A Football Life Steve Smith Sr.

we gotta get my coach those of the older and in there this is it yes we're running to play and so Joe threw me the ball and I felt this safety from remembering like the coverage I felt the safety outside of me so I wanted to give him a move to open up the field because I knew everything was back behind me and so as I put my foot in the ground I felt like somebody kind of hit me and then I was trying to run through it and you could see on the field where I kind of stumbled and then when I stumbled I realized my foot was flapping I had no power and I knew it was I know my my season was over I was up in the suite watching the game with friends and family and I kind of just sat there I started praying and just my heart really broke for him and this has the look of an awful ending not only to a day but possibly to a brilliant career a wide range of respect all around the league especially for the likes of Steve Smith right now just drop back down I got lost report that I've really just didn't anticipate getting hurt it's like a funeral in which you you're not dead you get to see oh no I think you know just kind of take my time cuz that's all right now today [Music] today's November 9th in Charlotte getting ready for my Achilles surgery and see hopefully works out good [Applause] that's the biggest thing that I've been thinking about will I get back to the way I was if I'm a guy trying to decide am I gonna play again or am I just gonna go find out what this real world is about I've never had to really make that before this would be the perfect time to ask me what my top five corners would be [Laughter] we take full responsibility for you now no more questions sorry that's right all right you're already there okay thank you 2015 was supposed to be Steve Smith's seniors last year in the NFL my family decided basically after this season this is my last season we just saw one of the 10 most prolific receivers in the history of this league see his day his season at his career the worst way imaginable he's coming back he ain't finished he going out like that if anybody come back from from it Steve Smith will and he will come back from it I didn't believe he would actually retire on an injury go back through Steve's whole career he always had something to prove and this was another opportunity for him to prove something Steve Smith senior has spent his life fighting to prove himself too small for the NFL just a kick returner [Applause] won't be the same after an injury he's got a plate made screws in his lower leg right now can't adjust to a new quarterback [Applause] [Music] cut from the only team he'd known breaking news of the day the decision by the Carolina Panthers to release the best player in franchise history Steve Smith too old and washed up [Applause] but fights leave scars and Steve Smith senior has plenty of those Sergey I saw some I saw it was never easy for Steve Smith senior and neither was the decision to return it's one more come back a few more scars and one more chance to prove them wrong so found out there's a double rupture basically I taught two different places we didn't know but I slightly tore it and possibly June or May so I was so I've been playing with it maybe slightly torn the whole year you know we didn't even know no way bear first six weeks so yeah it's gonna be rough who's gonna require a lot of intense rehab cuz it's a ligament am I taking any rehab and any part of training you're gonna hit a part where you kind of feel like why am I doing this you start to question you know is it worth it you know because ultimately I want to play with my kids I want to play on my grandkids I want to teach them how to play ball I want to teach deuce how to tie his shoes on how to ride his bike just like I taught Boston and so those are the things that don't want to be able to do [Music] sorry [Applause] I feel like Steve has always felt like he had something to prove he may not like being told he has a chip on his shoulder but he does I think he's he's that guy every year he's out to prove something it's not a chip it's it's a boulder his greatest attribute is competitive arrogance when he gets on the field I am better than anybody on the field and that's what makes him so great [Applause] my concern is just is the guy in front of me honestly I want your mom to be pissed off when she see on sporting and I'm doing her some like dirt as well there's people looking is like he's a young football player with tattoos who's mad cause he's short and he has a chip on the shoulder and I say those people because you watch me in my workplace for two hours of the day you don't know me the guy who you think you gonna run through no chance [Applause] [Music] in a store [Music] [Applause] the well played ball is hot play ball well that's not who I am and that's not all the Who I am let's see you write this getting there how good I can put weight on it with crutches but I'll be I'll be hurting all right this this is what we doing these can't gets a 200 I love gift card and then you get to take that you take that gift card and you shop hello I found out that I was an angel tree kid you laughter I take one you'll get take one of your Achilles though you gonna give me one I thought this I thought this was a seat the season of giving when I commit and invest either in Baltimore Charla whoever it is I'm not giving charity or helping off from marketing off from the box I was that kid my family survived off other people's generosity I'm from Los Angeles