INDIANAPOLIS — Stanford TE Sam Roush is no stranger to legacies. With football roots on both sides of the family, he was born for the gridiron.
Roush has large shoes to fill in the family lineage. He’s the grandson of Phil Olsen, who played for three different organizations, and the great-nephew of Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen.
Still, it wasn’t an immediate introduction to the sport for the latest Olsen descendant. During the 2026 Scouting Combine media session, Roush was asked how his upbringing and development were shaped by his family.
“Huge influence. I always knew I was gonna play football. My mom didn’t let me until high school, so I played some rugby, played some basketball, but I mean, my dad, his brother, and his dad all played college football. My mom played college volleyball, and her dad and all of his brothers played football in the league. It’s special to be a part of that. And, you know, just obviously building on that family legacy and carrying the family banner.”
His family background isn’t the only legacy he’ll carry into the league. Stanford has been among the top schools for producing tight end talent over the past 15 years. Names like Zach Ertz, Austin Hooper, Dalton Schultz and Colby Parkinson have worn Cardinal red and gone on to have productive NFL careers. Roush understands the tradition he played into and takes great pride in continuing the line of great Stanford tight ends.
“It would be amazing. You know, that’s one of the major reasons why I came to Stanford. I wanted to be a good tight end, and I wanted to be a part of that legacy, and to be recognized with those guys would be amazing, an incredible feeling. And that’s something that I really wanna be a part of.”
Roush is leaving Stanford as one of the most highly decorated players. His 119 career receptions surpassed Zach Ertz as the all-time leader in program history, and his 1,201 receiving yards rank third.
Although the Steelers may not be firmly in the tight end market this offseason, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that they add to the room. The team has already met informally with Roush, and he tries to model his game after their top guy.
“I grew up watching the Steelers a lot, love Pat Freiermuth. My coach sat me down, and we just put on Pat Freiermuth’s film for 20 minutes and watched it. He was like, ‘This is what it needs to look like when you get the ball.’ And he’s really physical after the catch and he does a great job running people over and never letting one man take you down.”
Roush resembles the current Steelers tight end, but a former Steelers great is a better comp. He mirrors Heath Miller, a longtime security blanket for the offense and a dominant blocker. Roush is an outstanding blocker and fully capable of playing in-line, a skill set that’s increasingly becoming more of an outlier than a norm.
Whether Roush ever reaches the heights of Miller remains to be seen. He’s got a great mindset and the work ethic to match. He understands his place in his family lineage and the Stanford legacy, and he realizes he’s next up.
Recommended for you