Lawrence Samuels facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lawrence Samuels

Samuels with Adrian McPherson during a 2013 game.
Position:	Head coach
Personal information
Born:	(1970-05-01) May 1, 1970 (age 55) Mobile, Alabama, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school:	Mobile (AL) Shaw
College:	Livingston (AL)
Career history
As player:
Tampa Bay Storm (1994–2000) New Jersey Gladiators (2001) Tampa Bay Storm (2002–2010)
As coach:
West Alabama (WR) (1993–1994) West Alabama (WR) (1998–2000) Central H.S. (WR/OL) (2002–2003) Sickles H.S. (WR/DB) (2004–2005) Wharton H.S. (WR) (2005–2006) Team USA (WR) (2009) East Lake H.S. (WR/DB) (2009–2010) Central State (WR) (2011) Tampa Bay Storm (WR) (2012) Tampa Bay Storm (OC) (2013) Tampa Bay Storm (HC) (2014–2016) Tuskegee Golden Tigers (TE) (2017–present)
Career highlights and awards
3× ArenaBowl champion (1995, 1996, 2003) ArenaBowl MVP champion (2003) 5× Second-team All-Arena (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007) 4× All-Iron Man Team (2000, 2003, 2007, 2008) AFL Hall of Fame (2013)
Career Arena statistics
Receptions: 1,035 Receiving yards: 11,820 Receiving touchdowns: 169 Total tackles: 360 Interceptions: 32
Head coaching record
Regular season:	17–35 (.327)
Postseason:	0–0 (.000)
Career:	17–36 (.321)
Player stats at ArenaFan.com

Lawrence "Law Dogg" Samuels, born on May 1, 1970, is a well-known American football coach and former player. He played college football at Livingston University. From 1994 to 2010, he was a wide receiver and linebacker in the Arena Football League (AFL). Later, he became the head coach for the Tampa Bay Storm in the AFL from 2014 to 2016.

Early Life and Education

Lawrence Samuels was born in Mobile, Alabama. He went to Shaw High School in Mobile. In high school, he was a basketball player. However, he decided to join the football team after seeing many of his friends play.

Samuels earned two degrees from The University of West Alabama. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial technology. He also got a Master of Science degree in education.

Playing Career in the AFL

Lawrence Samuels had a long and successful career in the Arena Football League. He was known for his amazing catches and strong play.

Starting with the Tampa Bay Storm

Samuels began his AFL journey in 1994 with the Tampa Bay Storm. During his first time with the Storm, he caught 247 passes. He gained over 3,120 yards by the end of the 2000 season.

Time with the New Jersey Gladiators

In 2001, Samuels played for the New Jersey Gladiators. That season, he caught 65 passes, which was his highest number at the time. He gained 742 yards, almost matching his best season with Tampa Bay.

Returning to the Storm

After one season in New Jersey, Samuels went back to the Tampa Bay Storm. He played the rest of his career there. From 2003 to 2007, he had four seasons where he gained over 1,000 receiving yards. This included three straight seasons from 2005 to 2007 where he gained over 1,100 yards. He was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Ironman of ArenaBowl XVII in 2003.

In 2007, even after the Storm lost their first five games, Samuels was again named to the AFL's All-Ironman Team. He helped lead the Storm to the playoffs. He achieved over 100 catches, 1,000 yards, and 100 touchdowns that year.

On June 15, 2008, Samuels made history. He became the first receiver in AFL history to record 1,000 career receptions. On August 10, 2013, Lawrence Samuels was honored by being inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame.

Coaching Career

After his playing days, Lawrence Samuels moved into coaching. He has coached at both high school and college levels.

High School Coaching

In 2002 and 2003, he worked as an assistant coach. He also coached wide receivers at Central High School in Brooksville, Florida. From 2005 to 2006, he was the offensive coordinator and receivers coach for the Wharton High School Wildcats.

College and AFL Coaching

In 2011, Samuels became the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Storm. He worked with his former coach, Dave Ewart.

After Ewart left in August 2013, Samuels was promoted. On September 5, 2013, he became the head coach of the Storm. He coached the team until August 2016, when he and the Storm decided to go their separate ways.

In 2017, Samuels was hired as the tight ends coach at Tuskegee University. He continues to coach there.

Head Coaching Record

Here is a summary of Lawrence Samuels's record as a head coach:

Personal Life

Lawrence Samuels is married to Kelli, and they have two daughters. His brother, Chris Samuels, was also a very successful football player. Chris was a six-time Pro-Bowler in the National Football League (NFL).