Jump to content

  • Welcome!

    Register and log in easily with Twitter or Google accounts!

    Or simply create a new Huddle account. 

    Members receive fewer ads , access our dark theme, and the ability to join the discussion!

     

Steve Smith covers a variety of topics...

Mr. Scot

By Mr. Scot,
in Carolina Panthers

Recommended Posts

Mr. Scot Grand Master

Mr. Scot

Posted
Posted

...in an appearance at the Hood Hargett Breakfast Club that wasn't announced to the media but had Scott Fowler from The Observer in attendance. The venue also lost power due to weather so the event proceeded with candlelight (link)

Excerpts:

Quote

“Charlotte is a nice, smiley-face city,” Smith said. “I’m a sweatpants, pack-a-pistol kind of dude.”

To laughter from the audience, Smith added about the pistol he had referenced: “It’s legal, though… I’ve got it registered.”

One note: The media wasn’t alerted to Smith’s appearance. But The Observer is a longtime member of the Hood Hargett Breakfast Club, so I was able to attend Smith’s talk.

Smith realized I was in the audience taking notes, and mentioned that fact several times while he was at the microphone. So he knew this wasn’t a secret talk — even though the semi-darkness, coupled with Smith’s level of honesty, sometimes made it feel like it was.

 

Quote

ON THE BEST QUARTERBACK HE EVER HAD

Smith: “The best athletic quarterback I played with is Cam Newton. The best quarterback I played with — the guy I grew up with, the guy I got paid with — (is Jake Delhomme).

“Cam is an excellent athlete. However, I didn’t learn from Cam and make mistakes with Cam. I grew up with Jake.... (My kids) and Jake’s kids grew up together. Invited each other to birthday parties.

“When Cam came along, I was (32 years old). When Jake and I played, we were two blind dogs in the meat house. And when you grow with people like that, it’s a different place in your heart than someone who’s just athletic and really gifted.”

 

Quote

ON WHY HE BEGAN THE STEVE SMITH FAMILY FOUNDATION

Smith: “I started my foundation with something that meant something to me — my mom is a survivor of domestic violence. My father never raised his hand to my mother. But she had men in her life that did not honor her the same way my dad honored her or the way I honor my wife (Angie; she and Steve have four kids).

“And so we started a foundation on domestic violence, because it’s something I remember. We do it based on what I experienced… By the age of Deuce (Smith’s youngest child, who is five), I experienced watching my mom get beat up. I remember (that was) the first time I wanted to hurt someone.”

Note: During his remarks, Smith said he would match a $1,000 scholarship that was being awarded to Gianna Wessler, a three-sport athlete at Butler High who was in attendance.

 

Quote

ON HIS LEVEL OF POVERTY GROWING UP

Smith: “I was an Angel Tree kid. I was a Salvation Army kid. We was on food stamps. We was on Section 8 (housing).”

 

Quote

ON HOW HIS BACKGROUND PROVIDES THE REASON HE WON’T GO TO LAS VEGAS

Smith: “We only work (at his foundation) with what I am: Battered, bruised, wounded, jacked up and trying to figure it out.... To me, it’s Biblical. We only want what Jesus hung out with: the knuckleheads (Smith then pointed at himself)....

“I still go to counseling (Smith has spoken publicly about his battles with depression). Because — just to witness some of the things I’ve witnessed, to see some of the things that I’ve seen — I’ve suppressed that…. There are certain movies with certain things in it that I can’t watch, because it reminds me of where I grew up…. The (2020 NFL) draft is in Vegas. I can’t go to Vegas. The drugs, the sex — it’s a trigger for me.”

 

Quote

ON FORMER PANTHERS OWNER JERRY RICHARDSON

Smith: “In my speech, I used a name that everybody else kind of ducked around (Richardson sold the Panthers to David Tepper under duress after an explosive Sports Illustrated story in 2017 chronicled Richardson’s extensive workplace misconduct, which later resulted in a record NFL fine).

“I’m not afraid to say that I’m indebted to Mr. Richardson because he gave me an opportunity, despite everything that’s happened. He gave an opportunity to a young, black kid not really understanding what it is to be a man. He changed my family’s future moving forward generationally.”

 

Quote

ON FORMER CAROLINA RUNNING BACKS JONATHAN STEWART AND DEANGELO WILLIAMS

Smith: “Jonathan (who attended Smith’s talk Friday) was a great running back. And Jonathan knew that there were certain points of the game — DeAngelo isn’t here so I’ll tell this one anyway — DeAngelo would tiptoe through the hole. And when he’d tiptoe, I’d look to the sideline and go, ‘Get his a--- out of here and put Stewie in, because I’m not blocking for free.’”

 

Quote

ON WHY HE PLAYED FOOTBALL

Smith: “I played ball for one reason — to beat the man in front of me. That’s really it. And if that man happened to be on my same team, I did not get that memo....

“I just loved taking a guy and just putting them in the dirt. And there was nothing he could do about it. Nobody could save him — not his mama, his wife, his girlfriend… I wasn’t in the sport to play and be friends. I wasn’t interested in friends. I don’t have many friends. Not because I’m an unlikable person, but because that’s the way I grew up. I thrive on being alone.”

 

Quote

ON THE FAVORITE PLAY HE EVER MADE AS A PANTHER

Smith: “My daughter was supposed to be born on September 11th (2001). But she was born on September 5th.

“September 5th was a Wednesday. And I kept the pink hospital band on and I said: ‘I won’t take it off until I score a touchdown.’ Well, I scored a touchdown on the first kickoff. And I remember that and I still have the ball, that’s in her room.”

