Steve Smith: His Career Ended Too Soon With Us

he went to the Eagles ppl here were killig him. He was never the same player tho. It was like with Hillard. Some not huge guys just arent built to take the pounding. Lets hope VC is a different story...

It happened with Smith then Nicks looked like he was going to be the best receiver in Giants history until injuries and work ethic ruined that.

In comment 12116563 natefit said:

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he went to the Eagles ppl here were killig him. He was never the same player tho. It was like with Hillard. Some not huge guys just arent built to take the pounding. Lets hope VC is a different story...

The Eagles rushed him because they had no intention of keeping him more than one season. I wonder what would have happened if he had re-signed with the Giants because they wanted to bring him along slowly and give him time to heal.

He never gets enough credit for his sideline catch for a first down and out of bounds on the game winning drive.

Not the most athletic guy.. didn't have the best hands in the world.. but man, did Steve Smith know how to get open. Just such a good route runner, so good at finding space. It's a shame that his career wound up being so short lived. He was definitely a fan favorite those few years.

Smith wasn't a big yac guy and when Cruz came along to many giants fans, smith's legacy was diminished a little bit. But man he was money when you needed 9-10 yards..it's hard to find that guy as a 2nd let alone 3rd WR. Who'd you rather have in a big game, preston Parker, randle or smith? Easy answer... Smith was damn good his career was tragically cut short. We should still have him here catching 50 passes and moving the chains..sucky injury...yeah it may have opened things up for Cruz and it was a long time ago but still we could have used him over the last few years and he was a guy that deserved to make good money for a few years. He earned it --tough WR.

We made him Giant of the Year - and margi got his hands on him --

The guy was on top of the world after his 2009 season and became a fan favorite. Looked like he was on his way to a great career and would be a guy who could catch 80+ balls for a handful more years. Then he gets his 2010 cut short by injuries and the whole Eagles mess happens, he loses almost all of his fans, people start calling him a traitor and berating him on social media.. next thing you know, his career is over and he basically vanishes and becomes an afterthought.

Just goes to show how quickly things can change in this league. It's why you can't take anything for granted. I'd like to think Beckham will wind up being a hall of famer who plays a long, healthy, incredible career with NYG but you just never know. It's a violent sport and fans will always be of the "what have you done for me lately?" mindset and move on from players very, very quickly.

Smith scoring a killer TD on us in our home game vs. the Eagles in 2011 made me sick. Thankfully that year ended the way it did.

I thought Mara said something about addressing Strength and Conditioning. I personally think it's the fieldturf and cleats. They don't go well together over time but I doubt that's a subject he would be eager to investigate having spent all that money.

TT and Phillips and Wilson and Nicks and Jones and maybe even Sintim and Snee and Baas. But everyone has injuries, right?

No, The Giants Rushed Him Back. He Had No Business Playing In That Game In Detroit Vs. Minnesota In 2010. My Recollection Is That He Was Playing On A Hamstring That Wasn't Fully Healed And Then Blew His Knee Out In That Game.

and not been rushed back because of the Eagles he could have had a longer career.

Injuries R Us

...and a great complement to Burress. Too many of our guys get injured.

for finding a soft spot in defenses and he and Eli had great chemistry. It's a strange moment to remember him by but I believe Eli's only post season INT on '07 was off of Smith who should have made the catch. Sad to see a bright light fade so quickly.

if you ask me. Smith then Nicks. Throw in Wilson and we've lost some could-be-great young players. I've wondered if Beckham is our make up player from the football gods.

As we wonder what could have been with SS, I really wonder what would have happened with Wilson and a reasonable Oline.
I thought he'd be a HOF type RB. I really did. We'll never know.

but he sort of made his own bed at the end of his career. The Giants gave him a chance to start 2011 on PUP and recover more slowly, while the Eagles gave him a chance to start in Week One. His competitive nature led him to think short-term rather than long-term.

Dude was clutch as hell before the injuries.

obviously they wouldn't all be on the Giants, but right now Smith, Nicks and Cruz would all be in their prime and top flight WRs were it not for injuries.

