Some respect for Steve Smith

As SportingNews.com points out, most football players never get to see their glorious day at the Super Bowl. Many train hard, play hard, but generally go unsung, standing in the background of the star players. That doesn’t mean they don’t deserve some recognition, and in this column, five of them receive it.

One of the players singled out for some online accolades is Steve Smith, the wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers. Here’s what they have to say: “Tough, competitive and without the diva complex of other high-profile wideouts, it’s much easier to root for Smith than Randy Moss, Terrell Owens or Chad Johnson. Smith nearly got his ring in 2003, when the Panthers went toe to toe with the Patriots in Super Bowl 38, only to lose, 32-29.”

The column predicts that Smith will do whatever he can to get the Carolina Panthers their due, and that sounds right, based on his game play. Want to see him do that? Get sports tickets to a game at Stubhub.com.