another coach, uh, Wes Welker, um, he was my coach for my first four years in the league. And he was like, man, you're not gonna understand what you're doing until like year three or four. Like, you're gonna go out here, you're gonna play good, you're gonna go eat whatever, blah, blah, blah. He was like, it's gonna start to sink in. Like going into year three, four, that's when you're gonna realize like a lot of things that need to change. But as I was a kid, man, you know, as a kid, you're like, all right, I'm gonna go get these starfers, gummy bears, go to Zagsby's, go eat whatever. Yeah like, but I mean, if I knew what I knew now, as in an early age, as in like the amount of food you put in your body is it's damaging a lot of tissues. So, like, have a consistent chef on a daily basis. Um, every athlete is not the same.

unknown 14:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:02

Um, you gotta know what to put in or what to put out. You know, how much you gotta know how much you burn in a day, what you gotta put back in to have enough energy for the next day.

SPEAKER_01 14:08

You've played against some amazing players. Like, what what player stands out as being a great player you played against? And then also on the on the on the other side of that is like what are some great players you played with?

SPEAKER_00 14:19

Um the I think my best opponent I played against was my rookie year, um, Marshawn Lattimore, when he was with the Saints. He was really, really, really that guy. Yeah. Um it was fun. I was young. He's probably he was probably in the league probably like year three or going on four. So um that was the toughest guy that I had to go against. But I played with a lot of, like a lot of really, really good teammates. Uh my favorite teammate of all time, Trent Williams, of course. Um, my mentor, my other older brother. Also, one of my favorite, it's like right here is Emmanuel Sanders. Oh, yeah. Uh my rookie year, he came in at week eight, and he was like, yo, bruh, like you have some talent that I never seen. And he was just like, bro, the sky's eliminated. We still talk to this day. Um, me and Trent as well, Christian McCaffrey, great teammate, Brandon Ayuk. Like, I played with I played with a lot, Brock Purdy, like Jaden, Terry, Mike Samersteal. Like, I done played with a lot of really good teammates.

SPEAKER_01 15:20

That's awesome. Yeah, you're giving, you're giving back to this community in such an amazing way. So appreciate that. Thank you so much. And like, uh, you have all these athletes out here that look up to you. You know, what do you hope they leave after they go through an experience, jumping around with you, competing? Hopefully we compete.

SPEAKER_00 15:36

My number, my one, my number one thing is like, like, it gotta be fun. Everything is not all right, I'm tensed up. Uh, this guy's here, dah dah nah. We're here to have fun. Like, that's how I play. I play anger free. Go out there and have a blast. We've been doing this all our life. Let's just go have fun.

SPEAKER_01 15:52

Yeah, that's awesome. Enjoy, enjoy it. Enjoy it. So they call you the Swiss Army knife because you can do everything. You can break tackles, you can juke, you can, you can go fast. What's something they don't know about you?

SPEAKER_00 16:06

Oh I was well, I I I talked about this like I was a really, really, really good basketball player.

SPEAKER_01 16:13

Oh, yeah, you can win Mill Dunk. Yeah. And you've also had how many touchdowns have you thrown? Um, three for three in the NFL. Come on. These guys can throw it. He's this he's the backup quarterback, he's the third man on the rock. Hey, watch the quarterback skills. Hey, thank you, Debo, so much for coming out uh to the turf powered by D1. We're fired up to go out to your youth camp and really appreciate you giving back to all these athletes out here.

SPEAKER_00 16:38

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, sir.