It is often said that behind every great man stands an even greater woman.
For Tampa Bay Storm wide receiver/linebacker Lawrence Samuels and his brother, Washington Redskins offensive tackle Chris Samuels, that woman is their mother, Shirley Samuels.
Shirley, the matriarch of the Samuels football family, is a deeply religious woman who is as humble as she is thankful.
"I feel blessed that God has blessed me with Lawrence and Chris being able to play football as well as they do," Shirley responded when asked about her sons. "He also gave me two other sons who are doing well for themselves. I feel blessed to have raised four sons who are doing so well."
"I always tried to surround them with good people. I always made sure they went to church and I always let them make their own decisions," Shirley said of her childrens' upbringing. "Whatever they got into, they had to finish it, no matter what."
The strategy seems to have worked quite well.
Older brother Lawrence, currently in his 15th season in the Arena Football League, is the second-longest tenured player in League history and his name is littered throughout the AFL record books. A true Ironman, Samuels ranks first all-time in opponent fumble recoveries (34), third in receptions (951), fourth in forced fumbles (20) and sixth in receiving yards (11,047). In 2003, he became the first player in League history to be named MVP and Ironman of the Game in an ArenaBowl. He most recently won Ironman of the Week for his performance last weekend in which he had a touchdown on each side of the ball.
Chris, the youngest of the four Samuels brothers, was the third pick overall by the Washington Redskins in the 2000 NFL Draft and is a five-time Pro Bowl selection.
"All of my brothers, growing up, we always played football," Lawrence reminisced. "With Chris being the youngest, we were always the teachers and he was always the student. He picked up the game very well as you can see."
Lawrence, seven years older than Chris, was never able to play with or against his baby brother but says the two were always very supportive of one another.
"We look at each other's games and he'll tell me things that I can do better and I will tell him things that he can do better. We always helped each other out throughout the years."
Though Chris is no longer the little brother in terms of size, he still looks up to his older brother.
"He still looks at me as the older brother even though he's the bigger guy," said the 15-year veteran. "It's good to have a brother that's also in football. He calls me up with some of the experiences that he's had and I am able to relate to it. We're able to help each other through the difficult times in life."
Nowadays, the elder Samuels serves as a mentor not just to his brother but to many young football players. The Mobile, Alabama native has spent numerous offseasons coaching wide receivers at both the high school and college level and is considering making a return to the sidelines this offseason. He considers coaching to be one of his passions.
"I relate well to the kids and we interact in many different ways. I try to teach them how to act like a professional," said Lawrence. "My brothers and I were always blessed that we had great coaches growing up; people that were great motivators and who were very supportive of us. They knew the game and taught us how to play the game properly. All of those things that coaches taught me in the past, I try to pass on to the kids I work with. The kids really listen to a guy who is still playing and has done the things they want to do."
If young football players listen to Lawrence the way his younger brother listened to him, they should be in good shape.
If they listen to Samuels the way he listened to his mother, Shirley, they should be in great shape.
Lawrence Samuels can be seen on Russell Athletic ESPN Arena Football Monday, May 5th on ESPN2 at 8:00 P.M. ET when the Tampa Bay Storm (3-5) host the Chicago Rush (7-2).