{{Short description|American football player and coach (born 1970)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Lawrence Samuels | image = LawrenceSamuels.PNG | alt = | caption = Samuels with Adrian McPherson during a 2013 game. | number = | position = Head coach | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1970|5|1}} | birth_place = Mobile, Alabama, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | high_school = Mobile (AL) Shaw | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 2 | weight_lbs = 215 | college = Livingston (AL) | undraftedyear = | pastteams = * Tampa Bay Storm ({{AFL Year|1994}}–{{AFL Year|2000}}) * New Jersey Gladiators ({{AFL Year|2001}}) * Tampa Bay Storm ({{AFL Year|2002}}–{{AFL Year|2010}}) | pastcoaching = * 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) ({{AFL Year|2012}}) * Tampa Bay Storm (OC) ({{AFL Year|2013}}) * Tampa Bay Storm (HC) ({{AFL Year|2014}}–{{AFL Year|2016}}) * Tuskegee Golden Tigers (TE) (2017–present) | highlights = * 3× ArenaBowl champion (1995, 1996, 2003) * ArenaBowl MVP (2003) * 5× Second-team All-Arena (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007) * 4× AFL All-Iron Man Team ({{AFL Year|2000}}, {{AFL Year|2003}}, {{AFL Year|2007}}, {{AFL Year|2008}}) * Arena Football Hall of Fame (2013) | aflstatlabel1 = Receptions | aflstatvalue1 = 1,035 | aflstatlabel2 = Receiving yards | aflstatvalue2 = 11,820 | aflstatlabel3 = Receiving touchdowns | aflstatvalue3 = 169 | aflstatlabel4 = Total tackles | aflstatvalue4 = 360 | aflstatlabel5 = Interceptions | aflstatvalue5 = 32 | afl = 1405 | coachregrecord = 17–35 ({{winpct|17|35}}) | coachplayoffrecord = 0–0 ({{winpct|0|1}}) | coachrecord = 17–36 ({{winpct|17|36}}) }}
'''Lawrence''' "'''Law Dogg'''" '''Samuels''' (born May 1, 1970) is an American football coach and former player. He played college football at Livingston University, and was an Arena Football League (AFL) wide receiver/linebacker from 1994 to 2010.<ref name="arenafan">{{cite web |url=http://www.arenafan.com/players/?page=players&player=1405 |title=Lawrence Samuels |access-date=2010-02-25 |publisher=ArenaFan |work=www.arenafan.com}}</ref> He was head coach of the Tampa Bay Storm of the AFL from 2014 to 2016.
==Early life== Born in Mobile, Alabama, Samuels attended Shaw High School in Mobile. Samuels was a basketball player in high school, but was lured to the football field after seeing most of his childhood friends join the Shaw team.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/10/from_shaw_high_to_the_hall_of.html |title=From Shaw High to the Hall of Fame: Lawrence Samuels among Arena League's legends |last=Inabinett |first=Mark |date=October 21, 2013 |website=www.al.com |publisher=Alabama Media Group |access-date=October 28, 2013}}</ref>
Samuels received both his Bachelor of Science degree in industrial technology and Master of Science degree in education from The University of West Alabama.
==Professional career==
===Tampa Bay Storm=== Samuels made his AFL debut in 1994 with the Tampa Bay Storm, racking up 247 receptions through the 2000 season for over 3,120 yards in his first tenure with the Storm.
===New Jersey Gladiators=== In 2001, Samuels left the Storm and played the season with the New Jersey Gladiators, catching 65 passes (a career high at the time) for 742 yards, just short of his 844-yard career high receiving season he recorded the year before with Tampa Bay.
===Return to the Storm=== After a single season in New Jersey, Samuels returned to Tampa,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/storm-sign-samuels/n-1963613 |title=Storm sign Samuels |date=March 19, 2002 |publisher=OurSports Central |work=www.oursportscentral.com |access-date=July 22, 2017}}</ref> where he finished his playing career. From 2003-2007, Samuels notched 1,000+ yards receiving in 4 of 5 seasons, including back-to-back-to-back 1,100 yard+ seasons in 2005, 2006, and 2007. Was named MVP and Ironman of ArenaBowl XVII.
