 Samuels in 2024 | |||||||||
| No. 60 | |||||||||
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| Position | Offensive tackle | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1977-07-28)July 28, 1977 (age 48) Mobile, Alabama, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 314 lb (142 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | John Shaw (Mobile, Alabama) | ||||||||
| College | Alabama (1996–1999) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 2000: 1st round, 3rd overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
Playing | |||||||||
Coaching | |||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Chris Samuels (born July 28, 1977) is an American former professionalfootball player who was anoffensive tackle for 10 seasons in theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theAlabama Crimson Tide, and was recognized as aunanimous All-American. Selected third overall in the2000 NFL draft, Samuels played his entire pro career for the NFL'sWashington Redskins (now Washington Commanders) and was a six-timePro Bowl selection.[1][2]
Samuels was born inMobile, Alabama. He attendedJohn Shaw High School in Mobile, where he played both offense and defense for the John Shawhigh school football team, and helped Shaw to an 8–3 record and a spot in theAHSAA playoffs.[3]
While attending theUniversity of Alabama, Samuels played for theAlabama Crimson Tide football team from 1996 to 1999. As senior in 1999, he was named to theAll-Southeastern Conference (SEC) first team by the conference's coaches, the Associated Press, theBirmingham News and theMobile Press Register, and was recognized as aunanimous All-American.[4] He also won theOutland Trophy as the nation's best college interior lineman, and was a semifinalist for theLombardi Award.
Samuels won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the SEC's most outstanding blocker.[3] He started 42 straight games, from early in his 1996 freshman season until his last regular-season game as a senior, without yielding a sack. Samuels did not allow a quarterback pressure in 1999, had 91 knockdown blocks and played nearly every offensive snap during the regular season, and opening holes for Crimson Tide running backShaun Alexander, who gained 1,383 yards rushing.[3]
Samuels was considered the premier offensive tackle prospect in the2000 NFL draft.[5][6] He did not work out at theNFL Combine after sustaining an injury to his right knee. He wasdrafted third overall by theWashington Redskins, who had given up two first-round picks (12th and 24th) plus a fourth and fifth-round choice to move up to third in the first round. Samuels was the only offensive tackle drafted in the top 19 of the draft, and the first Alabama offensive lineman selected in the first round of an NFL Draft sinceBob Cryder in1978.[7]
| Height | Weight | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft5+1⁄8 in (1.96 m) | 325 lb (147 kg) | |||||||||||
| Values fromNFL Combine[8] | ||||||||||||
"Excellent athlete, good run man and pass blocker, and can run like a deer. We isolate him one on one like we did withLachey and leave him on the same guy the whole game. He’s likeGilligan, he’s got this guy the whole game."
Samuels immediately became the starting left tackle for the Redskins and was then selected to sixPro Bowls. In 2000, Samuels was one of only four players on offense to start every game, joiningJon Jansen,Mark Fischer andStephen Alexander. Samuels won co-Offensive Rookie of the Month for October with Dolphins tackleTodd Wade. He missed the last three quarters in the season finale vs. Arizona with a neck injury.[3] In 2001, Samuels started all 16 regular-season games at left tackle and was voted to thePro Bowl, he earned game balls, along with the rest of the offensive line, for two games: vs. Seattle and at New Orleans.[3] Samuels was featured on the cover of the December 3, 2001 issue ofSports Illustrated along with running backStephen Davis after becoming the first team in NFL history to lose its first five games, then go on to win its next five games.[3]
In 2002, Samuels started 15 regular-season games at left tackle and earned his second consecutive trip to the Pro Bowl. He was also voted as the Redskins 2002Ed Block Courage Award winner.[3] In 2003, he started 13 regular-season games at left tackleand missed games vs. New Orleans, at New York Giants and vs. Dallas because of a knee injury.[3]
In 2004, he started all 16 regular-season games at left tackle and helped running backClinton Portis rush for 1,315 yards, becoming only the fourth Redskin in history to do so in a single season.[3]
Samuels was regarded as the leader of Washington's offensive line. During the 2005 off-season, the Redskins signed him to a 7-year contract worth about $47 million and a signing bonus of about $16 million. In 2005, he started all 16 regular-season games and two postseason contests at left tackle. He was named to the Pro Bowl after helped open up running lanes for Clinton Portis to rush for a franchise-record 1,516 yards.[3]In 2006, he started all 16 regular-season games at left tackle. He helpedLadell Betts rush for a career-best 1,154 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Samuels was named to the Pro Bowl for the second consecutive season.[3]
