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Ravens Revealed: Steve Smith Sr.

By Jackson Thompson

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May 28, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith, Sr. (89) speaks after the OTA at the Under Armour Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

In Ravens Revealed, we’ll be getting to know your favorite Baltimore Ravens.  We all love stats and positional outlooks, but do you know what your favorite Raven likes for breakfast?  Let’s go beyond just the numbers and find out what makes these players tick.

"“When I think of a Baltimore Raven, what I think of is you go in there, we take your lunch box, we take your sandwich, we take your juice box, we take your applesauce and we take your spork and we break it. And we leave you with an empty lunch. That’s the Baltimore Raven way, that’s the bully way and that’s football.”  –Steve Smith Sr."

Full Name: Stevonne Latrall “Steve” Smith, Sr.

Birthdate: May 12, 1979

Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California

Height: 5’9

Weight: 195 lbs

Acquired by Ravens:

On March 14, 2014, Smith signed a three-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens, worth $11.5 million with a $3.5 million bonus.

Notable Career Achievements:

  • Five-time Pro Bowl Selection
  • Three-time All-Pro
  • Panthers’ all-time leader in total touchdowns (67), receptions (836), and receiving yards (12,197)
  • In 2011, he became the 35th player in NFL history to amass 10,000 receiving yards.
  • Leads all active NFL players in all-purpose yardage.
  • Lead the league in catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns in 2005

Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2014

Receptions:

915

Receiving yards:

13,262

Receiving TDs:

73

Return yards:

4,023

Return TDs:

6

A Man of his Word

Smith Sr.’s relationship with the Carolina Panthers didn’t end on the best of terms.  Before he signed with the Ravens, Smith was quoted as saying that if he ever faced the Panther’s again, to “put your goggles on cause there’s going to be blood and guts everywhere.”

And luckily for Ravens fans everywhere, that fateful matchup came to fruition in Week 4 when Smith had seven receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns, as the Ravens beat the Panthers 38-10.  When this guy says something, he means it.

Charitable Causes

Smith Sr. works with a charity called Samaritan’s Feet, and before every away game, he and his family donate shoes to the organization that go to people in need around the world.  This even includes washing a needy child’s feet in an effort to humble themselves to the child and show them that people care.  Smith Sr.’s personal goal is to hand out half a million pairs of shoes.

“This is an opportunity for me to give back, to serve.” Smith Sr. says, “to kind of, really for me, open up the next chapter of my life.”

Smith Sr. says he plans to take this initiative globally when he retires from the NFL.

Smith Sr. is also a partner of Athletes United for Youth, a North Carolina-based charity that “develops, operates, and supports structured, affordable, and accessible after-school programs.”

Business Ventures

In 2008, Smith Sr. bought nearly a 50% stake of an existing Velocity Sports Performance center in Charlotte, with an equal ownership stake in all future franchises in the Charlotte area.  Velocity Sports Performance is a training center which provides any athlete with coaching and facilities to push them towards their goals.

How He Fits With Ravens

If not only for his awesome press conference soundbites, the Ravens would be a little lost without Smith Sr. as their lead dog in the passing game.  He provides a veteran presence and, at the ripe old football age of 36, he can still ball.  He eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving for the eighth time in his career last year and caught 79 passes.  I’ll take that from a 36-year-old or a 26-year-old.

Highly Quotable: For a list of more of Steve Smith Sr.’s quotes, check out Garrett Downing’s article here on BaltimoreRavens.com.

Next: Five Best Moves the Ravens Made this Off Season

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