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Osbourn High School athletic director Ira DeGrood got an application last winter from Chris Samuels for his football team's head coaching position and had to do a double take. He wondered if it was the same Chris Samuels that was a 6-time Pro Bowl left tackle and played 10 years with the Redskins.
Then he saw the references – from Redskins owner Dan Snyder, legendary head coach Joe Gibbs and Alabama head football coach Nick Saban – and knew.
In a nice feature written by TMMQB, Samuels discusses his life as a high school football head coach living in Northern Virginia, and why the All-Pro decided to pass on offers to join the staffs of the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"I thought about the NFL offers, but I like working with the young guys," Samuels said. "I just felt like high school would be the best fit for me. I'm trying to connect and help these kids so they can be successful in life."
Samuels spent the last three years working as an assistant line coach under Saban at Alabama, where he played in college. But the grueling hours of that profession made him realize what he was missing.
"At the end of the day when you are on your deathbed," said Samuels, who has a two-year-old son and three-month old daughter, "are you going to want to work another three weeks or spend time with your family?"
Now he is fully ingrained in the high school. He's mentoring all of his players, many of whom come from rough backgrounds, and is trying to teach them discipline in a game that demands it.
And as a token of his gratitude, Samuels plans to donate his coaching salary back to the football program, continuing to lead by action.
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