Chris Samuels Chris Samuels ( born July 28 , 1977 ) is a former American college and professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League ( NFL ) for ten seasons . He played college football for the University of Alabama , and was recognized as an All - American . Selected third overall in the 2000 NFL Draft , Samuels played his entire pro career for the NFL ' s Washington Redskins and was a six - time Pro Bowl selection . Early years . Samuels was born in Mobile , Alabama . He attended John Shaw High School in Mobile , where he played both offense and defense for the John Shaw high school football team , and helped Shaw to an 8 – 3 record and a spot in the state playoffs . College career . While attending the University of Alabama , Samuels played for the Alabama Crimson Tide football team from 1996 to 1999 . As senior in 1999 , he was named to the All - Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) first team by the conference ' s coaches , the Associated Press , the " Birmingham News " and the " Mobile Press Register " , and was recognized as a consensus first - team All - American . He also won the Outland Trophy as the nation ' s best college interior lineman , and was a semifinalist for the Lombardi Award . Samuels won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the SEC ' s most outstanding blocker . 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 . Professional career . 2000 NFL Draft . Samuels was considered the premier offensive tackles prospect in the 2000 NFL Draft . 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 ( 16th 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 . Washington Redskins . Samuels immediately became the starting left tackle for the Redskins and has since been 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 . " 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 Forté and Atlanta Falcons RB Michael Turner . 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 . 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 ) . 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 . Post – playing career . Samuels indicated during his retirement press conference with the Washington Redskins that intended to continue his career in football and become a coach . In 2010 , he participated in the NFL ' s Minority Coaching Fellowship as an assistant to the Redskins ' offensive line coach Chris Foerster . In February 2011 , Samuels volunteered as the offensive coordinator at Blount High School in Prichard , Alabama . At Blount , he helped lead the Leopards to an overall record of 10 – 2 and an appearance in the Alabama High School Athletic Association playoffs . After only one season at Blount , in January 2012 Samuels returned to the University of Alabama to serve as a student assistant coach for Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban . At Alabama , he will serve as an assistant offensive line coach in addition to working to complete his degree in physical education . Personal . He is the brother of Arena Football League player Lawrence Samuels . He married longtime girlfriend Monique Cox in March , 2012 and is expecting their first child . They reside in a 9 , 000 - square - foot house in Vienna , Virginia .