Sam Handley Bio
Sam Handley is an American lacrosse player who currently plays as a midfielder for the California Redwoods of the Premier Lacrosse League. A standout talent from Portland, Oregon, Handley built his reputation as one of the most decorated midfielders in recent college lacrosse history during his time at the University of Pennsylvania, commonly known as Penn. Known for his size, vision, and ability to score and facilitate, he transitioned quickly into the professional ranks and remains a rising presence in the modern professional game.
Early Life and Background
Sam Handley was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, where he grew up as the oldest of three children born to his parents, JB Handley and Lisa Handley. The Portland lacrosse scene shaped his early years, and he first picked up the sport at the suggestion of his grandfather, a former college lacrosse player at Dartmouth. Growing up in Oregon, Handley looked up to fellow Portland native Peter Baum, the 2012 Tewaaraton Award winner, and has spoken about how Baum set the standard for West Coast lacrosse players of his generation.
Handley attended Jesuit High School in Portland, where he developed into one of the top high school players on the West Coast. He was a US Lacrosse All-American and a first-team all-state selection for three consecutive years, leading the Crusaders to a state championship game appearance during his sophomore season. As a senior, he was named the Oregon High School Lacrosse Association Player of the Year and the Oregon Sports Awards Player of the Year, and he closed his prep career with 421 points, a total of 213 goals and 208 assists. Beyond lacrosse, Handley also captained the Jesuit basketball team and earned first-team all-Metro League honors.
Path to Professional Lacrosse
Handley entered the recruiting cycle as a four-star prospect and was ranked the 79th overall recruit in the 2018 class by Inside Lacrosse. He committed to play college lacrosse at Penn, where coaches initially brought him in as an attackman before converting him into a midfielder to balance the roster. The position change proved transformative, allowing Handley to combine his height with playmaking skills and quickly establishing him as a foundational piece of the Quakers lineup.
Sam Handley Career
Early Career (2019)
Handley burst onto the collegiate scene as a freshman at Penn in 2019, setting program freshman records in points, goals, and assists while earning first-team All-American recognition from both the USILA and Inside Lacrosse. He was named the Inside Lacrosse National Freshman of the Year, the Ivy League Rookie of the Year, and a first-team All-Ivy League selection. Behind Handley’s play, the Quakers captured their first outright Ivy League regular-season title since 1986 and added the conference tournament crown to complete the program’s first Ivy League double.
Penn Breakthrough (2019–2023)
Handley’s second season in 2020 was disrupted by a ruptured spleen he suffered during the opening game against Maryland, requiring emergency surgery and months of rehabilitation before the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the remainder of his year and the entire 2021 Ivy League season. He returned healthy in 2022, was named team captain, and produced 36 goals and 37 assists for 73 points, the second-highest single-season total in program history. That year, he earned the McLaughlin Award as the best midfielder in Division I, became Penn’s first-ever Tewaaraton Award finalist, and led the Quakers to a second straight Ivy League tournament title.
In his final collegiate season in 2023, Handley was named the Division I national preseason player of the year by USA Lacrosse Magazine and finished with 30 goals and 25 assists in 13 games, collecting first-team All-American honors from USILA, Inside Lacrosse, and USA Lacrosse Magazine. He closed his Penn career with 104 goals and 194 points, placing third on the program’s all-time scoring list. Head coach Mike Murphy called Handley “clearly the most talented player we’ve ever had here,” underscoring his lasting impact on Quakers lacrosse.
California Redwoods Era (2023–Present)
Handley was selected by the Chrome Lacrosse Club with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 PLL draft and made an immediate impression as a rookie, recording nine goals, a two-pointer, and three assists across nine games. On June 9, 2025, he was traded to the California Redwoods in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2026 PLL college draft, opening a new chapter in his professional career. In addition to his PLL duties, Handley was also selected by the Vancouver Warriors in the fourth round of the 2023 National Lacrosse League draft, expanding his professional footprint across two major indoor and outdoor leagues.
Driving Style and Strengths
Handley combines a 6-foot-5 frame with the foot speed and shooting touch of a much smaller player, allowing him to dominate the midfield in transition and in settled offense. His ambidextrous shooting ability and high lacrosse IQ make him a constant matchup problem, while his background as an attackman gives him a creative, distributive mindset that complements his scoring instincts.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the signature moments of Handley’s career are his overtime game-winning goal against Yale during his freshman season, his three-goal, eight-assist performance in a win over Princeton as a senior, and his recovery from a ruptured spleen to return as a Tewaaraton finalist and McLaughlin Award winner.
Sam Handley Career Wins
While individual goal totals rather than wins define lacrosse statistics, Sam Handley has consistently delivered high-impact production at every level of the sport, from state championship contention in high school to Ivy League titles and NCAA tournament runs at Penn and a professional scoring debut with the Premier Lacrosse League.
College Highlights
Across his Penn career, Handley earned three first-team USILA All-American selections, three first-team Inside Lacrosse All-American selections, and two first-team USA Lacrosse Magazine All-American nods, in addition to three first-team All-Ivy League honors. He was a key contributor to back-to-back Ivy League tournament championships in 2019 and 2022, and he helped Penn secure its first NCAA tournament win since 1988 with a victory over Army in 2019.
Other Wins and Performances
On the international stage, Handley was one of only nine collegiate players invited to try out for the U.S. men’s national team ahead of the 2023 World Lacrosse Championship, and one of five collegians to make the training roster, signaling his standing among the top American midfield prospects of his generation.
Sam Handley Family
Family Background and Lacrosse Lineage
Sam Handley was raised in Portland, Oregon, by his parents, JB Handley and Lisa Handley, as the oldest of three children. The family’s connection to the sport runs deep, with his grandfather having played college lacrosse at Dartmouth and introducing Sam to the game during his childhood.
Personal Life
Handley is an American citizen and continues to build his professional lacrosse career while being widely recognized as one of the most accomplished midfielders of his draft class.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 PLL season marks Handley’s first full campaign with the California Redwoods following his midseason trade from Chrome Lacrosse Club on June 9, 2025. After a rookie year in which he adjusted to the speed and physicality of the professional game, the move to the Redwoods gives him an opportunity to step into a larger offensive role and showcase the full range of his midfield game.
Handley enters 2025 as one of the most decorated young midfielders in North America, with a McLaughlin Award and three All-American seasons providing a foundation that few PLL newcomers can match. His combination of size, ambidextrous shooting, and playmaking vision positions him as a potential breakout candidate for the Redwoods, particularly in transition and on two-point attempts from the outside.
With the Redwoods continuing to build around young talent and Handley developing as a dual-threat presence across both the PLL and the National Lacrosse League, the 2025 season offers him a clear runway to establish himself as a long-term cornerstone of the franchise.