In 2007, after 5 losses to begin the season, Samuels was again named to the AFL's All-Ironman Team after leading the Storm to a #3 seed in the playoffs. 100+ catches, 1,000+ yards, and 100+ touchdowns also helped Samuels earn the honor.
On June 15, 2008, Samuels became the first receiver in AFL history to record 1,000 career receptions. [http://www.arenafootball.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&ATCLID=1480626&DB_OEM_ID=3500]{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
On August 10, 2013, Samuels was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/08/lawrence_samuels_going_into_ar.html |title=Lawrence Samuels going into Arena Football League Hall of Fame |last=Inabinett |first=Mark |date=August 11, 2013 |website=www.al.com |publisher=Alabama Media Group |access-date=August 12, 2013}}</ref>
==Coaching career== In 2002 and 2003, Samuels was an assistant coach and wide receivers coach at Central High School in Brooksville, Florida.
Samuels was the offensive coordinator and receivers coach for the Wharton High School Wildcats during the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
In 2011, Samuels was named the offensive coordinator of the Storm, working with one of his former coaches, Dave Ewart.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tampabay.com/sports/football/storm/storm-taps-lawrence-samuels-as-new-coach/2140136/ |title=Storm taps Samuels as coach |author=Brandon Wright |date=September 5, 2013 |publisher=Tampa Bay Times |work=www.tampabay.com |access-date=January 9, 2014}}</ref>
Ewart was fired in early August 2013, and on September 5, 2013, Samuels was promoted to head coach of the Storm.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tampabaystorm.com/news/detail/storm-name-lawrence-samuels-head-coach |title=Storm Name Lawrence samuels Head Coach |date=September 5, 2013 |publisher=Tampa Bay Storm |work=www.tampabaystorm.com |access-date=September 5, 2013}}</ref> Samuels and the Storm mutually agreed to part ways in August 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.arenafan.com/news/?page=pressrel&article=13367 |title=Storm And Lawrence Samuels Mutually Agree To Separate |date=August 10, 2016 |access-date=August 10, 2016 |publisher=arenafan.com}}</ref>
In 2017, Samuels was hired as the tight ends coach at Tuskegee University.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://goldentigersports.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/lawrence-samuels/523 | title=Lawrence Samuels | publisher=Tuskegee University | accessdate=1 June 2025}}</ref>
===Head coaching record === {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|Year !! colspan="4"|Regular season !! colspan="4"|Postseason |- !Won!!Lost!!Win %!!Finish!! Won !! Lost !! Win % !! Result |- ! TB || {{AFL Year|2014}} || 8 || 10 || {{winpct|8|10}} || '''2nd in AC South''' || – || – || – || – |- ! TB || {{AFL Year|2015}} || 7 || 11 || {{winpct|7|11}} || '''3rd in AC South''' || – || – || – || – |- ! style="background:#fdd;" ! TB || {{AFL Year|2016}} || 2 || 14 || {{winpct|2|14}} || '''4th in AC''' || 0 || 1 || .000 || {{small|'''Lost to Philadelphia Soul in Conference Semifinals'''}} |- ! colspan="2"|Total<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arenafan.com/history/?page=coaches&coach=102 |title=Lawrence Samuels Coaching Record |publisher=ArenaFan.com |access-date=July 7, 2014}}</ref> || 17 || 35 || {{winpct|17|35}} || || 0 || 1 || .000 || |}
==Personal== Samuels's brother, Chris Samuels, was a six-time Pro-Bowler in the National Football League (NFL). He and his wife, Kelli, have two daughters.
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== * [http://www.arenafan.com/players/?page=players&player=1405 AFL stats]
{{navboxes |title= |list1= {{Tampa Bay Storm}} {{ArenaBowl IX}} {{ArenaBowl X}} {{ArenaBowl XVII}} {{ArenaBowl MVPs}} {{Arena Football Hall of Fame members}} }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Samuels, Lawrence}} Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:American football linebackers Category:American football wide receivers Category:New Jersey Gladiators players Category:Tampa Bay Storm coaches Category:Tampa Bay Storm players Category:West Alabama Tigers football players Category:High school football coaches in Florida Category:Players of American football from Mobile, Alabama Category:African-American coaches of American football Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen Category:Coaches of American football from Alabama Category:West Alabama Tigers football coaches Category:Central State Marauders football coaches Category:Tuskegee Golden Tigers football coaches Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:20th-century American sportsmen