I sometimes wonder though if Gilbride's system played to the strengths of Smith and to a lesser extent Cruz. Quick guys who run good routes and are smart enough to figure when to make what adjustments are pretty tough to cover when they have a bunch of options for each route.

played a big part in him rushing back. He wanted to have a big year and get a big contract but the injury cut those plans. He really wanted that payday.

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but we got over it pretty quickly
Can You Salsa ?? - ( New Window )

...that resulted in Smith moving into the role as the slot receiver. Without the Shockey injury, Smith doesn't emerge, and the Giants don't go to the Super Bowl.

Know, what he's up to these days ?

In comment 12116624 blueblood said:

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but we got over it pretty quickly Can You Salsa ?? - ( New Window )

This scenario is playing itself out yet again with Cruz in the roll of Smith, and Beckham as Cruz. The F is for fleeting.

He came back at the right time too. He left the Packers game the second game of the season with a shoulder injury and came back that Washington game in December of 2007. Steve made some huge catches in the playoffs on third down. If you were to tell me that the Giants were going to win the Super Bowl walking out of Giants Stadium after the Redskins game, I would've told you are fucking nuts.

The fact that the injury happened in garbage time in a game vs. the Vikings has to suck, too. Shouldn't have been in there.

In comment 12116627 Milton said:

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...that resulted in Smith moving into the role as the slot receiver. Without the Shockey injury, Smith doesn't emerge, and the Giants don't go to the Super Bowl.

Is that true Milton? I know Boss (obviously) was thrust into a new role because of Shockey, didn't realize Smith was too. I just assumed they were bringing him along slowly. Didn't realize Shockey was a lot receiver. Thought he was just a TE.

was the need for certain types of players for it. Steve Smith though was tailor made for it. He and Eli had such strong chemistry and saw the field the same way.

That one year he was automatic on third down, he knew what route to choose to exploit the coverage every time and Eli was right there with him.

In comment 12116567 carl in pa said:

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He never gets enough credit for his sideline catch for a first down and out of bounds on the game winning drive.

Absolutely Carl. One of the most underated catches in Giants history. People always say they knew we were going to win after Tyree's catch. Not me. We still had like 30 yards to go. To me the biggest catch was Smith's 3rd and like 11 he caught it short and got just enough. After that catch is when I really thought we were going to win.

on that end-of-half drive against Dallas as well. So many rookies stepped up big in that run - Smith, Bradshaw, Boss, Alford.

One sure hopes VC does not repeat that!

The best receivers aren't always the biggest or the fastest, but often the most skillfull - like Smith or Proehl or Biletnikoff or Chrebet.

Was Eli's Welker

Smart, good hands, knew where the sticks were.

you could just tell, even though he was a rookie - those games were not too big for him. He played like vet in the Super Bowl, his play, demeanor - you're right Eric, big loss for all involved.

but what did he have a good season or two?

Agree with those at some point he was automatic on 3rd down.

Too bad his injury shortened his career. He rushed back with Philly for his pay day.

is the only reason tagging JPP holds any weight.
Smith was holding out for a better offer, and he suffered catastrophic injury, which cost him millions.

JPP and tagging is the same set up. The only reason JPP doesn't laugh all the way to the bank, depositing 15 mil this year, then mega millions next year, is the fear of injury. The odds are in his favor, but if you're the unlucky guy who gets injured, it's a big time payday loss.

In comment 12116642 Stu11 said:

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In comment 12116567 carl in pa said: Quote: He never gets enough credit for his sideline catch for a first down and out of bounds on the game winning drive. Absolutely Carl. One of the most underated catches in Giants history. People always say they knew we were going to win after Tyree's catch. Not me. We still had like 30 yards to go. To me the biggest catch was Smith's 3rd and like 11 he caught it short and got just enough. After that catch is when I really thought we were going to win.

Ditto, Merriweather laid him out and SS got up a little wobbly lol. But that wascwhen I knew we were pulling that one out! That tiptoe job had me jumping up and down! The helmet catch left me in awe! Then after watching the replay, I was proud to see the rookie SS trying to pry Harrison off of Tyree!

have never seen what Cruz could be without him going down. Hopefully, Cruz doesn't go down the same road. I do think "Soup" Harris has similar skills to Smith, but is also a little more athletic. Perhaps he will get that opportunity to show that again in pre-season this year.

