Steve Smith (NFL)

This article is for the NFL Player, for the USC player see Steve Smith (wide receiver).

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.

Early Life

Smith grew up as the lone child in a single-parent household. His mother, Florence Young, was a drug counselor. Though she did not make much money, she knew how to set an example for her son. She would often take him to work, where the addicts waiting to see his mother would horrify him. Conforming to his mother influences, Smith swore off narcotics and alcohol before even being directly exposed to them.

Smith spent most of his early years in the Athen’s Park neighborhood of south Los Angeles. Although it 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, and was not only disgusted at the horrendous deeds alone, but by the fact that no one cared to correct or improve the situation.

High School Years

Smith 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.

College career

After graduating from High School, Smith attended Santa Monica College for his secondary education. While playing for the college’s football team, Smith quickly defined himself as remarkable football player again, and easily earned a starting position on the team. Furthermore, he would go on to play with the All-Western State Conference South during his sophomore year. While stunning several spectators with amazing 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 once missing a day of classes while attending Santa Monica. Taylor helped further mold Smith into the generous and disciplined person he would later become.

After completing two years at Santa Monica College, Smith transferred to the University of Utah, where he quickly established himself as the premier 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 the on December 25th, 2000, Smith began to receive attention from various NFL scouts.

Professional Career

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 outstanding performance was rewarded with an invite to the Pro Bowl. Together, with Todd Sauerbrun, they were they only players to represent the Carolina 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 incredible 2002 season, and further improved his statistics. During NFC Divisional Playoffs, Smith caught a 69 yard pass, and ran it for a touchdown. Furthermore, the catch would later go on to be voted as the single greatest moment in team history by Panther fans.

Unfortunately, Smith would go on to critically injure his leg during the 2004 season opener against the Green Bay Packers. Smith, along with many of his teammates would fall victim to the “injury bug”. During the 2005 NFL season, Smith recovered from his injury, and returned to the NFL with a major impact, leading the league receiving yards and tying for receptions and touchdowns.

After pulling off decisive wild card victory over the New York Giants, and delivering a stunning but costly upset to the Chicago Bears, Smith and the rest of the Carolina Panthers would go on to lose the NFC Championship to the Seattle Seahawks. 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.

Personal

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.

Playing Style

Although Smith may not be as acrobatic or swift compared to other elite receivers such as Terrell Owens or Randy Moss, he possess superb footwork and undaunted determination to get under the ball by using methods that usually limited by acrobatic approaches. Smith has mastered his senses of perception and concentration, allowing him to catch passes in the clutch.

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 or treating 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 visiting the 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 “Sex- Boat” Scandal that was currently haunting the Vikings at the time.

Trivia

Smith has a pleathora of tatoos, which include the Superman insignia, an image of a bull, the names of his wife and children, and Psalm 118:8.
During a 2005 interview with Athlon Sports, Smith said he has always admired the Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison.

Career statistics

Regular season

			Receiving				Rushing
Season	Team	League	GP	Rec	Yds	TD	Att	Yds	TD
2001	Carolina	NFL	15	10	154	0	4	43	0
2002	Carolina	NFL	15	54	872	3	1	-4	0
2003	Carolina	NFL	16	88	1110	7	11	42	0
2004	Carolina	NFL	1	6	60	0	0	0	0
2005	Carolina	NFL	16	103	1563	12	3	18	1
Regular season totals			62	252	3628	21	19	99	1

Playoffs

			Receiving				Rushing
Season	Team	League	GP	Rec	Yds	TD	Att	Yds	TD
2003-04	Carolina	NFL	4	18	404	3	1	7	0
2005-06	Carolina	NFL	3	27	335	3	4	38	1
Playoff totals			7	45	739	6	5	45	1

External links

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