Offensive tackle retires after 10 years in NFL ASHBURN – He knew all along what would happen, even if he tried to maintain that his mind was still wavering. Unfortunately for Chris Samuels, his neck left him no choice. And he knew it in October.
Actually, he knew his career likely would come to a premature end long ago. Like in high school when he was carted off the field, his body paralyzed if only for a few moments. He was diagnosed with stenosis, a narrowing of the spine.
“Some doctors told me not to play again and it was pretty devastating,” said Samuels, the Redskins left tackle who retired this week.
But he returned. And he somehow managed to play 10 years in the NFL with only a few incidents. The last one, which occurred vs. Carolina on Oct. 11, prompted doctors to tell him his career was over.
“I’ve known about it and I’m not really devastated by it,” Samuels said. “Mentally I’ve been preparing for this for a long time, so don’t y’all feel sorry for me.”
Samuels met with doctors at the time and, though he knew his career was over — and told teammates as much — he waited until a recent evaluation to make it official.
Against Carolina, he collided with a defensive lineman and “everything went numb up top and I fell over and I knew I had had another episode.”
It was the third or fourth one he’d had in the NFL, with a mild one occurring in the season opener. But the worst might have come in his rookie season in the final game. He went head-to-head with Arizona defensive end Simeon Rice.
“Looking back I probably should have walked away then,” he said. “I lost power in my upper body and lower body and I got up off the ground and actually fell again. It was pretty bad.”
He saw a specialist in Los Angeles and was cleared to play.
“I was probably a little crazy going back out there,” he said. “I was eager to make a name for myself. I wanted to have a long career.”
Which, of course, he did. It was a successful one, too, as Samuels made six Pro Bowls — third most in franchise history.
“You don’t replace Chris,” said former teammate, and guard, Randy Thomas, who was cut Thursday. “He plays hurt and you don’t know.”
The Redskins drafted him third overall in 2000, one spot behind former teammate LaVar Arrington. Those who know Samuels best say he didn’t change during his rise in stature. During his press conference Thursday, he thanked everyone from management to sanitation workers. Former teammates Thomas, Stephon Heyer, Will Montgomery, Chad Rinehart, Mike Williams, Derrick Dockery and Jeremy Jarmon attended his presser as did Samuels’ parents, girlfriend, pastor and friends.
“He didn’t look at himself like he was special, like a lot of guys who have played 10 years in the league,” said Samuels’ agent Jimmy Sexton.
“He started with a bang and had a fantastic career with us,” Redskins owner Dan Snyder said. “One word that defines Chris Samuels is that he has always been a gentleman … and a class act. We’re lucky to have had him play for us.”
