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An offensive stalwart in the past, Lawrence Samuels is now Ironman of the Year material as well.
By JOHN C. COTEY
© St. Petersburg Times, published July 1, 2000
TAMPA -- Can you keep a secret?
Lawrence Samuels might be the league's top Ironman. Seriously.
Though observers wouldn't know it, the Storm wide receiver/linebacker is in the midst of fashioning his finest of seven seasons in Tampa Bay. Other players have more of one thing, but few have as much of everything as Samuels.
If Barry Wagner defined the Ironman with panache and bombast, then Samuels is redefining it with quiet elegance.
"He doesn't have to be loud to be good," coach Tim Marcum said.
When the Arena League picks its Ironman of the Year, an award given to the best player on both sides of the ball, Samuels will be one of the candidates.
Sound weird? It should. The soft-spoken Alabama native is hardly the kind of player one would expect to win such an award, the league's top honor and one that typically goes to a player with gaudy receiving numbers, snazzy kick returns and moderate defensive statistics.
But Samuels has played arguably the game's toughest position with remarkable consistency: He catches everything thrown his way, is in on most tackles and can score on offense and defense.
"He comes to work every day, he's on time, he brings his lunch pail and his hard hat, he puts in a day's work for a day's pay, and he does it all with a big smile," Marcum said. "That's Lawrence."
Samuels has emerged from the shadows of former stars after a painfully slow start in what most expected to be his breakout season.
His master's degree work at West Alabama limited his pre- and early-season practices. And there was the hoopla surrounding his brother Chris, who was drafted No. 3 overall by Washington in April's NFL draft. Samuels' start -- 11 catches for 88 yards and one touchdown in three games -- may have had some wondering if Stevie Thomas and George LaFrance took him with them when they departed the Storm.
"Being around the older vets (Thomas and LaFrance), I never had any pressure; I was always like under them," Samuels said. "And when they left, I didn't really feel any pressure. But I wanted to fill in that role as a teacher, to be a leader like they were."
Since the slow start, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Samuels has been one of the league's most effective receivers. He has 29 catches in the past seven games, 12 for touchdowns. He has at least one touchdown in each of those games, and two touchdowns in each of the past three. That tells just half the tale of Samuels' resurrection: In those seven games, he was named Ironman six times. "He's not going to be a 30-touchdown guy like Stevie Thomas was," quarterback John Kaleo said. "But Stevie was more a pure receiver. Lawrence is a defensive factor and an offensive factor."
The glitz of 100-yard games -- Samuels has one -- has been exchanged for the glory of scoring. With a nearly 2-1 reception-to-touchdown ratio, Samuels is the Storm's version of the NFL's Cris Carter.
"He's more potent around the 10- and 15-yard-line," Kaleo said. "That's when we really try to look for Lawrence. He's bigger and an easier target down there, and he's more physical than any defensive back."
Samuel's 40 catches equal last year's total; his 543 yards and 13 touchdowns surpass his '99 totals.
Defensively, he has tied his career best with three interceptions, and he has scored his ninth defensive touchdown (against Florida), the league's all-time mark.
"One thing you have to remember about Lawrence is he plays wide receiver and linebacker," Marcum said. "That means he is getting hit or doing the hitting all the time. Those collisions are like car wrecks -- a car wreck over and over again for 2 1/2 hours. If there's a tougher position, I don't know what it is. And Lawrence is pretty good at it."