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Steve Smith (New York Giants)
Encyclopedia
Steve Smith is an American football
wide receiver
for the Philadelphia Eagles
of the National Football League
(NFL). He was drafted by the New York Giants
in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at USC.
in the San Fernando Valley
, where he set the state record for most receptions in a varsity career and led the Toreadors to two consecutive Los Angeles City Section Championship games (although they lost both games). He played in the 2003 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
with several of his USC Trojan teammates including Reggie Bush
, LenDale White
, and Sam Baker. He also played high school basketball and was a teammate with current New Jersey Nets
point guard Jordan Farmar
.
Smith was one of the top two wide receivers by yardage at the University of Southern California
. He was on the Maxwell Award
2006 watch list for the best player in college football and was named to the 2006 All Pac-10 team First Team and to the 2006 All Pac-10 Second Team by rivals.com. Smith was named honorable mention on the SI.com All-American team and First-team All-American
by CBS Sportsline. Smith was voted team MVP in 2006 by teammates of his 4th ranked Trojans team. Smith caught three touchdown passes from Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart in USC's 55-19 national championship/Orange Bowl victory over Oklahoma.
in the 2007 NFL Draft
. His jersey number is currently 11. Smith only played in 5 games in the 2007 regular season (Weeks 1, 2, 15, 16, 17), recording 8 catches for 63 yards and no touchdowns. However, after returning from a shoulder and hamstring injury, Smith turned in an outstanding postseason as he became a reliable third down receiver for quarterback Eli Manning. He made two big catches at the end of the first half in Dallas, which set up a game-tying touchdown and caught five passes in Super Bowl XLII
, including four on third down. Smith and the Giants prevailed over the New England Patriots
17-14. In the 2008 regular season, Smith became one of Manning's favorite targets, and not just on 3rd down as Smith led the Giants in receptions over Amani Toomer
and Plaxico Burress
, who both started over Smith. Smith helped the Giants win the NFC East division.
In the 2009 season, with the Giants' loss of Burress and Toomer, Smith and Domenik Hixon
were named the starting wideouts. Smith opened the season explosively, and by the end of week 4, Smith led the NFL in receptions (34), receiving yards (411), and touchdown receptions (4).
In Week 15, in a game against the Redskins, Smith broke the Giants franchise record for most receptions in a single season, also becoming the first Giants receiver in history to make 90 catches in one season.
Smith was selected as an alternate in the 2010 Pro Bowl
. He later replaced Arizona Cardinals
wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald
on the 2010 Pro Bowl roster after Fitzgerald withdrew with an injury.
. He was placed on the active/physically unable to perform
list on August 13. He was activated from the list on August 27.
Steve Smith was placed as a starter on November 13, 2011, against the Arizona Cardinals
and had 5 receptions with only 47 yards.
for the Seattle Seahawks
. According to his bio page from the NY Giants, Steve was a Public Policy/Management and Planning major at USC. He was born in Anchorage, Alaska
, raised in Woodland Hills, California and Canoga Park, California, but currently resides in Clifton, New Jersey
.
Smith was robbed at gunpoint on November 25, 2008 after arriving home, according to Clifton, N.J., police. Smith had just returned to his house when he was approached from behind by man who put a gun to Smith's head, Clifton police Captain Robert Rowan said. "He said to him, 'Give me everything you got,' and Mr. Smith turned over his jewelry and money and cell phone," Rowan said. Smith suffered no injuries and the investigation is ongoing.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL). He was drafted by the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at USC.
Early years
Smith played at Taft High SchoolTaft High School (Los Angeles)
William Howard Taft High School is a public school located on Ventura Boulevard in Woodland Hills in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California, USA, within the Los Angeles Unified School District.-History:Taft opened in 1960....
in the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
, where he set the state record for most receptions in a varsity career and led the Toreadors to two consecutive Los Angeles City Section Championship games (although they lost both games). He played in the 2003 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
U.S. Army All-American Bowl
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a high school football all-star game held in early January in San Antonio, Texas. Currently played in the Alamodome, the game brings 90 of the nation's top high school football players in an East versus West matchup. In addition to the Bowl game, there is the U.S...
with several of his USC Trojan teammates including Reggie Bush
Reggie Bush
Reginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
, LenDale White
LenDale White
LenDale Anthony White is an American football running back. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California....
, and Sam Baker. He also played high school basketball and was a teammate with current New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
point guard Jordan Farmar
Jordan Farmar
Jordan Robert Farmar is an American professional basketball point guard for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Super League and Euroleague. He is also under contract with the New Jersey Nets, and is expected to return to the team after the 2011 NBA lockout ends.In high school, he was the...
