Sam Hartman proved he has a way with the ladies well before he was announced as the latest Bachelor.
Hartman, 27, went viral in a TikTok posted from Washington Commanders training camp in August 2025, while the quarterback was signing autographs for a group of fans.
“Sam, would you mind saying hi to my mom, Susan?” one female fan asked him. “She thinks you’re super hot.”
Hartman smiled and looked directly into the camera, not missing a beat.
“Susan, shoot. I don’t discriminate from age,” he said. “I appreciate your support.”
The fan who posted the video, Stephanie Shepard, called herself the “daughter of the year” for getting the sweet message from the quarterback.
Following a collegiate career at Wake Forest and Notre Dame, Hartman went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft, eventually signing with the Commanders as an undrafted free agent.
Hartman has bounced around from the practice squad to the active roster since, but has yet to see action in an NFL regular season game. He remains an active member of the Commanders’ practice quad.
The quarterback was announced as the lead of season 30 of The Bachelor on Friday, November 13.
“Honestly, at first I was like, ‘No way,’” Hartman said Friday on Good Morning America. “I got really lucky and talked to [host] Jesse Palmer and he kind of gave me the insight, what it is and what it’s not.”
Palmer, a former NFL quarterback himself, was the lead on season 5 of The Bachelor in 2004 before taking over hosting duties in 2022.
“When people are saying ‘I do,’ they don’t ask where you met; they just ask if you wanna do it forever,” Hartman explained. “I don’t see any problem with that.”
As he prepares to hand out roses to a group of potential suitors, Hartman admitted he’s “very nervous.”
“I have a tough time having a conversation with one girl, [so] 30 is gonna be pretty tough,” he said.
Hartman appeared on Good Morning America just hours after the Commanders defeated the New York Giants on Thursday, November 12.
“My teammates were there giving me advice on the plane ride back,” he said. “Probably not going to listen to anybody on that.”
When asked about the “worst advice” one of his teammates gave him about his upcoming experience, Hartman joked, “I can’t say that out loud on national television.”
Season 30 of The Bachelor premieres on ABC March 21, 2027, at 8 p.m. ET.
