Steve Smith (football player)

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This article is about the NFL player. For the USC player, see Steve Smith (college football).

Steve Smith
Steve Smith in Panthers Training Camp
Date of birth	May 12, 1979 (age 27)
Place of birth	Lynwood, CA
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg)
Position(s)	Wide receiver, Return Specialist
College	Utah
NFL Draft	2001 / Round 3/ Pick 74
Career Highlights
Pro Bowls	2002, 2006, 2007
Awards	2005 Co-NFL Comeback POY
Stats
Statistics	Pro Football Reference CBS.com DatabaseFootball ESPN
Team(s)
2001-Present	Carolina Panthers

Stevonne L. Smith (born May 12, 1979 in Lynwood, California) is an American football wide receiver who currently plays for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. Smith, a three-time Pro Bowl contender, has emerged as one of the NFL's most productive wide receivers, leading the league in receiving yards in 2005.

[edit] Early life

Smith grew up as the only child in a single-parent household. His mother, Florence Young, was a drug counselor. Smith's mother did not make a lot of money, but strived to give him a positive upbringing. She would often take him to work, where the addicts waiting to see his mother, would horrify him. Because of his mother, Smith vowed to stay away from narcotics and alcohol.

Smith spent most of his early years in the Athen’s Park neighborhood of south Los Angeles. Although Athen’s Park was relatively better than other underprivileged neighborhoods in the area, it was still plagued with explicit drug activity and gang related violence. As Smith grew up, he witnessed several horrific crimes. Although many of the crimes did not directly affect him, he was disgusted by the fact that no one cared to correct or improve the situation.

He attended University High School in Los Angeles, California. While enrolled as a student, he distinguished himself as a remarkable athlete, earning a two-sport letterman in both football and track. Smith was also chosen to play for all-star high school football team. In addition to that, he also won several All City honors and set many school records for track. Among other events, he excelled in the triple jump and 300m hurdles.

[edit] College career

Smith attended Santa Monica Jr. College After graduating from high school. While playing for the college’s football team, Smith quickly defined himself as a talented football player, and earned a starting position. During this time, Smith became teammates with future NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson. Smith would go on to play with the All-Western State Conference South during his sophomore year.

While impressing spectators with his performance on the football field, Santa Monica’s Head Coach, Robert Taylor, encouraged Smith not play for riches or fame, but to play so that he might earn a scholarship to a Division-I, where he could receive a better education. Smith took Taylor’s advice to heart, and excelled in his academics, not missing a single day of classes while attending Santa Monica.

After completing two years at Santa Monica College, Smith transferred to the University of Utah, where he established himself as a standout wideout in the Mountain West Conference. While at the University of Utah, Smith set the record for yards per catch, averaging an impressive 20.6, and was chosen to play for the conference’s all-star team twice. After playing an outstanding game at Blue-Gray All-Star game on December 25th, 2000, Smith began to receive attention from various NFL scouts.

[edit] Professional Career

[edit] Initial success

The Carolina Panthers chose Smith in the third round (74th Overall) during the 2001 NFL Draft. He spent a majority of his season as a kick and punt returner, leading all rookies in net yardage with a 1,994 yards, and landing in fourth place overall behind Priest Holmes, Marshall Faulk, and Derrick Mason. Smith’s performance was rewarded with an invite to the Pro Bowl. Smith joined Todd Sauerbrun as the only players to represent the Panthers in the 2002 Pro Bowl.

During the 2002 NFL season, Smith earned a starting position as a wide receiver and continued to carry out his kickoff and punt return duties. Smith played a critical role for the Panther offense during their 2003 season, and further improved his statistics. During the NFC divisional playoffs, Smith caught a 69 yard pass and ran it for a touchdown in double OT to defeat the Rams 29-23. He went on to catch 4 passes for 80 yards and a touchdown and returned a kickoff for 30 yards in the Panthers narrow 32-29 loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII.

[edit] Injury and return

Smith suffered a severe break in his leg during the 2004 NFL season opener against the Green Bay Packers. During the 2005 NFL season, Smith recovered from his injury and returned to the NFL, accomplishing the difficult Triple Crown of receiving by leading the NFL with 1,563 receiving yards and tying for receptions (103) and touchdowns (12). Smith was also the NFC's best receiver and the NFL's best receiver. Prior to Smith, the Triple Crown had only been accomplished by Jerry Ricein 1990 and Sterling Sharpe in 1992. He also returned 27 punts for 286 yards, giving him the second highest return average of his career (10.6).