In 2007, Samuels was named to the Pro Bowl for the third consecutive season and started all 16 regular-season games and one postseason contest at left tackle. He paved the way for the Redskins to post their third highest all-time rushing total in a single game ( 296 yards on 48 carries) atNew York Jets on November 4.[3]Samuels was fined$12,500 for delivering an illegal chop block that injuredAntonio Garay of theChicago Bears during a game in 2007. He later apologized to Garay, who spent the remainder of the season on Injured Reserve, as well as to Bears head coachLovie Smith.[10] In 2008,New York Giants defensive endMathias Kiwanuka accused Samuels of "dirty play," after he made a low tackle on Kiwanuka during the final minutes of the 2008 NFL season opener. Samuels denied allegations that he intentionally attempted to injure Kiwanuka, stating "On that particular play I was just trying to protect my quarterback... It was never my intention to go out there and injure another player."[11]
In 2008, Samuels was named a Team Captain played and started in 12 regular season games and was inactive in one contest with knee cartilage irritation at Detroit on October 26, seeing his consecutive starting streak snapped at 73 games.He was placed on Injured Reserve by a triceps tear on December 9, 2008, and missed the last three games. Samuels was named to the2008 Pro Bowl but did not play because of the triceps injury. He paved the way for Clinton Portis to rank fourth in the NFL in rushing yards (1,487) and total yards from scrimmage (1,705). Portis tied for the NFL lead in total first downs (82) with Chicago Bears RBMatt Forte and Atlanta Falcons RBMichael Turner.[3] Samuels helped Portis to have the second-most rushing yards (1,487) in a single-season in club history and opened up running lanes for Portis to post more than 120 yards rushing in five consecutive contests (121 rushing yards, at Dallas; 145 at Philadelphia; 129 vs. St. Louis; 175 vs. Cleveland, and 126 at Detroit).[3]Samuels led the way for Portis to tie a club record for most consecutive 100-yard rushing games (5 straight contests in 2008), a record shared byRob Goode (1951), Portis (2005) and Ladell Betts (2006).[3]
Samuels suffered through temporary upper-body paralysis based on compression of his neck during a helmet to helmet hit while in pass protection on a play against theCarolina Panthers on October 11, 2009. The injury was determined to be related tospinal stenosis, a condition that he was diagnosed with as a child. Due to the risk of incurring a long-term, severe injury related to his condition by continuing his career, he retired from the NFL on March 4, 2010, based on advice from his doctors.[12]
Samuels indicated during his retirement press conference with the Washington Redskins that he intended to continue his career in football and become a coach.[12] In 2010, he participated in the NFL's Minority Coaching Fellowship as an assistant to the Redskins'offensive line coachChris Foerster.[13] In February 2011, Samuels volunteered as theoffensive coordinator atMattie T. Blount High School inPrichard, Alabama.[14] At Blount, he helped lead the Leopards to an overall record of 10–2 and an appearance in theAlabama High School Athletic Association playoffs.[15] After only one season at Blount, in January 2012 Samuels returned to theUniversity of Alabama to serve as a student assistant coach for Crimson Tide head coachNick Saban.[15] There he was an assistant offensive line coach while working to complete his degree in physical education.[15] In 2015, he left Alabama to become a high school coach atOsbourn High School inManassas, Virginia.[16] In November 2016, Samuels stepped down from the Osbourn football coach job.[17] In 2017, Samuels was hired as the offensive coordinator atWinston Churchill High School inPotomac, Maryland.[18] After stepping down at Winston Churchill in 2019, Samuels was hired as offensive coordinator atNorthwest High School inGermantown, Maryland.[19]
Samuels was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame as part of the 2016 class.[20] He was inducted into theRedskins Ring of Fame on October 20, 2019, at halftime against theSan Francisco 49ers.[21]
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Samuels is the younger brother ofArena Football League player and coachLawrence Samuels. He married longtime girlfriendMonique Cox in March 2012. They have three children.[22] Monique appeared as a cast member onThe Real Housewives of Potomac for four seasons.[23][24] On June 15, 2023, Monique filed for divorce after 11 years of marriage, with the divorce being finalized on September 25, 2023.[25][26]
There isn't much depth among the offensive line crop in this year's draft, but there is blue-chip quality at the top in the form of Chris Samuels, Alabama's 6-foot-5, 325-pound left tackle and premier pass protector.
After the final episode of the season five reunion aired on Sunday evening, the 37-year-old said during an Instagram Live that she is not returning to the show for season six.
AnotherReal Housewives cast member is walking through the franchise's revolving door: Monique Samuels announced Sunday that she won't be returning toThe Real Housewives of Potomac for Season 6.
The Montgomery County Family Court confirmed to PEOPLE on Tuesday that The Real Housewives of Potomac alum, 39, has officially filed for divorce from the former NFL player, 45. Though Monique has filed a petition to seal the documents, the docket shows that she filed a complaint for absolute divorce on April 14. She then filed an amended complaint for absolute divorce on June 15.
Media related toChris Samuels at Wikimedia Commons