Sam LaPorta was a 6-3, 245-pound tight end from Highland, Illinois. He attended Highland High School and was a four-year letterman at wide receiver and defensive back. LaPorta also lettered in basketball and track. Coming out of high school, he was dubbed a three-star recruit before enrolling at Iowa. The tight end recorded just 42 receptions in his first two seasons as a Hawkeye, but more than 50 receptions in each of his final two seasons. As a senior in 2022, Laporta started all 12 games, caught 58 balls for 657 yards and scored one touchdown. He was named First-Team All-Big Ten and was one of three finalists for the John Mackey Award given to the Nation's best tight end.
LaPorta was selected early in the second round (2.03) of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. He was the second tight end off the board, after Dalton Kincaid, who was selected in the first round by the Bills. LaPorta was an immediate contributor on an ascending Lions offensive attack and recorded one of the best rookie tight end seasons in NFL history. He also joined Odell Beckham, Jr., Michael Thomas and Ja'Marr Chase as one of just four rookies in NFL history to record 80-plus receptions, 800-plus yards and nine-plus touchdowns.