I'm from the inner city my mom was on food stamps Section eight Christmas was just another day for us where we lived he was one of the younger kids to learn how to defend himself early you can only defend a child so much till they start calling you a [ __ ] the next time he came in talking about sunlight was bothering it it was like you kick his butt or I kick yours what's it to be that environment was tough an environment made me who I am that violin taught me how to be resilient how to not expect anything from anybody it made me look at if I'm going to do something I got to do a full speed because if I don't that's what I go back to the first step in Steve Smith's escape from LA was junior college they're stove on as he was known at the time earned a reputation and a division 1 scholarship my new coach Taylor at Santa Monica Junior College we start talking about Steve and he said the kid needs some direction good kid you know nothing off to feel problems but on the field he's gonna compete and so I said okay that's not a problem he says no he's gonna compete and I said okay yeah I met Steve Smith in 99 and University Utah and he's to fight in practice all the time the first week Steve was at the University of Utah it was just a bad day for him bad day for me so I kicked him off the field so I walked down there toward him and he had his helmet on and he was crying he said coach this is what I got I love football and so I said we can make this work at Utah broken tackles and records earn Smith attention from NFL scouts and one significant classmate I met Angie you know I was walking down the hall and there's glowing effect around me and she saw me and she just was like you know she just kind of floated over to me you know so that's what happened as his hands are out stick away - it's really funny and I thought it was quiet kind of reserved I had told his mom after I've met her that he wasn't cocky at all and she laughed at me it's like early I was always used to just being by myself and when she came into my life he switched so you've been around out to your house for seven or however many straight days what's been the best part of that hanging out with dudes hanging out with my wife you know this Thanksgiving was cool because it was the first time that I was I was at Thanksgiving from the morning until there the whole time I didn't have to go to work and then I stopped so I was really cool I guess the thing I struggle with is multiple main lives you feel so helpless you know there's times I was grumpy and stuff because you just feel like someone has to do something for you all the time made me feel really inadequate and I'm just kind of like I want to do stuff for myself but I kind of struggle it was tough to like rely and I would always thank you you know sorry you gotta do all this stuff when like I was very apologetic this is injury that was a pretty significant injury Achilles tendon so I've had that well as I say the the tunnel of depression I think is the medication I think it's the pain you'd be questioning a lot of things and so there's good parts I was like now I'm good I'm straight I don't do this and then there's days Walker was like the strip give it a try [Music] good afternoon welcome to the 2001 NFL College Player Draft so I'm gonna draft date and first round goes to haribol second round goes off for the third round combs and I'm in depressed zone you look at the last pitch Steve Smith running you going to just weren't going to Carolina never even knew where North Carolina was and that's just a fact you know who's on it Scott didn't know who played there I think we have to pull out the map just you know make sure we knew where it was and so I get drafted I come in and then a guy tapped me on the shoulder I turn jorssy for a Jewish neighbor says hey I Drive too you don't this up and walks off now is it Smith from his seven yard line to the 20 nothing outside 30 there he goes brookey and his first touches a professional all the wafer touch down that's big-time right there as a rookie Steve Smith excelled on special teams totaling nearly 2,000 all-purpose yards and three return touchdowns the young Panther was electric but received few opportunities to spark the one in 15 Carolina offense I ran all training camp and I was like okay man we got a first week of practice I didn't run no offense I just distrusting after practice I was sitting on the field and I was crying because I was like my own night will get a chance I went to the Pro Bowl as a rookie and wonder why receiver coaches told me that de special team guys are over there these are receivers but across the field his special teams coach pushed him to force the issue with the receiver group he said show them that you could play whiteout no better place as shown is that the Pro Bowl with Pro Bowl quarterbacks go show and the coach who told me to go over there is now my head coach John Harbaugh he and I talked pretty relationships through the pro ball because I was a special teams guy and he was a return guy and I just loved him in 2003 Steve Smith's showed and told the world what he could do [Applause] [Music] touchdown Panthers what a great move by Steve Smith Smith topped a thousand yards and helped lead Carolina to its first Super Bowl in a breakout postseason performance [Applause] touchdown and we are going to the NFC Championship game Smith totaled over 400 yards and three touchdowns in the 2003 postseason and nearly led the Panthers to a Super Bowl victory [Applause] that Momo's outstanding