Steve Smith

          Oh Steve Smith, where do I even begin. Smith has provided Carolina's faithful fans with highlight reel catches for years. Ever since he was drafted in 2001, He has been an explosive player capable of turning any play into a big touchdown. He has managed to single-handedly break down many secondaries and make many professional cornerbacks look like they're standing still. He is small (5'9", 185 lbs.) compared to many of his fellow NFL receivers, but pound for pound you would be hard pressed to find a better play maker around the league.

         

          Smith had a career year in 2005, catching 103 balls for 1,563 yards and 12 touchdowns. He led the league in all three of those categories, winning the coveted "triple crown" of receivers. He was the first receiver to do this since Sterling Sharpe did it in 1992, and no one has done it since then.

          Steve Smith has always held a special place in my heart as a Panthers fan. I'm a huge fan of offensive football, so naturally a man with Smith's talent, ability and attitude would catch my eye. Not to mention the fact that he tends to find the endzone in spectacular fashion. His endzone celebrations always made me laugh too, until the NFL started cracking down on them. Seriously Goodell, when every play could be your last (unless you're Brett Favre, apparently he will NEVER have his last play), why not let them celebrate in their own special way? Outside of distasteful celebrations (Stevie Johnson that means you) what's wrong with an impression of rowing a boat when you score against the Vikings? But I digress.

          Unfortunately for Smith, his numbers saw quite a dip in 2009 and 2010. Smith's talent certainly hasn't dropped, he was just stuck with abysmal quarterbacks who couldn't seem to throw the ball to the right team. Smith isn't getting any younger, and with Cam Newton coming in as a rookie starter I wasn't sure how long Smith was going to stick around to find out whether Cam is the real deal or not. Smith had been frustrated, and rightfully so. I mean, have you seen this guy jump? Just throw the ball up somewhere in his direction and he seems to come down with it every time, yet our quarterbacks still couldn't get him the ball.

          This year has been different. Smith looks like his younger self this year, already eclipsing the 1,000 yard mark through 12 games which he had failed to do in the past two years. I already covered this in my last post, but in my opinion Cam Newton will be the reason that Steve Smith retires as a Panther. Steve Smith is not a Hall of Famer. Yet. I think he could play at least four or five more years at a very high level, as long as he stays healthy, and that could put him in the discussion.
          Regardless, Smith will always be a favorite of mine. His highlights will never get old to me, and I can only hope that he will be a Panther for a few years more. Because with his talent at receiver he opens up the field for our three-headed monster running game and keeps the fans in the game knowing that at any moment Smith might do something they've never seen before. Whether it is his touchdown celebrations, incredible talent, or the fact that he packs the most attitude per pound in the NFL, Steve Smith certainly should be on your list of players to watch out for every Sunday.