The Pro Football Hall of Fame on Tuesday announced the 108 nominees for the Class of 2018, and one particular name on the list stood out to many.
Only 11 first-year eligible players made the ballot, which isn’t very many. Being included on that list is an honor and tribute to a career of excellence. So you can imagine the confusion that was caused when the name “Steve Smith” appeared in the wide receivers section. After all, the longtime Carolina Panthers wide receiver who made five Pro Bowls just retired last year. So how did he appear on the ballot already?
Steve Smith JUST retired. What happened to the 5 year rule? https://t.co/Sk26jln48I
— Adam Klug (@Adam_Klug) September 13, 2017
Well, the issue is it was the other Steve Smith who was nominated.
Congrats to colleague @89SteveSmith, who has been nominated for the HOF despite just retiring … wait, the other WR Steve Smith (NYG, PHI)?
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 13, 2017
Yes, you remember the Steve Smith who played for the New York Giants and had 107 catches for 1,220 yards and 7 touchdowns in 2009, don’t you? That Steve Smith played college ball at USC and was a second-round pick by the Giants in 2007. He played from 2007-2012 and had 2,641 career yards and 12 touchdowns — you know, numbers the other Smith would top in two seasons with the Panthers.
So how did the Giants’ Smith get nominated? Any fan can nominate a player.
Here's some clarity on why former Giants/Eagles/Rams WR Steve Smith made the list of 108 @ProFootballHOF nominees: pic.twitter.com/M8S1bjYHUf
— Manish Mehta (@MMehtaNYDN) September 13, 2017
So Smith had a nice little career revival today, but you can bet he’ll be the first name cut when the semifinalists are announced in November. And it’s too bad he retired before his Rams dream came true.
