"I could go out there and get a hell of a suntan on both arms and be cool,'' he said. "But I want to be able to block out any thought of my comfort level and just concentrate on the job I have to do. No matter what the elements happen to be.'' "
That's from Don Banks' "Snap Judgments" article on SI.com. And it left me very impressed with Troy Smith. That little anecdote is the sort of story that gets told on the day someone is elected into the Hall of Fame after a career marked by hard work in an uphill battle. Suddenly he has me believing that he's the sort of guy who can prove the critics wrong. He can buck the trend of Heisman Trophy winners who don't work out in the NFL. He can maybe even be the kind of quarterback that Michael Vick could have been if he'd had any kind of work ethic.
This story about Smith tells me that he will not allow himself to fail. It's entirely possible that he'll get converted to WR at some point, and be used as an Antwaan Randle El-type weapon who can throw passes on trick plays. Or he'll get to be Baltimore's next quarterback and Brian Billick (if anyone can do it it's Billick) will find a way to utilize his unique talents to make him a Pro Bowler. Smith has shown an understanding of his place in the league and on the team, which speaks to his maturity. He didn't expect the road to be paved smoothly for him.
How often is the Heisman Trophy winner the steal of the draft? In time, that may be the case for 2007.
Chelsey Buhler
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I think that Troy Smith will be on Baltimore's practice squad this year. He'll be lucky to make the 53 man roster.
Bah Humbug
Raleigh , NC
Total Comments (833)
You have an excellent blog Dan.....When are you gonna do a season prediction on the broncos? That is the only team that you haven't done yet
DaHizzle303
Denver , CO
Total Comments (3)
sometime in the next two hours, DaHizzle, glad to know it's being anticipated.
Dan TM is Stupendous…
Evanston , IL
Total Comments (2071)
I'll buy that. Troy Smith impressed the heck out of me his senior year, and I firmly believe that passing up on him because he's "only" six feet tall is one of the most glaring examples of scouts and personnel managers missing the forest for the trees.
By the fourth round of the draft (yeah I'm that nerdy, I watched the whole thing) I was hollering at the TV for the Niners to draft him. Unfortunately my television set failed to get the message across. Oh well... everyone else's loss = the Ravens gain I guess.
Fungushnitzel
Lodi , CA
Total Comments (1870)
Troy is a very hard worker. He had to learn at OSU that he would have to earn his way into playing time. He would have to earn the respect of his teammates, coaches, and tough Ohio fan base here. And he knows he will have to earn playing time in the NFL. I do believe Troy can be successful and that he will work hard to be prepared for that opportunity. Troy Smith is going to surprise a lot of people. He is a wonderful leader on the team, and he handle pressure very well. Although he had a bad game against the Gators, he grew from that. Just as he grew each week as the starting QB. You could actually see him getting better and better and everyone in him. That's the player that the Ravens drafted. Learning under McNair will only make him better.
Simone
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*oops...that ^^^ should say >You could actually see him getting better and better and everyone believed in him.
Simone
Total Comments (44)
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