After pulling off a wild card shut-out victory over the New York Giants (with Smith catching 10 passes for 84 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 12 yards and another score), and delivering a costly upset to the Chicago Bears (Aided by Smith's franchise record 12 receptions for 218 yards and 2 touchdowns, along with 26 rushing yards), Smith and the rest of the Carolina Panthers would go on to face the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship. The Panthers would lose the game, 34-14, and Smith would only gain 33 receiving yards, due to excessive coverage. He also returned a punt 59 yards for a touchdown in the game. Nevertheless, Smith, along with teammates Jake Delhomme, Julius Peppers, and Mike Wahle were invited to the 2006 Pro Bowl. At the end of the season, Smith shared the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award with New England Patriots’s linebacker Tedy Bruschi.

After suffering a hamstring injury in training camp before the 2006 season, he returned to the field after missing two weeks of action. [1] During the fourth week of the preseason, Smith developed an ingrown toenail, which sidelined him for the remainder of the preseason and the first two weeks of the 2006 NFL Season.

[edit] Personal life

Smith has a wife named Angie, and three children named Baylee, Peyton, and Boston. In his spare time, he coaches his son’s soccer team, and plans to become a full-time youth sports coach once he retires.

Outside of sports, Smith founded the Posey Foundation in May of 2004, which is eponymous to Demetrius Posey, one of his deceased teammates. The foundation strives to promote the building of friendships between underprivileged and abused children from the Charlotte community. Also, the foundation offers financial support to various charity organizations, and exemplifies and honors ideal mentors for children. Many of Smith’s teammates and fellow NFL players have volunteered their time and effort to help the organization carry out some of its goals and projects.

During the 2002 season, in a team video session, Smith's teammate Anthony Bright asked the coaches to re-wind a play in which Smith jerred and Smith took this as a slight on his play. Smith punched Bright in the face, breaking his nose. The Panthers suspended Smith for the offense [2].

[edit] Playing style

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Although Smith may not have the size of other elite receivers such as Terrell Owens or Chad Johnson, he possesses superb agility, game-breaking athleticism, and a determination to get under the ball by using all methods in his arsenal of physical ability. Smith is known as a "little big man," because while small for an NFL receiver, his quick acceleration, elusiveness, and vertically override his 5' 9" frame restrictions.

While playing, Smith has an indubitable sense of humor, as he enjoys celebrating after catching touchdown passes. It seems Smith’s favorite celebrations involve cradling the football like a baby. While visiting opponents, Smith has been known to mock their mascot. While playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Smith pretended the football was a sword after he scored a touchdown. Later, while playing the visiting Minnesota Vikings, Smith pretended to use the football as a longboats’s oar. However, this drew much controversy, as Smith also used his gesture to poke fun at the infamous “Love Boat” Scandal that was haunting the Vikings at the time.

[edit] Trivia

• Among Steve’s tattoos are Papa Smurf, a Superman S, the Tasmanian Devil, the words “Rough and Nasty” and “100% Fool”, and Chinese letters that translate as “Strong Soul.” He also has the names of his wife and children tattooed on his leg.
• One of Steve’s favorite TV shows as a kid was I Love Lucy. He did not get a color television until he was a teenager, and was surprised to see that the program was black and white. [3]
• During a 2005 interview with Athlon Sports, Smith said he has always admired the Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison.
• In 2001, Steve was the first rookie to make the Pro Bowl as a special teams player since Tyrone Hughes in 1993.
• Steve was the only player in 2001 to return a punt and kickoff for touchdowns.
• Steve’s 404 post-season yards in the 2003 post-season were the most since Jerry Rice gained 409 yards in 1988.
• In 2005, Steve became the first player since Washington Redskins Art Monk in 1984 to lead the NFL in receptions for a team that ran more often than it passed.
• Steve and Jermaine Lewis are the only players in history to run back two punts for touchdowns and catch a touchdown pass in the same game.

[edit] External links

• Steve Smith's Posey Foundation Official Site
• Steve Smith at ESPN.com
• Steve Smith's page at the official Panthers website
• New York Times: "Panthers' Smith: Fast Food to Fast Lane"