that moment said I could play nicely [Applause] the Panthers lost to the Patriots it was a tough end to the 2003 season in 2004 started off even worse this is Smith and he gets taken that from behind and for a gain of nine and he is shaken up he got he got tackled from behind by Hannibal navies the way that tag the way he went down you could tell that he was in agony to have the success he had in o3 for us to be so close to to winning the Superbowl and for him to to play like he did for him to go down it was difficult for him [Music] a broken leg and a season lost it was the first time Steve Smith would face a year of rehab but it wouldn't be his last [Music] this is injury that is really it's a trying injury so if it hurts this bad healing how bad is gonna hurt to rehab every morning I've gotten up and felt is this gonna get better and there's some days it hasn't well you are better than you were last week but last week how to quit I'm serious last week got how to quit last week was the few times where you just felt like I was bugging my head against a brick wall and I was getting no progress come on now that isn't about age that's just like man is this worth it but you got to look at right now you gotta look at a month at a time am I'm better today can I do more today than I could a month ago hey well I'll be ready like I want to be ready for camp even though I may not do nothing camp I won't get ready I think I'll be ready for camp I think there's a progress we made in last few weeks it makes me optimistic 2016 training camp was five months away and an ambitious goal just one more obstacle to overcome [Music] after suffering a broken leg in week 1 of the 2004 season Steve Smith returned in 2005 he's got a plate made screws in his lower leg right now Smith led the NFL in all three receiving categories catches yards and touchdowns it's like one guy is just taking over this hundred yard piece of land out here [Applause] his name [Applause] if you see this fight knocking a school I'll tell you this he's the best football player in this field today [Applause] mm I'll come back from that injury I accomplished that you cannot measure a man's ability to play this game based on the statute once again Smith saved his best for the playoffs scoring a touchdown in three straight road games he's got blockers out there ten the leg Steve Smith is just tearing them apart 250 you see Steve Smith the man who could change a place with it absolutely a game-changing player and though the Panthers title hopes ended in Seattle 2005 was a year of professional and personal growth for Smith with the birth of his third child tributes to the family took many forms the best part about this win or lose I go home get hugs and kisses for my wife or the kids [Music] and go make beef slip just changed the diaper on the football in the endzone I guess he was changing the baby you should see newspaper last night we forgot to change him for a little while like after nap so he was soaking wet it was like sagging my kids are who I am for some people they see football of Who I am but my family is Who I am in our household if you get called by your real name you're in trouble [Music] so there's Payton comb PD so he's 18 gone off to college Bailey BJ 14 my princess my girl Boston call him down but Stan that's my toy man were very similar we think alike we make same of gestures both looks and deuce Steven Smith Jung 20 months I'm Steve the football player but I'm dad true [Applause] huh horseplay with Steve Smith the football player not quite as fun Steve Smith has led the league and being one of the nastiest competitors that I've seen I don't wanna mess with Steve Smith I respected where he was coming from he wasn't always right but it's something that made him great it's hard for someone to do the things that he does on a football field to all sudden pull back the reins and say hey you can't do that fights brought flags but they also allowed Smith to get in the heads of his opponents [Music] do I keep the lead pad from Steve Smith there's no doubt about that because Steve in this case was right and you see what Bill Belichick just did to a keep too late come over here and sit with me what happened between you and to leave on the field early in the game I don't know you go out soon because he to finish the game ice up some I saw unfortunately Smith's fighting was not limited to opponents in two separate incidents he punched teammates one time resulting in criminal charges it was hard watching him struggle through it because there is not a whole lot I can say or do you know yeah I had those moments where I wanted to come out and say it's not who he is or he just made a mistake but you know I'm not the type of person that's gonna do that I would say this there is no justification of my actions and I apologize for all the people that I hurt I take full responsibility and all I could say is I'm sorry who's a young immature young man the edge that caused Steve Smith trouble was the same edge that defined his play see just von Miller and the trademark of that style was the patented Steve Smith stiff arm he plays with a violence when you see him catch what we call the smoke route and the DB try to tackle him and and he punches him with his open hand in the chest and literally bench presses and puts him on the ground you realize how strong and how physical he was that's that stiff arm for Jimmy he makes a small play with that stiff arm makes it into a huge flavor he was a [Music] and distant house certain guys I