Houston's Sam McGuffie Aims For Gold On US Men's Bobsled Team

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — It' pretty long way between Cypress, Texas and Pyeongchang, South Korea — 6,976 miles as the crow flies — but Sam McGuffie is thrilled to be there competing for Olympic gold.

The former Cy-Fair High School running back who ran for nearly than 6,000 yards in his high school career probably never imagined he'd be an Olympian.

In fact, his goal was an NFL career coming out of high school, and after being heavily recruited by colleges like Texas A&M and Notre Dame before settling on Michigan, it certainly looked like it would be a reality.

McGuffie, 28, transfered to Rice University after a year an Michigan, and went undrafted by the NFL.

For two years, McGuffie bounced around the NFL and CFL, landing on the practice squads of the Oakland Raiders, Arizona Cardinals and the New England Patriots, and the CFL's Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2014.

By 2015, McGuffie was out of the NFL.

At a point where he was wondering about his future, McGuffie had a conversation with his old track coach at Rice, who planted the idea of bobsledding, KPRC reported.

In 2015, McGuffie was discovered by bobsled pilot Steve Holcomb, who helped mold McGuffie into a bobsledder.

However, last year as they prepared for the winder games in Pyeongchang, Holcomb died from a deadly mix of alcohol and Lunesta, NBC News reported.

RELATED: Local Athlete Looks To Strike Winter Olympic Gold

Several months after Holcomb's death, Codie Bascue and McGuffie won the gold medal in the Two-Man World Cup at Lake Placid, NY.

Athetes began arriving in Pyeongchang last week, and the competition began with some events taking place on Feb 8, ahead of the opening ceremonies that took place early this morning by U.S. standards.

The 12 members of the US Men's bobsled team are ready to take gold in Pyeongchang.

McGuffie will be paired with Bascue in both the four-man and two-man competitons, and are not expected to compete unitl Feb. 16 - 17, when the two-man competition begins.

You can check the Olympic schedule of events here.

Image: (AP Photo/Jens Meyer, File)

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