Samuels hasn't abandoned hope
By: John Keim
Examiner Staff Writer
November 25, 2009
 |
| Redskins tackle Chris Samuels says he remains optimistic about playing again, despite a career-threatening injury. (Getty Images) |
But teammates still expect tackle to retire
Chris Samuels hasn't abandoned hope for playing again. Just in case, he's also not afraid if he can't.
Though teammates expect the Redskins left tackle to retire, Samuels said once again Tuesday that he won't know for perhaps two to three more months when he visits the doctor again. He was placed on injured reserve last month with a neck injury and doctors have told him one bad hit could leave him paralyzed.
"I haven't started to put my career in the past tense," said Samuels, one of a handful of Redskins handing out turkeys and other goods at FedEx Field Tuesday. "I'm still optimistic about playing again.
"But one thing about it, I'm not fearful. Right now my spirits are high. Some people are amazed at how I'm still going around smiling and joking and being my normal self. I've made a good living [playing football]. It was my job. I enjoy it. But it's not who I am. Whichever decision I have to make, I'm going to be fine."
Samuels, a six-time Pro Bowler in his 10th season, has stenosis, a narrowing of the spine, and has known about it for a long time. But he hurt his neck in the 20-17 loss at Carolina on Oct. 11. Since then, there has been wide speculation that Samuels would retire. Some teammates have said that Samuels has told them as much.
Perhaps another clue is that when offensive line coach Joe Bugel was asked about Levi Jones recently, and if he might be a long-term solution here, he did not mention the possibility of Samuels returning.
"I'm concerned about him," said Redskins end Phillip Daniels, also handing out turkeys. "He told me that he lost all feeling and had no strength or anything. That was kind of scary.
"He has to think about his life and what he will do afterwards. He can easily be paralyzed with the injury he has. One wrong hit and he's done. There's a lot more important things than football, especially when it comes to your health."
Samuels said he's feeling much better.
"Every now and then I might feel a little tingling, but nothing severe, like the first two or three weeks after it happened," he said.
And he knew it was bad immediately, even though he'd been through it before.
"Anytime you get hit and everything kind of goes numb on you, it's pretty serious," he said. "Once I saw the doctors, they told me it was pretty serious as well. ... Health is first. Whatever the doctor says I'll definitely use that in making a great decision."
