Washington Commanders rookie defensive back Mike Sainristil's 2023 season was as decorated as they come. He earned an All-American nod, won a national championship, and it eventually helped him get drafted with the 50th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
A lot of the accolades were the direct result of Sainristil's approach to the game. His work ethic is unparalleled and his leadership skills are already that of a grizzled NFL veteran. He gets it, as they say.
The foundation of Sainristil's methods come from his parents, who moved to America from Port Au Prince, Haiti when he was around seven months old. It wasn't easy, as one can imagine, but watching his parents work endlessly in order to give their children a sound future is what put Sainristil on the path he's on, today.
"I would say just, seeing how my parents sacrificed, how they overcame struggles, how they were just constantly working, even though things didn't go right all the time. [It] definitely shows me there's nothing that I'm going through that I can't keep, you know, pushing forward through," Sainristil said on the most recent episode of Raising Hail with the Rookies. "And one thing I learned at a very young age, was, in order to grow, you have to go through something. So, no matter what you go through, just, you know, take it and learn from it...
"... It was tough, it was strict, and looking back at it, I appreciate, you know, being brung up that way. I think it's made me who I am."
The challenges didn't stop there, either. Sainristil's first season with the Michigan Wolverines resulted in a 9-4 record, but the team fell to a disgraceful (especially by Michigan standards) 2-4 during the 2020 COVID year. Even though the circumstances surrounding that season were unlike any faced before, it was an experience that helped Sainristil understand what it takes to successfully rebuild a team.
And he sees a lot of the correct components of that process in motion in Washington.
"I know what it feels like to rebuild, to put pieces back together, and then once those pieces are together, to take it to the next step," said Sainristil. "I feel like what the coaches are doing, here, is bringing guys in who have that leadership to them. I believe we brought in seven guys who were a captain part of their collegiate career. So to me, it's like, they're looking for guys to come in here and lead and work and grind and just compete right away."
He's not afraid to step up and assume his own role as a leader, either. Sainristil is totally bought in and ready to transform the Washington Commanders in 2024.
"I've always felt in my life that I was a leader around, you know, whether it's naturally or I work to be leader - I'm a leader... I feel like I'm the perfect guy to, you know, bring it to a team around a bunch of other guys... I'm going to be a respectable teammate, I'm going to be a teammate that is able to be held accountable, and a teammate that's going to hold my peers accountable."
There's zero doubt the Commanders are building the chemistry and culture the right way. If they can have the same success with on-field results, then this team could easily return to the competitive status it's been missing for a long time.
