ABC announces Sam Hartman is The Bachelor - NBC Sports
Commanders practice squad quarterback Sam Hartman has been cast as the lead for the upcoming season of ABC's 'The Bachelor'. This continues the show's trend of casting reserve NFL players as contestants.
Why it matters
Demonstrates the crossover appeal between professional sports and reality television entertainment.
A reality TV series is once again pulling from the NFL well.
ABC announced on Friday that Commanders practice squad quarterback Sam Hartman is The Bachelor for the next season of the show, which will premiere on March 21.
Hartman, 27, has been with Washington since entering the league as an undrafted free gent in 2024. While he’s been on and off the 53-man roster, he has not yet appeared in a regular season game.
Hartman began his college career at Wake Forest before transferring to Notre Dame for his final season in 2023.
This is not the first time The Bachelor has chosen a reserve quarterback as its lead contestant. Way back in 2004, Jesse Palmer was with the Giants as the first professional athlete to appear on the program.
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