Chris Samuels Is Even Tougher Than You Think

I don't think anyone would ever have questioned Chris Samuels' toughness. He was an offensive line cornerstone; he's been to more Pro Bowls than anyone else from his draft class; and he played 144 games at one of the most vital positions on the field. I know that I, at least, have always thought of Samuels as a classy guy, a talented guy, and a tough guy. But I really had no idea just how tough. "I was born with a neck condition called stenosis," he explained during his retirement press conference today. "When I get hit a certain way, I lose power in my upper extremities, which is what happened to me last season against Carolina. Some doctors only predicted me to play six or seven years in the NFL, but here I am ten years later with six Pro Bowls. God has truly been good to me." We all knew about the stenosis, have known about it for years, but I don't think I ever fully understood just how much it affected Samuels. "I found out I ha...