was a stiff on move on and there's other guys I make sure I finish them to the crime so I can feel his body going and I know just gonna get caught look at the Stefan fights of all [Applause] there's nothing more than breaking and filling the guys will leave his body and understanding that he surrenders I like that [Music] Steve Smith senior was not the only raven coming back from an injury quarterback Joe Flacco Torres ACL in week 11 of the 2015 season you know me and Joe Burt in training camp and OTAs be rehabbing together so - starting quarterback 1 and starting wide receivers we get to push each other I hate to say it this way but you know misery loves company the bond between receiver and quarterback has always been important to Steve Smith's career a trend that started with Jake Delhomme I think Jake Delhomme was the greatest thing that ever happened to Steve Smith those two were so fun to be around because they both cared so much about win and they both had were such passionate players you'd see him in a huddle sometimes yelling at each other full-on yelling but it never felt like it disrupted the dynamic because that was their relationship the best seasons of Smith's career came with Delon Jake Delhomme sets up and throws a absolutely we expected so much out of each other we just thrived on and we worked at it so when it became time for a game he knew I was going to go to [Applause] and I'm do vice-versa that he was gonna have my back no matter what [Music] check throws long downfield looking for Steve Smith double character [Applause] Hey you'd be able to feel what's enough and Wendell ohm skills declined in his final year in Carolina Smith went from demanding the ball to offering support [Applause] [Music] [Music] you hurt so much inside you know for him to come put his all hey don't worry about I got you back but that's when you truly truly appreciate guys and in tough times tough times came in 2010 without his favorite quarterback Smith had the worst year of his career the Panthers finished two and fourteen and secured the number one pick in the draft with Cam Newton Smith once again had a quarterback who could get him the ball to touch them Steve Smith from Cambridge Steve Smith cam new contestant must think he's gone to heaven great job Lina's damn the kid [Music] Steve was the unbelievable dynamic player and is the donor for so long and I respect that that's it my hat on him but the revival came at a cost that was a tough dynamic between kam and Steve it frustrated Steve being with such a young quarterback who maybe didn't get all the terminology down right away who would mess up his reads on a hot route things like that that's mr. Steve had no patience for that they rolled all the way to you and honestly I feel like that hurt cams development a little bit because Steve was such an in-your-face character he wanted to win now Steve wasn't a rookie Steve was getting into double-digit seasons and he didn't want to wait to win for this young quarterback to develop we won't test for the obvious reason he's the first overall pick and he was a star where he was I was 30 something 31 years old I had three kids so we were two people in two different phases of their life a lot of people talking about that I get your take on cam the reason why I I the reason I don't want to talk about cam is because so many people want to put so much on cam and just being kind of Big Brother he isn't there yet really I think the organization felt like for cam to flourish they needed Steve stepped down in March of 2014 it was made official in a statement Steve Smith was no longer a panther we really had no idea and so I think it was just more of just the way it all came down if you don't let me go let me know you know don't announce it to someone else emotionally it was hard for everybody because of what he's done for this organization the impact he's had in the community he's the best Panther to step foot in Bank of America Stadium but I think everybody understood that he probably needed a change it was probably good for everybody I'll always be a Carolina Panthers and the one thing I want to leave you it's a new chapter in this book of my life but there are phrases in this chapter that will carry on and do you know what those phrases are Frank no what's that [Music] when it came time to pick a new team Steve Smith didn't want to stray far from home luckily just a short flight away was an old friend as soon as it happen I was on the phone with this agent we had coasted into Provo and John had a real good feel for Steve he and John would ever sit there a man and man and say John this is what I'm looking for this would I would ask you to do for me and John say if you became a raven you'd be able to do that to get a chance to see his family on a weekly basis it was mainly Steve thinking about his family you know the whole thing was about him trying to figure out what would be best for his family doing things coach Harbaugh told me said look if you can't be you we don't want you here we want you to be you sounds like oh she gonna get you hump eat me and in true Steve Smith fashion there was one more factor in choosing a team every team that called I looked at their schedule I didn't know what week but I knew the Panthers on that schedule in his first three games as a raven Smith total 290 yards in a touchdown but week 4 was the game he was waiting for [Applause] you gonna find out we can I was with the team doing some broadcasting and I said Smitty how's he gonna be tomorrow he said