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 back Shaun Alexander, who gained 1,383 yards rushing.[3]
Professional career
Samuels was considered the premier offensive tackle prospect in the 2000 NFL draft.[5][6] He did not work out at the NFL Combine after sustaining an injury to his right knee. He was drafted third overall by the Washington 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 since Bob Cryder in 1978.[7]
"Excellent athlete, good run man and pass blocker, and can run like a deer. We isolate him one on one like we did with Lachey and leave him on the same guy the whole game. He’s like Gilligan, he’s got this guy the whole game."
— Joe Bugel, former Redskins offensive line coach.[9]
Samuels immediately became the starting left tackle for the Redskins and was then selected to six Pro Bowls. In 2000, Samuels was one of only four players on offense to start every game, joining Jon Jansen, Mark Fischer and Stephen Alexander. Samuels won co-Offensive Rookie of the Month for October with Dolphins tackle Todd 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 the Pro 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 of Sports Illustrated along with running back Stephen 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 2002 Ed Block Courage Award winner.[3] In 2003, he started 13 regular-season games at left tackle
and 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 back Clinton 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 helped Ladell 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) at New York Jets on November 4.[3]
Samuels was fined $12,500 for delivering an illegal chop block that injured Antonio Garay of the Chicago 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 coach Lovie Smith.[10] In 2008, New York Giants defensive end Mathias 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 the 2008 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 RB Matt Forte and Atlanta Falcons RB Michael 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 by Rob 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 the Carolina Panthers on October 11, 2009. The injury was determined to be related to spinal 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 was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame as part of the 2016 class.[20] He was inducted into the Redskins Ring of Fame on October 20, 2019, at halftime against the San Francisco 49ers.[21]
Personal life
Chris Samuels with his family (2019)
Samuels is the younger brother of Arena Football League player and coach Lawrence Samuels. He married longtime girlfriend Monique Cox in March 2012. They have three children.[22] Monique appeared as a cast member on The 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]
^2011 NCAA Football Records Book, Award Winners, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Indianapolis, Indiana, p. 11 (2011). Retrieved June 25, 2012.
^Mannix, Kevin (April 14, 2000), "'Bama behemoth tops so-so crop", Boston Herald, archived from the original on October 21, 2012, 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.
^Jackson, Dory; Quinn, Dave (June 20, 2023). "'RHOP' Alum Monique Samuels Files for Divorce from Chris Samuels (Exclusive)". People.com. United States: People Magazine. Retrieved June 20, 2023. 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.
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