Son of Marcin Zborowski and brother to Andrzej, Jan, Krzysztof and Piotr, Samuel was an heir of a significant fortune within Poland.

After Sigismund's death and the election of Henry III de Valois as the next King of Poland, a tournament was held at the Wawel Castle in honour of the new monarch on 23 February 1574.

Castellan of Przemyśl Andrzej Wapowski tried to calm down the fighters, but was hit with Zborowski's mace and was badly hurt.

Although a murder committed during a Sejm (Polish parliament) or in presence of a monarch was punishable by death, the new king did not want to start conflicts with the mighty family of Zborowski and sentenced him to banishment, without infamy.

Zborowski returned to Poland, expecting that his brothers, some of the most notable supporters of Batory's candidacy, would raise to even greater fame and wealth after the new monarch arrived.

This made them enemies of the new king and two of them, namely Andrzej and Krzysztof, started to plot with the courts of Moscow and Vienna against the life of the monarch.

Samuel tried to rehabilitate himself by raising a Cossack regiment and taking part in the war against Muscovy and the Velikiye Luki (Wielkie Łuki) Campaign of 1580, where he proved to be a courageous warrior.