This is the beginning of my dictation.   

Google has proceeded to lock me out of my smart phone. Yes, it must be my own fault. Computers are never wrong, so it must be me. I noticed my Samson smart phone was getting very full of stuff. I no longer use this phone asked my main phone, so I THOUGHT I would just wipe it clean and use it as a nice MP3 player. Well, I Google the instructions on how to reset an android device and got the directions that were specific to this particular MODEL of Samsung galaxy. I am very sure I did the instructions as required, but I forgot what email address I had used to log this thing into G-mail. That was a big mistake.

I have yet to try this:

Simple Steps to Unlock Google phone lock.

Now Google will not let me use a device because it claims I didn't illegal reset to wipe out the system. It won't let me go any further until it confirms my identity and email address. I went through that for maybe two or three hours or more, I don't EVEN remember. Now here I am two days later and I don't know what to do with my galaxy smartphone. Of course, I have a working phone, that's not the problem.
As explained above, I wanted to clear the device out so I could use it to store some MP3 piles that I like to listen to. I had no idea that I had to remember my Gmail address and password that had been used with this device. And in the instructions I got off of Google I don't recall it saying anything like that.
I suppose that putting this trend here on the form is not going to do me any good and may be is just a waste of time. But I put it here to see if I'm the only idiot I get stuck with this kind of stuff or doesn't happen to other people to?
So there you have it. I tried to wipe my smart phone clean and Google says I can't do that unless I give my former Gmail address and password user that device. Is this something new? As I recall, in the past I was able to reset android device without going through that kind of security check. Did I miss something?

Now is the end of my rant.   
Don't try the link you provided. It wants you to install some random software and I'd bet it's malware.

This is Factory Reset Protection and was added in Android 5.1. This is turned on automatically when you link the phone to a Google Account. The idea behind this feature is that only the person who had the phone would know and be able to log in to the previously sync'd E-mail address. This makes the phone pretty much useless to somebody if stolen. (Sort of like an iCloud lock for iPhones).

Whatever guide you found was probably outdated, and didn't include a note that you should remember your E-mail account and password. Or maybe it assumed that was sort of general advice.Thank you! That was what I needed to know! 

So I started over from the factory reset and this time I tried my old name I use on g-mail. I used my current password and it WORKED! Happy day!

I don't want to use it *censored*  a phone. So I turned of the protect features. In fact, it does not have a SIM card, so  s thief could not make phone calls.

Again, Thanks! 
Hi Geek,

Check all your google accounts for the Samsung phone you have.
As shown here https://help.republicwireless.com/hc/en-us/articles/115015426047-How-to-Check-What-Devices-Are-Synced-with-your-Google-Account
When you find it remove/delete it from the account, then when you factory reset leave it off the wireless and set it up without a google account. This will only  be a problem if you want to use the app store  which will need you to log in to the App store NOT the Phone with a google account.  Lisa_maree,
That is a good idea. I went to use the old smartphone for something other than regular BROWSING. I I will take it off my Google account and remove the stuff I don't need. Thanks.