Steve Smith

Lore & Background

A five-time Pro Bowl selection and four-time All-Pro (including a 2011 selection from Pro Football Focus), Smith emerged as one of the NFL's most productive wide receivers in history, leading the league in catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns in 2005. At the time of his retirement, Smith ranked seventh in NFL career all-purpose yards (19,180), seventh in NFL career receiving yards (sixth among wide receivers all-time) (14,731), twelfth in career receptions (1,031), and 26th in receiving touchdowns (81).

Smith amassed (89) total touchdowns in the regular season and (100) total touchdowns including the postseason. Smith emerged as one of the most statistically efficient wide receivers of all-time, in the 2005 NFL season Smith became the only player in NFL history to lead the league in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and receptions (receiving triple crown) despite being on a team that was ranked (28th) in pass attempts. In the 2008 NFL season Smith became the only player in NFL history to lead the league in receiving yards per game despite being on an offense that was last in pass attempts.

In 2008, Smith produced the highest yards per team pass attempt (RY/TPA) in the modern era with a rating of (4.03). Smith also has the highest yards per route run (YPRR) in NFL history with a rating of (3.87) from 2008. Smith is currently tied for 5th all-time in 100-yard receiving games alongside Andre Johnson and Terrell Owens with (51). Smith’s dominance extended into the postseason, where he holds the NFL record for the highest career receiving yards per game average (91.0) among players with a minimum of 10 playoff games.

Reader's Guide

Smith attended University High School in Los Angeles, where he was a letterman in football and track & field. In football, he played running back and defensive back, and was an All-Metro League selection as well as an All-California Interscholastic Federation selection. He graduated in 1997. In track, he set school records, was an All-City selection as a high-hurdler, and excelled in the triple jump and 300m hurdles, with personal bests of 14.95 seconds in the 110m hurdles and 38.73 seconds in the 300m hurdles.

After high school, he attended Santa Monica College, where he played for the Corsairs and was teammates with future NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson. Head coach Robert Taylor encouraged Smith to earn a scholarship to a Division-I school. Smith transferred to the University of Utah, where he set a record for yards per catch (20.6) and was chosen for the conference's all-star team twice. In his first season at Utah, he ranked 4th in the NCAA in punt return yards (495) and yards per return (17.1).

He missed the bowl game in his final season due to injury. After the Blue–Gray All-Star Game on December 25, 2000, he gained attention from NFL scouts and was named offensive MVP of the January 13, 2001, East–West Shrine Game. He finished at Utah with 78 receptions for 1,608 yards and 12 touchdowns, plus 1,365 return yards and 4 touchdowns on special teams. He and his wife have endowed an athletics scholarship at the University of Utah.

In the 2001 NFL draft, the Panthers chose Smith in the third round (74th overall). As a rookie, he led all rookies in net yardage (1,994 yards) and returned the opening kickoff of the first game for a touchdown. He had ten catches for 154 yards and rushed four times for 43 yards. The team finished 1–15.

He was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team and earned first team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. In 2002, he earned a starting wide receiver position and continued as returner. In Week 4, he had five receptions for 116 yards for his first 100-yard game. On November 18, 2002, he attacked practice squad player Anthony Bright during a film session; Bright was hospitalized for two days, and Smith was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault.

Smith was suspended for one game. In Week 14, he had five receptions for 144 yards and a touchdown, plus two punt return touchdowns, earning NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.