When Division I prospect
Sam Meredith isn't making tackles and laying down blocks on Friday nights, he can often be found strumming a ukulele in his spare time.
It's quite a sight watching the Hawaiian-born, 6-foot-4, 265-pound
Helix (La Mesa) senior pluck a 21-inch ukulele in the family band while his father Sam Sr. plays lead guitar and his sisters Christine (22), Sarah (15), Erika (10) and Lauren (7) sing on Sundays at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in La Jolla.
"I've always found playing the ukulele a way to relax," Meredith said. "But I didn't start playing it seriously until about a year ago. We have kind of a reggae sound."
Helix High's Sam Meredith.
Photo courtesy of Helix High School
On the football field Meredith is known more for a crunching sound.
"Sam is a beast," said Helix senior teammate
Austin Gonzalez, who doubles as a wide receiver and defensive back. "If I saw him running down the field I wouldn't come up and stick my shoulder in his chest. He's a power guy who will just run you over."
A three-year starter with the Highlanders, Meredith has performed as a tight end, defensive tackle and offensive tackle.
"Honestly, I think he can play almost every position on the field," said Helix coach Troy Starr, a former assistant coach with Urban Meyer at Florida. "He's an excellent blocker and has good speed (5.2 seconds over 40 yards) for his size."
This season Meredith has divided his time between tight end and the defensive line for the 4-0 Highlanders. Given his druthers, he would rather spend the majority of his playing time on defense.
"I favor defense because you can be more aggressive, get after people," he said.
The Highlanders have been just that, allowing just 10 points in posting shutouts over Rancho Buena Vista and Morse. Helix probably wouldn't have allowed a fourth-quarter field goal to Santa Fe Christian in a 49-10 win had Starr had not flooded the field with reserves.
"We have an experienced defense," Meredith said. "We have a lot of guys back from last year and it does make a difference."
Senior running back
Raymont Nailon, who joins forces with
Darien Hancock in the Helix offensive backfield, recognizes Meredith's value on defense but welcomes the fact that he also plays offense.
"He's a phenomenal blocker – nobody gets by him," said Nailon, who also plays linebacker for the No. 3 ranked team in the San Diego Section. "But at the same time he's a good possession receiver. I don't remember him dropping anything last year."
Except opposing ballcarriers – whom he brings down with regularity. No question Meredith averages more tackles than catches per game.
"He's not one of those guys who does a lot of yelling and screaming in practice," Nailon added. "Big Sam has this way of motivating guys to focus on every play, even in practice. Maybe it's just because he's a big guy."
An agile big guy at that. Meredith has also played basketball for the Highlanders and believes that has helped him improve his footwork. Starr labels Meredith "a legitimate Division I guy."
More than a dozen schools have contacted Meredith in some form over the last year. He has sifted through the pros and cons and trimmed the list to six – UCLA, Oregon State, USC, Stanford, BYU and San Diego State. At the moment there are three finalists, all offering scholarships – Stanford, BYU and SDSU.
Stanford likes the Highlanders' kingpin as a defensive end. BYU views Meredith as an offensive lineman, while SDSU sees his future best served as a tight end.
The fact that Meredith sports a 3.6 grade point average leaves the door open to most college opportunities.
"I predict Sam maybe as a center at the college level," Starr said. "He's going to get a lot bigger – probably somewhere between 280 and 300.”
Wherever he goes, he figures to make an impact.
