MASON, OH − Cincinnati Bengals tight end Drew Sample is most-known for his efforts on the gridiron, but the 29-year-old is well-rounded in multiple sports.
On the links, Sample is involved in the annual Chip in for Charity fundraiser at Elks Run Golf Club in Batavia. On the ice, he scored a hat trick in the Columbus Blue Jacket Alumni Fantasy Camp Game earlier this year.
He was also a two-time letter winner in basketball at Newport High School in Washington.
But the former second-round pick has picked up tennis as a hobby since moving to Cincinnati. After a late flight home from Philadelphia following the Bengals’ preseason loss to the Eagles, Sample, along with his wife and children, attended the Aug. 8 day session of the Cincinnati Open.
“My wife was really the one who got me into tennis. She played in high school,” Sample told The Enquirer. She still plays when we can, with the girls. The girls got into it, so I got into it. It’s a family thing, so it’s been pretty fun.”
Sample first attended the tournament a few years ago. Sample concurred with the opinions from some of the players when it comes to the renovations to the Lindner Family Tennis Center.
“It’s amazing. We’ve come here the last three years. The first time we came, we were like, ‘how did we not know about this sooner?’ This year, they took it to a million,” Sample said. “I’ve gotten lost. It doesn’t even look the same, so it’s really cool.”
Sample spent time signing autographs and posing for pictures outside of a Court 10 match between Lin Zhu and Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti. Afterward, he and his family participated in the activities inside the KidsZone before attending a Coco Gauff practice session.
Gauff, the 2023 Cincinnati Open champion, is one of the favorites among the Sample household, though they are hoping local product Caty McNally can advance through the WTA bracket.
McNally, a Madeira native, trains at The Club at Harper’s Point, where Sample receives treatment. McNally opens her return to her hometown tournament in the Aug. 8 night session against qualifier Maddison Inglis on the Grandstand Court.
“We’ve watched all of her matches on TV. She’s a good friend of ours,” Sample said. “She’s amazing. The girls love her. A little late for us tonight, but we’re hoping she can still make a deep run.”