There are officially 89 days until actual NFL football. Even if the Panthers had a player rocking the number 89, we would have dedicated this day to Steve Smith. While it may feel like your beautiful, amazing wife of 25 years got married to some guy from Baltimore just a few months after the very public, very ugly divorce was finalized, hopefully one day we can all (Smitty included) move past that and have a larger-than-life statue at the Vault for the larger-than-life former receiver.
Bio
Age: Immortal (38 in human years)
Height: Listed at 5’9”, Played at 6’8”
Weight: Listed at 185 lbs, Played at 270 lbs
Position: “Just a punt returner” -some scouts in 2001
College: Undergrad at Utah, Multiple Graduate degrees at the School of Hard Knocks
Stats
1,031 receptions / 14,731 yards / 81 TDs
98 kick returns / 2,371 yards / 2 TDs
180 punt returns / 1,684 yards / 4 TDs
Career
Steve Smith ranks incredibly high on many of the all-time receiving lists, including 7th in yards, 12th in receptions, and 25th in touchdowns. Smitty achieved the receiving triple crown in 2005 (103/1,563/12), showing Panthers fans one of the greatest receiving seasons of all time. Another interesting tidbit is the fact that Agent 89 and Tim Brown are the only two players in NFL history with 1,000 career receptions and touchdowns receiving, rushing, returning punts and returning kicks.
Steve Smith has given Panthers fans some of the best memories. With another formerly beloved and later maligned player returning home (Julius Peppers), maybe one day we will see Agent 89 come home and retire a Panther. Then all will be right in the world.
Now, for your viewing pleasure, Steve Smith at his very best: