Steve Smith on FOXball

[CatfanMO]

Love this guy's passion for the game.

http://www.nfl.com/n..._headline_stack

Steve Smith

was skeptical when coach

Ron Rivera

arrived in town before last season. Smith had just endured the most miserable, Clausen-y season in NFL history with the 2010

Carolina Panthers

. He wanted to win again.

"It's not necessarily that I didn't want to rebuild -- it's just that in this game you have a short opportunity. The day that I can't catch a football or run a route, they're gonna take Old Yeller behind the barn and blow his brains out -- right?"

"So why is it any different -- as we call this a business -- to [question the] product, to expect the assembly line to have efficient workers?" Smith asked

Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports

in a terrific piece. "The only thing I wanted to do is play football. Would you say the 2010

Carolina Panthers

were a football team? I don't know what it was; all I know is it wasn't football. And so I wanted to get an opportunity, and I think not just me, other guys. There are a lot of guys who wanted to play ball."

The quote above is why we can't help but love Smith as much as we do any NFL player. His passion for the game comes through in every route run, in every colorful quote. Old freaking Yeller. Awesome. He wound up staying in Carolina, of course, with

Cam Newton

's help. Newton immediately lobbied Smith to stay in town.

"I mean,

Steve Smith

is

Steve Smith

," Newton said. "He will go down always as a Carolina great, and for him to leave here would be a travesty and a mockery."

Newton rewarded Smith by helping him to a resurgent season that put him back in discussion as one of the league's

top-five receivers

. Smith's dark days at the end of the

John Fox

era are all but a distant memory. Or not.

Smith thinks that his former coaches portrayed an exaggerated picture of his conflict with the organization.

"I think the old regime did a very good job of planting whatever seed they wanted to plant," Smith says. "Things have to grow from somewhere. The seed doesn't just sprout up by itself, does it? ... I know for a fact that things were said that I'll just say were interesting."

Steve Smith is always interesting and never satisfied. We can't wait to watch him use that passion on the field this year for one of the best offenses in football.

[Chimera]

Dammit Smitty, don't bring bring it up if you aren't gonna spill the beans.

[JawnyBlaze]

Ha, no kidding. You know we'll never know what he was referring to...except maybe after he's gotten out of football and someone brings it up. Even then, not likely.

[Panths]

'... a travesty and a mockery' haha I love it.

[Lumps]

didn't old yeller have rabies? who shoots their old dog? lol

[rayzor]

the linked article was written by bucky brooks writing about a mike silver article in this thread:

[frash.exe]

Such high opinions of John Fox from his own former players

[csx]

didn't old yeller have rabies? who shoots their old dog? lol

Travis shoots him, that's who..

[PantherPhann89]

Smith, the best in the game....

[Peppers90 NC]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nfl--wr-steve-smith-having--fun--again-after-turbulent-stretch-that-nearly-led-to-panther%E2%80%99s-departure-.html

It's funny how things worked out. Who knows, if there wasn't a lockout last year, Smitty may not even be with us.