ASHBURN, Va. — Washington Commanders offensive lineman, Sam Cosmi, is entering his second season in the NFL. Drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft, Cosmi hails from Texas, standing at six feet, six inches tall and weighing more than 300 pounds. He found his spot on the offensive line and has secured a starting spot for the upcoming season.
With his rookie season behind him, Cosmi is now focused on becoming one of the best lineman in the league. He sat down with WUSA9's Sharla McBride after Commanders training camp this week to talk about football, family, and finding his purpose on this team.
"Being able to go out there, and try to drive somebody off the ball was a good feeling," Cosmi said on the first day the pads came out. "Definitely got to get the body into hitting shape."
He adds that soreness is part of it. "You have a couple bumps and bruises, but its normal. It’s football. Everyday, you just have to push through it. You’re going to be sore. It’s part of the game, you just got to go out and do it," Cosmi said.
His mindset going through his second NFL training camp is much different than his rookie season. "You know I’m not really competing for a spot like I was last year when that was the main thing in my mind. But everyday I’m being evaluated," Cosmi said. "Everyday I’m also competing. But it’s just getting better, it’s getting my techniques to where they need to be and becoming one of the best tackles in the league."
Cosmi adds that the offensive line is close on and off the field.
"We’re a tight-knit group. I don’t think there's one guy that we don’t like on this offensive line. We’re so close. We do everything together. We hang out after this. We’ll go out to eat and pick a restaurant. We like D.C. Prime, that’s one of our go-to spots. I like a good steak and some mashed potatoes," Cosmi said.
This Commanders team is relatively young. Offensive lineman Charles Leno is 30-years-old and entering training camp, he was older than 87 of the 91 guys on the roster. Cosmi says having a guy like that on the line with him is invaluable. "He’s definitely that vet. I don’t know if we make him feel old but he’s a guy I really look up to. He’s a really good football player," Cosmi said. "He's a guy I learn techniques from, and I ask questions to all the time and try to pick his brain."
The Commanders picked up some experience at quarterback in the offseason in veteran Carson Wentz. Cosmi says he doesn't have one bad thing to say about his new guy under center. “He's a great leader, and he’s an outspoken leader. He's a guy that you can definitely follow and he leads by example. I think the chemistry is great. The guys love him. He’s a selfless guy and he really puts the team first," Cosmi said.
Cosmi comes to camp every day with a smile. When asked what excites him most about these camp days he said, "Just being with the guys! I think being with the guys, knowing we are getting better together. We have a really good group of guys. Not just the O-line but everyone around us. There’s not one unit that doesn’t get along with each other. We have a great chemistry and a great culture."
Cosmi is also staying pretty busy off the football field. Last month he proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Blair. They met in class while attending the University of Texas at Austin, and the wedding planning is already underway.
“Everything is planned on Pinterest. She probably already has half the wedding already planned out! I told her, I’ll do the little details, you handle the big stuff and I'll be there for the taste test. She’s one of my biggest supporters, I really appreciate her," Cosmi said.
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