The Baltimore Ravens made a very key acquisition when they signed veteran wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. There was a time when it seemed like Torrey Smith was being hindered because of so many targets that were redirected to Smith Sr. Torrey Smith didn’t complain. He just kept putting in the work knowing that the results would come. This is just one of many examples of how Smith is a well respected sportsman on the Ravens. There is a reason why the team nominated him as their representative for the first annual NFL Sportsmanship Award.
Each team nominates a player to be eligible to win the award. The next step is a selection of eight finalists by a panel of former NFL players from the NFL Legends Community. The panel of former players consists of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Warrick Dunn, former New York Jets running back Curtis Martin, former Denver Broncos linebacker Karl Mecklenburg and former Bengals safety Leonard Wheeler.
On December 19th, current NFL players will then vote for a winner from the eight finalists. The voting is just like the Pro Bowl whereas each team’s players can not vote for members of their team. The winner will be announced at the Fourth Annual NFL Honors show the night before the Super Bowl. The NFL Foundation will then donate $25,000 to a charity of his choice.
Two situations stand out this season to me when I think about how much Torrey Smith is an example of someone who has a true sportsman’s mindset. It would be an understatement to say that Torrey Smith got off to a slow start this season. He saw 19 targets in the first three games. Out of those 19 targets, Smith had six receptions for 85 yards and zero touchdowns. Meanwhile, Smith Sr. was targeted 31 times by Joe Flacco and they completed 18 of those attempts for 300 yards and a touchdown. Smith was certainly frustrated, but he saw the bigger picture which was that the Ravens were 2-1 with two wins within their division.
The thing that frustrated him so much was how close he and Flacco were to connecting on many of their deep attempts. Smith was still a deep threat despite only having one reception that was over 20 yards. He was able to draw quite a few pass interference calls which are just as good as making the reception in terms of field position. Most players would have openly complained to the media about not getting enough targets, especially when they are playing for a new contract.
Smith was positive and upbeat about getting on track this season in the midst of a lack of production. “It is a mental thing the way I approach the game, the way I was attentive on the field,” he said. “I was definitely locked in on that. It is a brand new half of the season for me personally and I’m looking forward to making the plays that we need to get it done. And I have to do a lot more.” Good things happen to good people. That saying held true for Smith as he rebounded by hauling in 30 receptions for 301 yards and four touchdowns in the next four games.
Here’s another example of the kind of sportsman that Torrey Smith is. Smith was asked about Vontaze Burflict during the week after the Ravens lost to the Cincinnati Bengals for the second time this season. There was a lot of talk about how Burflict was twisting the ankles of players during pile ups after plays. Just a few days ago, Smith collided with cornerback Adam Jones and the ball was intercepted by the Bengals. Smith was bent over in pain as he tried to recover from the collision. The play had passed him by but Buflict still hit him. Some said it was a dirty play.
Smith had the opportunity to speak badly about Burflict and no one would have felt he was wrong. Instead, he showed true sportsmanship. Here’s what he said after the game; “My man Burfict, Man. He’s a heck of a player. He’s a dirty one, too. He definitely held up,” Smith said. “He has some good to him.” The reporter then asked Smith if he knew that Burflict had to have knee surgery in annattempt to bait Smith into some kind of comment about karma. Smith took the high road once again. “Serious knee surgery?” he asked in a concerned voice. “I hope he gets well soon,” Smith said as the media laughed. He replied to the laughter by saying; “In all seriousness.” Even after a late hit, Smith didn’t speak badly about Burflict and showed genuine concern for his injury.
Smith recently suffered from a knee injury but he still tried to play. He was able to tough out 15 plays against the Miami Dolphins, being used mostly as a decoy. His injury opened up an opportunity for second year Ravens wide receiver Kamar Aiken. Aiken posted a career high six receptions and scored his second touchdown this season. He was able to play in front of his home town after having grown up in the Miami area. One of the first things that he said at his press conference after the game was directed towards the veteran that he stepped in for. “I told him I’d have his back,” Aiken said. “We are a brotherhood in our receiver room.”
Torrey Smith has a very laid back approach to things. He isn’t one of those guys that does all of the ranting and raving before games. He has a style of play that makes playing wide receiver look effortless. Some may take his soothing approach to things as a weakness. They find out that it’s a different story once they set foot on the field to compete against him though. Smith summed it up earlier this season when he said; “It’s not that I’m not passionate or anything, it’s just that I keep my cool,” Smith said. “When I line up, I still want to dominate the person across from me. I want to score every single time I touch it.”
Smith not only shows great character on the field, he also is a fixture in the Maryland area community. His foundation, The Torrey Smith Foundation has a mission to “better the lives of children up and down The Beltway by providing educational support, opportunities and resources. The goal is to have touched the lives of more than 35,000 children by 2016.” This year has been a busy year for the foundation. Torrey Smith donated what he called “A Reading Oasis” room to Benjamin Franklin High School in Baltimore. The foundation also did I’m a celebrity waiter night at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Baltimore. The event raised over $130,000 that will be used to carry out their mission. Those are just two of the many things that the foundation has done in the community. Visit the Torrey Smith Foundation website at www.torreysmith.org to find out more about the great things that they do.
Michael Campanaro is a rookie that has already gotten involved in the community. He credits Torrey Smith with setting the example of giving back to the community. Smith has the respect of many throughout the NFL. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he is among the eight finalists and even selected as the winner of the NFL Sportsmanship Award.
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