.
College career
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. He was on the Maxwell Award
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
2006 watch list for the best player in college football and was named to the 2006 All Pac-10 team First Team and to the 2006 All Pac-10 Second Team by rivals.com. Smith was named honorable mention on the SI.com All-American team and First-team All-American
2006 College Football All-America Team
The 2006 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Weekly, CBS Sports, ESPN, College...
by CBS Sportsline. Smith was voted team MVP in 2006 by teammates of his 4th ranked Trojans team. Smith caught three touchdown passes from Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart in USC's 55-19 national championship/Orange Bowl victory over Oklahoma.
New York Giants
Smith was drafted in the second round (51st overall) by the New York GiantsNew York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
. His jersey number is currently 11. Smith only played in 5 games in the 2007 regular season (Weeks 1, 2, 15, 16, 17), recording 8 catches for 63 yards and no touchdowns. However, after returning from a shoulder and hamstring injury, Smith turned in an outstanding postseason as he became a reliable third down receiver for quarterback Eli Manning. He made two big catches at the end of the first half in Dallas, which set up a game-tying touchdown and caught five passes in Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
, including four on third down. Smith and the Giants prevailed over the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
17-14. In the 2008 regular season, Smith became one of Manning's favorite targets, and not just on 3rd down as Smith led the Giants in receptions over Amani Toomer
Amani Toomer
Amani Toomer is a retired American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan, where he was a fan favorite.Toomer has also been a member of the Kansas...
and Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Antonio Burress is an American football wide receiver who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
, who both started over Smith. Smith helped the Giants win the NFC East division.
In the 2009 season, with the Giants' loss of Burress and Toomer, Smith and Domenik Hixon
Domenik Hixon
Domenik Hixon is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Akron.-Early years:Hixon was born to an African American...
were named the starting wideouts. Smith opened the season explosively, and by the end of week 4, Smith led the NFL in receptions (34), receiving yards (411), and touchdown receptions (4).
In Week 15, in a game against the Redskins, Smith broke the Giants franchise record for most receptions in a single season, also becoming the first Giants receiver in history to make 90 catches in one season.
Smith was selected as an alternate in the 2010 Pro Bowl
2010 Pro Bowl
The 2010 AFC–NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2009 season. It took place at 8:00 PM EST on Sunday, January 31, 2010, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins and host site of Super Bowl XLIV...
. He later replaced Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Darnell Fitzgerald, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League, and currently ranks fourth all-time in league history in receiving yards per game for a career , behind Andre Johnson, Torry Holt, and Marvin Harrison...
on the 2010 Pro Bowl roster after Fitzgerald withdrew with an injury.
Philadelphia Eagles
On August 10, 2011, Smith agreed to a one-year, $2 million deal with the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was placed on the active/physically unable to perform
Physically Unable to Perform
Players can be labeled Physically Unable to Perform in the National Football League if they suffer from football-related injuries during the preseason...
list on August 13. He was activated from the list on August 27.
Steve Smith was placed as a starter on November 13, 2011, against the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and had 5 receptions with only 47 yards.
Career receiving statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Rec | Yards | Y/R | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 2007 NFL season The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30.... |
New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
5 | 8 | 63 | 7.9 | 0 |
| 2008 2008 NFL season The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the... |
New York Giants | 16 | 57 | 574 | 10.1 | 1 |
| 2009 2009 NFL season The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at... |
New York Giants | 16 | 107 | 1,220 | 11.4 | 7 |
| 2010 2010 NFL season The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season of the National Football League.The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome as the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions, defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9.Tom Brady,... |
New York Giants | 9 | 48 | 529 | 11.0 | 3 |
| Total | 46 | 220 | 2,386 | 10.8 | 11 | |
Personal
Smith's brother, Malcolm Smith, plays linebackerLinebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
. According to his bio page from the NY Giants, Steve was a Public Policy/Management and Planning major at USC. He was born in Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
, raised in Woodland Hills, California and Canoga Park, California, but currently resides in Clifton, New Jersey
Clifton, New Jersey
Clifton is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 84,136. The 2010 population represented an increase of 5,464 residents from its population of 78,672 in the 2000 Census, making it the state's 11th largest...
.
Smith was robbed at gunpoint on November 25, 2008 after arriving home, according to Clifton, N.J., police. Smith had just returned to his house when he was approached from behind by man who put a gun to Smith's head, Clifton police Captain Robert Rowan said. "He said to him, 'Give me everything you got,' and Mr. Smith turned over his jewelry and money and cell phone," Rowan said. Smith suffered no injuries and the investigation is ongoing.