Oregon assistant head coach and running backs coach Ra’Shaad Samples got hit with DUII and reckless driving charges back in April, according to The Oregonian. Seriously, how messed up is that? Dashcam video shows Samples backing his 2026 Ford F-150 right into another vehicle, then bailing out of there like nothing happened. The video shows his truck plowing into a parked car, then he just *drives off* from the parking lot onto a main road.
The Pursuit and the Fake ID
Things only got crazier from there. The driver of that other vehicle, Steven James Young, wasn’t letting Samples off the hook so easily. He went after Samples, who was apparently swerving between two lanes. Young eventually got alongside Samples to confront him, and both vehicles pulled into another parking lot. This is where it gets absolutely wild, because Young said they exchanged insurance info, but Samples gave him a fake name. Yeah, you read that right. Samples told him he was DeSean Jackson, the former NFL wide receiver. Samples even confirmed it himself, calling it a “cheeky response” and saying Jackson was his “favorite football player.” Like, what?!
Samples tried to explain it away, saying, “After I pulled over and stopped, I gave the driver my license and insurance. I gave him my information that included my name. He kept asking me, ‘Who are you? Who are you?’ He had my name. I got a little frustrated, and I gave him a cheeky response. ‘DeSean Jackson.’ Jackson is my favorite football player.” C’mon, man. You really think that flies?
Money, Tickets, and the Law
Young also spilled that Samples was trying to be difficult with the insurance details initially, claiming he was driving a loaner vehicle. But wait, there’s more. At the scene of the crash, Samples allegedly offered Young a cool $1,000 to just walk away and not report anything. When that didn’t work, Young says Samples later texted him, bumping the offer up to $2,500 and, get this, football tickets. Seriously, football tickets? After a crash where you fled the scene?
That’s when Young apparently sent the dashcam video straight to Oregon coach Dan Lanning. No field sobriety test was ever conducted at the scene, which is another head-scratcher. Both Young and another passenger in his vehicle have since claimed injuries and brought in lawyers. Oregon put out a statement saying, “We take these matters seriously and have taken appropriate action.” Samples had his first court date on July 20, and his next one is set for August 25. This whole situation is just a mess, and it’s not going away anytime soon.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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