(Note: Smith is referring to his rookie year, when he took a kickoff back 93 yards for a touchdown against Minnesota the first time he ever touched the ball as an NFL player).

 

Quote

ON WHY SMITH WANTS TO BE IDENTIFIED AS MORE THAN A FOOTBALL PLAYER

Smith: “I’m no longer a football player. I really don’t like the stigma of a football player because, I mean, be honest — Most people analyze it and think all football players are stupid.”

 

Quote

ON WHAT HE DOES WHEN HE GOES HOME TO LOS ANGELES

Smith: “Going back to LA is always a reset button for me…. It was roughly a 45-minute drive by car to the Santa Monica Pier (from Smith’s old house)… But on a bus it’s about 2.5 hours, and we rode the bus a lot of the time. So when I go home, I fly into L.A. I go to a burrito spot that I used to go to when I was a kid. And then I drive the bus route (to Santa Monica Pier).”

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TheMostInterestingMan Mentor

TheMostInterestingMan

Posted
Posted

He’s such an interesting guy. I love Steve Smith the Panther. I love Steve Smith the competitor. I love Steve Smith the man. Above all I love Steve Smiths honesty. 
 

Yet there is plenty about him I can’t stand all at the same time. But maybe that’s what I love most about him. At the end of the day he’s human. He’s just like all of us. He just happened to be one of the greatest WRs of all time despite being an undersized underdog on the way to the top

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MHS831 Grand Master

MHS831

Posted
Posted
59 minutes ago, Panthera onca said:

It’s kind of understandable that he is the way he is. Being 5 years old and watching your mother get beat around had to create all sorts of unresolved anger and trauma.

I get it, believe me.  I actually have a book coming out this fall called "Building Trauma-Sensitive, Social-Emotional School Cultures."  I actually consult school systems in transforming school cultures and am working with CASEL in Chicago on developing a process to assess trauma levels and incorporate them into the school's approach to discipline.  I was traumatized, and there is a difference between going into defense or attack mode when triggered than treating everyone that way.  Smith describes me to the letter---and there is a point in your life when you must decide to step away from victimization or you will become an accomplice to your own demise.  He has a great family, fans, and money.  He is successful.  While his microsystem is small and secure, those who do not threaten it should not be perceived as enemies or threats.  When Smitty hit teammates, I felt that I knew what it was about.  I earned a scholarship and played football in college--it is great therapy--you get to hit people.  But you cannot take it off the field--and you cannot use it as an excuse to do and say what you want to people.  You need to learn that they world is not all about you.  We all hurt.  Sorry, not meaning to preach, but you cannot excuse that kind of behavior because he is famous--I hope he finds his peace.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ricky Spanish Grand Master

Ricky Spanish

Posted
Posted
41 minutes ago, TheMostInterestingMan said:

Cam lacks the longevity imo. I’ve said before that he is the most important player in Panthers history. But best? I think Smitty and Pep are ahead of him in that regard 

I'd put Luke up there too. Cam had the highest peak but Smitty, Luke, and peppers had longer sustained success. I agree though, cam is definitely the most important player we've ever had and I love him for everything he has done for the team.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TheMostInterestingMan Mentor

TheMostInterestingMan

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, Cracka McNasty said:

I'd put Luke up there too. Cam had the highest peak but Smitty, Luke, and peppers had longer sustained success. I agree though, cam is definitely the most important player we've ever had and I love him for everything he has done for the team.

These are pretty much my same exact thoughts. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • PMH4OWPW7JD2TDGWZKTOYL2T3E.jpg

  • Topics

  • Posts

    • carpanfan96
      Official 2025 NHL Playoffs Thread

      By carpanfan96 · Posted

      That hit on Stolarz was dirty was fug. Just came in and gave him an elbow on purpose to the head. 
    • carpanfan96
      fuging sit Brent Burns

      By carpanfan96 · Posted

      Brindamour said this isn't the time of the year for making changes and therefore expect Nikishin to be a healthy scratch til at least two defenceman get injured. Yes I said two because ya don't make changes and there other guys on the roster who've played with the group in games. 
    • tukafan21
      T-Mac Jerseys?

      By tukafan21 · Posted

      lol Honestly, it might sound dumb, but I've had this idea in my head of a specific picture I really want to get with him since draft night. Basically I want it to be of the two of us sitting on the floor next to each other with the picture from behind.  Ideally it would have been with us both wearing T-Mac jerseys (and me wearing an Arizona hat that has block A logo on the back of it too), but since they won't have baby versions of those for a bit and that does seem like a waste of money on something he'll grow out of in a few months, I think I'll go with this that I've found on Amazon for like 12 bucks........ I'll get this made with T-Mac's #4 but then my Nephew's first name (which incidentally starts with a T, so I've already joked to my sister that she needs to change his middle name to something with "Mc" or "Mac" in it so i can call him T-Mac lol) Just think that would make for a really cool picture for me to have of him at this age (just over 13 months now), with the two of us wearing our #4's.  It's the type of thing I can absolutely see myself getting it printed out by Shutterfly on one of those canvas like prints to hang on my wall. And seeing as they live in NYC with me in Michigan, not sure the next time I'll see him again as I can't just drive on down the street for a picture when the jersey arrives, so was hoping I'd be able to take advantage of seeing them at the end of the month to get this picture, but it would all be dependent on the jersey (and this custom onesie) being shipped in time.
×
×
  • Create New...