I felt he was the best WR in Giants history at the time ... he had innate ability to "sit down" in open spaces in the defense and was absolutely clutch on 3rd down. And he wasn't a "look at me" type of guy. Much more quiet and reserved - just did his job and, imo, did it better than anyone else in the league while he was healthy.

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Microfracture surgery.

In comment 12116564 Jay on the Island said:

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It happened with Smith then Nicks looked like he was going to be the best receiver in Giants history until injuries and work ethic ruined that.

I know Nicks' "downfall" was disappointing in it's own right, but it doesn't compare to Nicks. This whole idea that productive slot receivers are a dime a dozen and not as important as outside guys has been so so difficult for me to wrap my head around. At the time, Steve Smith had the Giants record for most catches in a season... by 25!! I think Odell cut that lead down to 15ish or so this year.

Steve Smith had the 3rd best year ever by a Giants WR, behind only Odell and Cruz in 2011. At the time, it was better than anything that we've ever seen. Nicks could never claim that.

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Unfortunate injury..

Otoh, if he and Nicks remain healthy, there's no OBJ..

I wish him well

if he turned down Mara's, supposed, offer.....

Steve '3rd & 11' Smith. Huge catch from a rookie in that spot.

His career really was weird. He was primed for big $, got injured, signed with Philadelphia, & then was never really heard from again.

Against the Cowboys I think ? Where Steve Smith broke the defenders ankles with his superb route running, that resulted in a touchdown. Best Gif ever.

he priced himself out of his actual skillset.

better.

Really sucks to see these guys get injured.

Could you imagine a healthy Smith, Nicks, and Cruz? And if Manningham was resigned and got healthy again?

That'd be killer.

Buress, Nicks, Cruz and Odell, were and are all TD makers. That's where you invest.

please?

were routinely standard, Smith and Manning were always on the same page -- or at least it felt that way in comparison to everyone else who came through here during the Gilbride years. He really was close to a perfect fit for that system and used it to pretty much max out his physical talent for a couple years before he got injured.

I hope for his sake his post-football life has worked out for him, especially after missing out on a big pay day the way he ultimately did.

There were definatly things to like about Smith but lets not get carried away here. I believe he was a direct product of Eli Manning. He left on a sour note, just in time to watch Victor Cruz emerge. If Smith is still around there is a good chance Cruz never makes the roster. Smith was very good at finding a quick soft spot and sitting. He wasn't much of a threat down the field or after the catch. He played excellent in the 2007 playoffs and his 3rd down catch and dive for the 1st down just before the Burress TD is too often overlooked...but so is his drop that got picked by ellis hobbs early in the game when the Giants were marching down the field (after Toomer's sick sideline grab)......bottom line is he had a total of 25 receptions after leaving the G-Men, im sure injuries to that knee had a part in that but his only real good season came when the Giants were an offal 8-8 in 2009. Love him for 2007 playoffs. That being said a career in the NFL isnt something many people can do. Thank for 3rd and 11 Steve.

He made Dwayne Jarrett, and the other USC WR look a whole lot better there by clearing out areas for them to roam.
I wanted him a NYG and really happy they drafted him.
And that rookie year was to be just the beginning.

In comment 12117245 NYG4246 ...

How did he leave that makes you hate him? By the time he left, he'd already had his injury and his career was over. The Giants made the right decision and so did he. Had he never been injured, good chance he'd still be a Giant today.

I wholeheartedly agree with your comment about Steve Smith's catch and run on 3rd and 11. His performance in that game was remarkable, particularly for a rookie who missed so much time early in the season. He recovered the fumble when Bradshaw batted the ball forward. We end up with the penalty and eventually a punt but that was better than a turnover. He batted the ball out of bounds on a catch that Tyree tried to make just before the 3rd and 11 catch. Had he recovered the ball and the refs ruled it a catch/fumble, the clock runs out and the game is over because we had no time outs. IMO he showed he had a very high football IQ in addition to innate talent. His jersey remains the only one I've ever purchased. A shame his injury cut his career so short.

of the Seahawks