Sam Overton graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1969. An electronic engineer by profession, he was manager of software for video games at North American Philips, Knoxville, Tennessee, heading the second design group for Odyssey² games.

He had been a member of the original Odyssey programming group in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and was then working at Milton Bradley with Robert S. Harris when he was called to lead the new N.A.P. design group, and he brought Harris along. He designed most of the sports games for the Odyssey², and some others.