Is Sam Hartman the first NFL star to be The Bachelor?
No, Hartman is not the first football player to hand out roses. In fact, host and NFL alum Jesse Palmer—who has acted as franchise host since 2021—was a contestant himself during season five after playing in the NFL for five seasons.
Meanwhile, Golden Bachelor alum Mel Owens previously played for the Los Angeles Rams, while Colton Underwood similarly spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles, Las Vegas Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers, although he never played in a regular season NFL game.
The Bachelor season 26 star Clayton Echard also spent time with the Seattle Seahawks in 2016 for training camp.
What has Sam Hartman said about becoming the next Bachelor?
Initially, Hartman admitted he told ABC “no way” to the proposition of becoming The Bachelor franchise’s next leading man.
“The connotation of it, I was like, ‘I don’t know,’” Hartman explained on Good Morning America. “Then, I got really lucky and talked to Jesse Palmer. He kind of gave me the insight and gave me the, what it is and what it’s not.”
Ultimately, Hartman is willing to throw a spiral into the dark if it means meeting his soulmate.
“Anybody in their right mind if you get told, ‘Hey you’ve got a chance to go find the love of your life,’” Hartman continued. “I know one thing, when people are saying ‘I do’ they don’t ask you where you met, they just ask you if you want to do it forever and I don’t see any problem with that.”
Nevertheless, the quarterback admitted he was “very nervous.”
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