Steve Smith Refutes Ian Rapoport's Report; Rips Gettleman, Coach Rivera
Frank Garcia
"Bustin' Loose" WFNZ Charlotte
Ravens' WR Steve Smith called into WFNZ 610 AM The Fan's "Bustin' Loose" today to clear up rumors concerning his dismissal from the Carolina Panthers in the off season.
It all began when Steve Smith heard via text messages and tweets that his job as a wide receiver with the Panthers organization was being talked about in the past tense by General Manager Dave Gettleman. Smith says he was hearing comments that he was "being a distraction," "Not as good as he used to be," and being a "nuisance" in the locker room.
When Smith finally sits down with Gettleman, the Panthers GM says that he is a "shadow" of a player he used to be, how he "can't run and jump like he used to," and that he's "jealous of Cam (Newton)."
After questioning Gettleman to see if the matter was about a pay cut, Smith says that the GM laughed and said "it's not about a pay cut," but did say that the team was going to trade him.
In the weeks after their meeting, Steve Smith basically knew his time here in Charlotte, NC, was coming to an end. By either being traded or released, he and his pregnant wife and family would not be a part of the Panthers organization come the start of the 2014-15 NFL season.
Smitty says that what hurts the most about the whole situation is that he was perceived as a 'nuisance' in the locker room, but veterans like himself and OT Jordan Gross were rallying the troops when the Panthers were starting off with a losing record.
"I just want to play ball. I just want to win championships. I want to leave a mark," says Smith.
When it was planned that Smith along with his agent would meet with Gettleman and the Panthers organization about his future, Smitty actually heard on the radio from WFNZ that he was being released by Carolina.
"He doesn't even have the cojones to tell it to my face," says Smith. "Everybody else says that it wasn't personal, but if the first thing comes out of your mouth if it wasn't personal, well guess what, it was personal."
"Now that I play well you're going to try and say that I'm a distraction…i've always been a distraction, but I didn't beat my wife. Yeah I hit some teammates six or seven years ago but I never beat my wife. I didn't get arrested for DUIs. I didn't fall off no motorcycles."
And Steve Smith pointed out that if he did take Gettleman's pay cut, then he would have lost the $5 million of guaranteed money that was a deferred signing bonus similar to a maturing bond.
Steve Smith right now on @WFNZ: "To build a case or leak stories that are inaccurate or that I forced something...that's unfair." #Panthers
— Chris Kroeger (@Kroeger) October 1, 2014
Steve Smith goes on to refute Ian Rapaport's report saying he wanted to be released by the Carolina Panthers. "I never asked for a release. I wanted to play ball."
Smith says that Cam Newton didn't even know he was being released either. He continued by saying the two men didn't hang out much because of their age difference.
Head Panthers coach Ron Rivera along with Richardson spoke with Smitty during their game in Baltimore, but Smith says that Rivera didn't sit down with him before being released and only texted him after being released apologizing for the way it went down.
Steve Smith on Ron Rivera on @WFNZ right now: "He didn't come to me man-to-man...he said he's a player's coach...he hid in his office."
— Chris Kroeger (@Kroeger) October 1, 2014
And why Smitty chose to be a Baltimore Raven in the offseason…"Because I'm a tough and gritty S.O.B."