I've seen a lot of great players come through the league since the turn of the century and it makes me feel old as I see the 70s babies starting to ride into the sunset. I had the privilege of playing against a fellow 70s baby in Torry Holt in our High School days, and watching great 70s babies Receivers like Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Chad Johnson and the last remaining 70s baby - Steve Smith.
Despite my home being NC, I have never considered myself a Panther fan - actually I was choosing Colleges to attend when the Carolina Panthers became a franchise. But I've always remained an admirer of Steve Smith. I returned from servicing the US over in Afghanistan just in time for the 2005 NFL season. The year in which NBA players had started wearing leggings and touchdown celebrations were the trend.
Every week I tuned in to see the 70s babies such as Shaun Alexander, Larry Johnson and LaDanian Tomlinson break records. But the highlight of it all was the infamous touchdown celebrations. To see what TO, Johnson and Smith were going to do. It became a highlight on ESPN on Monday mornings, ultimately the NFL put rules in place to prohibit this from happening following the season.
Over the next decade the 70s babies started to fade out. The likes of Jerome Bettis, Marshall Faulk, Michael Strahan, Priest Holmes, Tiki Barber, Curtis Martin and Tony Gonzalez to name a few quietly retired from the league and traded in their shoulder pads for neckties. TO and Chad Johnson burned their bridges with the league and found themselves on the outside looking in. While Randy Moss saved face and learned to humble himself to go out on his own.
Of course we still have the likes of Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning that has finally showed that he really is human with one foot in retirement and Charles Woodson ending his long HOF career this Sunday. But they don't make for a feel good story, no pun intended. But despite all those names and I quote Willie Beamer; "They're just ghost on a wall".
Steve Smith is the last of those many great players from the turn of the century. Many of those guys he came into the league with have been long gone. Steve Smith was released by Carolina Panthers in the 2013 offseason and honestly I'll admit I thought his career was over but he went to Baltimore and turned back the clock and posted a 1,000 yard season. He was well on his way to repeating the feat again before an Achilles tear ended what would've been his final season.
Well in a tweet on Twitter he confirmed he would be returning in 2016. Despite injuries in his career he managed to overcome them and has become the oldest active WR in the league at 37 years old when he enters the 2016 season. This will likely be his last but I can't help but take my hats off to a guy that's the last his era.
Is Steve Smith a hall of Famer in yalls eyes?
Despite my home being NC, I have never considered myself a Panther fan - actually I was choosing Colleges to attend when the Carolina Panthers became a franchise. But I've always remained an admirer of Steve Smith. I returned from servicing the US over in Afghanistan just in time for the 2005 NFL season. The year in which NBA players had started wearing leggings and touchdown celebrations were the trend.
Every week I tuned in to see the 70s babies such as Shaun Alexander, Larry Johnson and LaDanian Tomlinson break records. But the highlight of it all was the infamous touchdown celebrations. To see what TO, Johnson and Smith were going to do. It became a highlight on ESPN on Monday mornings, ultimately the NFL put rules in place to prohibit this from happening following the season.
Over the next decade the 70s babies started to fade out. The likes of Jerome Bettis, Marshall Faulk, Michael Strahan, Priest Holmes, Tiki Barber, Curtis Martin and Tony Gonzalez to name a few quietly retired from the league and traded in their shoulder pads for neckties. TO and Chad Johnson burned their bridges with the league and found themselves on the outside looking in. While Randy Moss saved face and learned to humble himself to go out on his own.
Of course we still have the likes of Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning that has finally showed that he really is human with one foot in retirement and Charles Woodson ending his long HOF career this Sunday. But they don't make for a feel good story, no pun intended. But despite all those names and I quote Willie Beamer; "They're just ghost on a wall".
Steve Smith is the last of those many great players from the turn of the century. Many of those guys he came into the league with have been long gone. Steve Smith was released by Carolina Panthers in the 2013 offseason and honestly I'll admit I thought his career was over but he went to Baltimore and turned back the clock and posted a 1,000 yard season. He was well on his way to repeating the feat again before an Achilles tear ended what would've been his final season.
Well in a tweet on Twitter he confirmed he would be returning in 2016. Despite injuries in his career he managed to overcome them and has become the oldest active WR in the league at 37 years old when he enters the 2016 season. This will likely be his last but I can't help but take my hats off to a guy that's the last his era.
Is Steve Smith a hall of Famer in yalls eyes?
