Tag: Steve Smith Sr.

Julius Peppers named Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist

Panthers legend Julius Peppers has been named one of 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2024 class.

Carolina Panthers great Julius Peppers continues his fast track to Canton.

As announced on Wednesday night, Peppers has been named one of 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2024 class. The legendary pass rusher, who retired after the 2018 season, is in his first year of eligibility for the game’s highest honor.

Peppers played 10 of his 17 pro seasons in Carolina, a two-stint tenure that sandwiched stops for the Chicago Bears (2010-2013) and the Green Bay Packers (2014-2016). Those 17 years yielded an NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award, four First-team All-Pro selections, three Second-team All-Pro selections, nine Pro Bowl nods and spots on the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team and the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team.

Along with former teammate Muhsin Muhammad, Peppers was inducted into the Panthers Hall of Honor back on Oct. 29. We’ll find out if the fourth-leading sack artist of all-time is headed for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame at the NFL Honors show during Super Bowl week.

Unfortunately for another old teammate and fellow franchise great, Wednesday night marked the end of another shot at immortalization.

For the third straight year, former wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. did not make the cut into the group of finalists. Smith Sr., a three-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler, ranks eighth all-time in receiving yards.

[lawrence-related id=687600,683855,677533]

Steve Smith Sr. named to North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame

Panthers legend Steve Smith Sr. has been named one of 11 members for the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame’s 2024 class.

Steve Smith Sr. is a legend around these parts, and that’ll be a certified fact come this spring.

As announced on Tuesday morning, the Carolina Panthers great has been named to the 2024 class of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. Smith Sr. and 10 others will officially be enshrined at the Charlotte Convention Center during the Hall’s 60th annual induction banquet on May 10.

Dr. Jerry McGee, president of the Hall’s Board of Directors, stated the following in the Hall’s official release:

“This year’s class joining the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame is dynamic in many ways. Not only are they part of a milestone group, given that this is the sixtieth Induction Celebration, they are representative of the reach throughout the Charlotte community, the state of North Carolina, the United States, and beyond.”

Smith Sr. still stands as the franchise’s all-time leading receiver. He spent 13 of his 16 NFL seasons in Charlotte—a tenure that yielded three All-Pro selections, five Pro Bowl nods, an NFL Comeback Player of the Year award and a receiving triple crown.

Hopefully for Smith Sr., he’ll also soon be able to add Canton to the list of cities where his legacy is honored.

[lawrence-related id=685720,679117,674818]

Julius Peppers, Steve Smith Sr. named Hall of Fame semifinalists for 2024 class

Panthers legends Julius Peppers and Steve Smith Sr. are among the 25 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2024 class.

How about some good Carolina Panthers news for a change?

The 25 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024 were announced on Tuesday morning. Among the distinguished Modern-Era candidates were two franchise legends—defensive end Julius Peppers and wide receiver Steve Smith Sr.

Peppers is in his first year of eligibility for the Hall of the Fame. The Wilson, N.C. native and University of North Carolina great played 10 of his 17 NFL seasons in Charlotte—where he collected a franchise-record 97.0 sacks, two First-team All-Pro selections, two Second-team All-Pro selections, five Pro Bowl nods and the 2002 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year Award.

Smith Sr., who was eligible starting in 2021, now makes the semifinalist cut for the third straight year. He currently sits as the ninth leading receiver in league history (14,731).

This year’s group of 25 semifinalists will be reduced to 15 finalists before the final voting process for the Class of 2024.

[lawrence-related id=686082,683944,685720]

Panthers great Steve Smith Sr. reveals ‘unique story’ of why he wore No. 89

Panthers legend Steve Smith Sr. recalled how he came to wear No. 89 throughout his NFL career.

Steve Smith Sr. didn’t choose No. 89, No. 89 chose him.

On this past Wednesday’s episode of his podcast Cut To It, the Carolina Panthers legend recalled the origins of his immortalized uniform number. Here, in what he calls a “unique story,” is how 89 became 89:

Smith Sr., or just Smith at the time, was selected by the Panthers in the third round of the 2001 NFL draft. By then, the No. 89 uniform had been worn twice following Rae Carruth’s final season in 1999—with wideouts Dialleo Burks and Iheanyi Uwaezuoke taking it up during the 2000 campaign.

But, as hoped, Smitty took the digits and turned them into his own.

89 went on to play 13 seasons in Charlotte—becoming the franchise’s all-time leader in receptions (836), receiving yards (12,197) and receiving touchdowns (67). He also helped push the Panthers to four of their eight all-time playoff appearances, two of their five NFC South division titles and one of their two Super Bowl appearances.

No Panther has gone on to wear No. 89 since Smith Sr,’s departure after the 2013 season.

[lawrence-related id=684609,678289,677946]

Dolphins duo of Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill pacing for a first in NFL history

Miami’s QB-WR tandem on historic, potentially record-setting paces.

In NFL history, there’s never been a wide receiver named Most Valuable Player.

Since the league created the MVP award in 1957, a quarterback was given the top honor 44 times, a running back or fullback was named league MVP 18 times and a defensive player won the award twice (defensive tackle Alan Page of the Minnesota Vikings in 1971 and linebacker Lawrence Taylor in 1986 for the New York Giants).

Mark Moseley of the Washington Redskins won the award in a strike-shortened 1982 season and was the only placekicker in NFL history to win MVP. The last non-quarterback winner was Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who took the award home in 2012, along with Offensive Player of the Year that season.

In 28 seasons, the same player won both the league MVP and Offensive Player of the Year awards, and the last to do so was Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in 2018. Segueing nicely from Mahomes and his next opponent, the Miami Dolphins are in the middle of a potential historical run for a pair of players.

Tua Tagovailoa is playing remarkable football and is arguably the league leader in the MVP race thus far. While others like Mahomes himself, Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen have their candidacy as well, a non-quarterback is having a season for the ages and could shatter records come season’s end.

Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill is currently on pace to exceed 2,000 receiving yards, something never done in the history of football. The closest anyone ever got was Calvin Johnson in 2012 when he was painfully close with 1,964 yards. As good of a season Johnson had, he was awardless and didn’t even take home the OPOY, as Peterson took home both top awards. A wide receiver has taken home the OPOY just five times, and only four individuals have won it, as Jerry Rice won the award twice in 1987 and 1993.

Recently, Cooper Kupp made a run for 2,000 in 2021 and fell short of breaking Johnson’s mark by just 18 yards. Kupp did receive the OPOY that season, and last season, Justin Jefferson was given the prestigious honor. Michael Thomas won the award in 2019 and was the first receiver since Rice to claim the title.

Hill is on pace for 2,152 receiving yards, heading into Week 9, ironically against Mahomes and his other former Chiefs teammates. Hill is leading the NFL in yards and touchdown receptions, and he’s just four receptions from overtaking Stefon Diggs as the league’s leader in receptions, so a huge effort on Sunday in Germany could place Hill in the “triple-crown” at the receiver position.

There’s an exclusive fraternity of “triple-crown” receivers that have finished a season leading the NFL in catches, receiving yards and touchdown receptions.

The fictitious yet formidable frat was started in 1932 when New York Giant Ray Flaherty ran off a season unseen at that point in pro football. He led the league in all main categories, recording 21 catches, 350 receptions, and five touchdowns.

The next five times the “triple-crown” was won it was by the same man – Don Hutson. The Green Bay Packers legend first accomplished the feat in 1936, then rattled off four straight seasons from 1941-44 as the game’s top-receiving thoroughbred.

The following decade was the next time the crown was placed on the metaphorical helmet of a wideout when Los Angeles Ram Elroy Hirsch ran the receiver’s table in stats in 1951. That was followed by Philadephia Eagle Pete Pihos in 1953 and in 1959 by Baltimore Colt Raymond Berry.

Entering the dawn of the Super Bowl era, a pair of receivers in Chicago Bear Johnny Morris and San Fransisco 49er Dave Parks punched their ticket to this “frat” in 1964 and 1965 respectively. In 1966 Lance Alworth led the NFL in receptions (73), yards (1,383) and receiving touchdowns (13).