it's gonna be ugly it's gonna be ugly once again I felt like people underestimated me they knew one guy on that team his stress and weaknesses I knew that whole team knew the head coach's weakness I knew dolphins coordinators weakness I knew the defense coordinators weakness I knew everything I knew the cause I knew the cadence I knew what time they pissed so I knew how they were gonna think I'm not supposed to see him in a different uniform so that was that was hard for me being his coach being his teammate it was it was difficult I still talk to guys on team and found out that they felt that I would be emotionally unstable not be all over the place so when I went in there I went there strictly business it was more of a psychological game for me it was a an opportunity to show my growth [Music] laughter look to throw on third and short Lhasa far sideline tip-top [Applause] the first fluke touchdown that he had oh man it's gonna be one of those days he's gotta think this is my payback right here buddy gods on my side they expected me to come out there and talk so I said no I'm not gonna talk I want to see he was gonna jump up he didn't look at anybody he didn't say anything flacco fault doesn't snap to be able to do this against his former team you know it's just unbelievable it didn't surprise me one bit for that to happen because that's the way Steve is this is a nail hit metal coffin you're dead take your ass back to Caroline make sure you mold my lawn - why you out there keep it clean high five clicks afterwards wears nail in the coffin talking about cutting the grass and then it's like man you're beautiful he's just beautiful the last thing I congratulations to Steve smash [Applause] the old man playing a young man's gang some of y'all gonna had the ice up well first of all he wanted to race me because he thought he was like yeah that's hurt so this is my chance so I ran and saw God and they tried to take advantage because they thought I was wounded we're here to move my oldest son and the D version of Paul and really watch him start to create his own path malo bowling spiral as his father rehabbed for his final season Payton Smith began his collegiate career accepting a soccer scholarship to DePaul I gave football a shot and they're just like God that's Steve Smith's kid don't worry about him that just like your first time playing football that hit to you there wasn't like pressure from other people but I just wanted to be successful at my own thing so that was cool for me to make that next step and I know it made him proud so that was also cool I'm proud of him for soccer but I'm the most proud of him as a as a student-athlete sup coach yeah you see how you doing pretty good all right the cool part is I still have the opportunity to play football at an age where generally a lot of guys aren't doing and then I get to do what every other father every other family does a couple more hours right it's like his last camp and it's my first so that's pretty cool to think about he's like ending his maturity and I'm starting mine so I really came back not to really set any records but more because this organization gave me opportunity and when I got hurt I felt like I let those guys down in a locker room so for me to come back and play is to show them that I am dependable and that they can depend on me and to show you jackasses that at 37 years old I can still play Steve Smith's legacy is going to be maybe the greatest competitor in the game the little guy that could run and knock people down first ballot hall-of-famer he's the greatest Panther that ever played here those that had a chance to touch him to be a part of him a better for one of the Great's to ever play the game and one of the fiercest competitors I've ever been around great football player great family man we don't know what you can do anymore and you losing a step and all those things and then he goes out there and kills it [Music] no Steve Smith senior wasn't going to end on an injury he was determined to finish his career on his terms trash talking DBS things got heated senior and rookie Jalen Ramsey stiff-arming defenders [Music] and a year ago to come back and make a plague of that type is just absolutely in 2016 Steve Smith will likely eclipse 1000 career receptions and already ranks among the top 10 leaders in career receiving yards the numbers matter to him but what matters more is how he finishes the final chapter of his football life I've been for nine months I know exactly what's left I'm enjoying it the way I'm enjoy it so if you're not in the same jersey as me I plan to rip you to shreds and I intend to lay everything out not for myself but for the people who believe many people that invest in me 16 years ago and I'm just gonna play ball [Music]

Channel: Zach Crutcher

Views: 1,074,481

Rating: 4.8669538 out of 5

Keywords: Steve Smith, Steve Smith Sr., A Football Life, NFL Network, NFL Films, NFL, Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens, Utah Utes, Wide Reciever, Diva, Trash Talk, Injury, Aqib Talib, Cam Newton, Jake Delhomme, John Harbaugh, Toughness, Family

Id: 5OkOIfZIbrU

Length: 43min 30sec (2610 seconds)

Published: Wed Oct 18 2017

Reddit Comments

[u/chrisbhedrick]

Fucking A. Nothing will ever top what he did to get us to the nfc playoffs back in 02. Sometimes I’ll YouTube the replay just to get fired up and remember the fearlessness he had to support his team. Nfl or military , that’s the dude you want on your squad. He raised everyone’s play even shaky jakey Delhomme