To put into scale how difficult this task has become, the first person in this Super Bowl era to claim this was, in fact, Rice in 1990; in a non-OPOY season for him. In that season, Warren Moon was the Offensive Player of the Year, and the MVP was Rice’s quarterback, Joe Montana.

Three other receivers have made this club since Rice – they’re Sterling Sharpe (1992), Steve Smith Sr. (2005) and Kupp (2021). That makes 12 men in the history of football who can say they’ve won the NFL’s “triple crown.”

Hill is looking to be the league’s 13th to do so, and if this comes with a 2,000-yard campaign, it’d be extremely hard to not call him the MVP. If history is any guide, it’d take the most prolific year in all of history to potentially break that seal.

As impressive as the stat line is for Hill, and when one looks at his games from last season without Tagovailoa, it’s the combo of these two that’s creating this remarkable dual campaign for another potential first in NFL history.

No quarterback-wide receiver tandem has ever won the MVP and OPOY as teammates in the same season. The only teammates to do so, did the feat twice, in 1999 and 2001. They were “The Greatest Show of Turf’s” quarterback Kurt Warner and running back Marshall Faulk. Faulk took both awards in the middle of this in 2000.

Yet, what’s more coincidental is the fact that “The Greatest Show on Surf” could produce the next pair of teammates and the first-ever passer-receiver duo to claim this dual honor.

One last thing: in 1999 as well as 2001, the Rams went to the Super Bowl.

NC State coach Dave Doeren blasts Steve Smith Sr. for ‘basketball school’ comment

North Carolina State coach Dave Doeren took major offense to a Steve Smith Sr. comment

Steve Smith Sr. was on the “College Gameday” show in Utah on Saturday.

When it came to discussing Clemson-North Carolina State, Smith tagged the Wolfpack as a “basketball school.”

North Carolina State improved to 5-3 with a 24-17 victory over the Tigers.

And when Doeren was interviewed post-game, he leveled the former NFL star wide receiver.

Doeren told Smith he could, um, kiss his posterior, in not so gentle terms.

Doeren explained his feelings to the media after the win.

Why N.C. State’s Dave Doeren said Steve Smith Sr. ‘can kiss my [expletive]’ after win over Clemson

Why was Dave Doeren so mad at Steve Smith Sr. after NC State beat Clemson?

If you are wondering why North Carolina State coach Dave Doeren told former NFL wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. to “kiss his ass” during a postgame interview, you are not alone.

After Doeren and the NC State Wolfpack toppled Clemson, 24-17, at home on Saturday to get to 5-3 on the season, the coach gave a feisty postgame jab at Smith by telling him that NC State isn’t a basketball school and that he can “kiss his ass.”

Look, we get being excited and all over a Clemson win, but what does Smith have to do with this? Well, it turns out the insult actually makes a lot of sense.

Smith, a Utah alumnus, appeared on ESPN’s College GameDay this week while the show broadcasted from Salt Lake City. He also joked about NC State’s chances of beating Clemson as he picked the Tigers to win.

“Clemson has been struggling,” Smith told the College GameDay crew. “They’re not the Clemson that we’ve loved over the years. But NC State, unfortunately, they’re waiting for basketball to start.”

Okay, we now see why Doeren was so salty toward Smith after the game.

NC State isn’t really known for a single sport as much as them just being relatively competitive across plenty of sports, so Doeren is right to defend his program’s honor after such a big win.

However, the whole situation was a bit strange if you didn’t have a good bit of context.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1372]

Panthers great Steve Smith Sr. blasts Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy

Panthers great Steve Smith Sr. blasted Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy right before kickoff of tonight’s Broncos-Chiefs clash.

If Jerry Jeudy does wind up coming to the Carolina Panthers, it won’t be by a recommendation from Steve Smith Sr.

The franchise’s all-time leading receiver and current NFL Network analyst broke out the patented mouthpiece on Thursday night, just ahead of the Week 6 matchup between the Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs. Smith Sr., while reporting from the set of NFL GameDay, said he attempted to make nice with Jeudy—but got a response he probably wasn’t expecting.

So, he responded right back . . .

Jeudy, who may be wearing out his welcome in the Mile High City, has recently been linked to the receiver-needy Panthers. KOA Colorado’s Benjamin Allbright stated last Thursday that Carolina had been “sniffing around” on the former first-round pick.

Now in his fourth pro campaign, Jeudy has failed to live up to the billing he came out of Alabama with. Going into tonight’s contest, 2020’s 15th overall selection has recorded just 174 receptions for 2,503 yards and nine touchdowns over 45 career games.

And, hey, if he’s ultimately not a Panther, he can always be a JAG.

[lawrence-related id=682998,682991,682985]

Steve Smith Sr. tries to calm irate Panthers fans after 0-4 start

Steve Smith Sr. thinks Panthers fans, who’ve watched their team get off to a frustrating 0-4 start, need to let the rebuild take its course.

A Carolina Panthers legend is asking the team’s peeved fans to put their pitchforks down.

Steve Smith Sr. just chopped it up with NFL Network insider James Palmer about the struggling Panthers, who are fresh off their fourth straight loss to begin the season. And despite a rough start to what was supposed to be a breath of fresh air under head coach Frank Reich and No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, the franchise’s all-time leading receiver stated that every rebuild is different.

“What you’re seeing is a young team, whose coaching staff is trying to implement their system with some of the players that they want, some of the players that they drafted and with some of the players they inherited,” he said. ” . . . that they inherited that can be a good player, but not after one offseason of learning who that player is and putting our offense together at the same time and discovering what that player is not on the football field. It’s baptism by fire and learning and evaluating all at the same time. Oh yeah, and it happens to be in the game.”

The Carolina faithful were particularly peeved after Sunday’s defeat to the Minnesota Vikings. The 21-13 loss featured a mind-blowing mental lapse, poor clock management, an ineffective (and boring) offensive game plan and a whole lot of purple.

So while it’s really difficult to relax—especially after five previous years of bad, non-playoff football—maybe fans may need to let this recipe continue to marinate before getting any hotter.

[lawrence-related id=682290,682464,682460]

Steve Smith Sr. offers reasonable insight into Panthers’ WR woes

Many think the Panthers WRs are having problems gaining separation. But Steve Smith Sr. thinks it’s not that simple.

Carolina Panthers legend Steve Smith Sr. joined The Kyle Bailey Show on Monday to be the voice of reason. As he would say—hot diggity dog!

Heading in to what would eventually be a 37-27 defeat at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3, the Panthers faced quite a bit of criticism for the performance of their wideouts. They were just one of two offenses to go through their first two games without a passing play of at least 25 yards, an ugly stat that was being attributed to their lack of separation on receiving routes.

Well, Smith Sr. was asked about that very topic by WFNZ host Kyle Bailey. And the franchise’s all-time leading pass catcher—who, mind you, claims to have a doctorate in route running—initially (and simply) replied with this:

“That is true in what I’ve seen in some of the routes that they’ve gotten an opportunity to run.”

After a few seconds of some awkward silence, Bailey then had Smith Sr. expand on his thoughts.

“In some of the routes, they’re not gettin’ separation because the route may be shallow where it’s not about separation, it’s about gettin’ to a spot,” he added. “Then there’s other routes like DJ [Chark] goes down the field and gets holdin’. Okay, they ran an up-and-out against the Atlanta Falcons and there was a little bit of miscommunication. TMJ [Terrace Marshall Jr.] slowed down a little bit and kept goin’. But that was after how many attempts, or lack of attempts of goin’ down the field?

“There are reasons why some things happen that statistics can’t tell you.”

That statistics showed us, at least before Sunday, that the Panthers couldn’t find space. Per NFL Next Gen Stats, their receivers recorded some of the lowest averages for yards of separation—with Adam Thielen at 2.9 yards, Marshall Jr. at 2.3 and Jonathan Mingo at 1.8.

Then, the more conventional stats told a bit of a brighter story. Chark seemed plenty open on his 47-yard touchdown in Seattle, which headlined a 361-yard performance from backup quarterback Andy Dalton.

Either way, the answers aren’t always so cut and dry or black and white. Just ask the voice of reason himself.

[lawrence-related id=681933,681927,681918]