November 17, 2023 • 29 mins
The Cardiac Cats carried their heartbeat into January. Carolina won the NFC South and returned to the postseason for the first time in seven years. The Panthers opened the postseason by smashing through Dallas’ top ranked defense in a 29-10 home win. For the divisional round – Carolina hit the road to face St. Louis – the NFC’s top scoring offense. Late in the game, the Panthers needed a play and a playmaker to keep their Super Bowl dreams alive.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Previously on Cardiac.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
The Cardiac CAATs carried their heartbeat into January. Carolina won
the NFC South and returned to the postseason for the
first time in seven years. Panthers opened the playoffs by
smashing through Dallas's top rank defense in a twenty nine
to ten home win. For the Divisional round, Carolina hit
(00:25):
the road to face Saint Louis, the NFC's top scoring.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Offense rateist show on turf, turf greatest show on turf.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
The Rams had played in two of the previous four
Super Bowls inside the Edward Jones Doome, Saint Louis had
been invincible. The Rams entered the divisional round on a
fourteen game home win streak in two thousand and three.
Saint Louis averaged almost thirty four points per game at home.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
We knew they had some really good players, but we
also I think the team was shaped a little bit differently.
Speaker 5 (01:03):
Warner's not the quarterback anymore, bulger Is Marx is the
head coach, not for Meal, but still a lot.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Of talent, including Marshall fall.
Speaker 5 (01:11):
It was still the greatest show on turn.
Speaker 6 (01:14):
Still the greatest show on turf. It was scary. How
do we stop Marshall Falk, Tory Holt, Isaac Bruce. We
didn't know if we could do it.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
The last time Carolina played in Saint Louis was during
the Miserable one in fifteen campaign, two seasons prior. The
Rams smashed the Panthers forty eight to fourteen, totaling almost
five hundred yards of offense, including three hundred and thirty
seven on the ground.
Speaker 7 (01:40):
Faulk trying to turn the corner and little look out
down the near sideline. He's gone forty thirty twenty and
the ramps star opening drive, Marshall Fawk seventy one yard
hitch around the leup corner, the Falk turning outside right,
a lot.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Of roller thirty Marshall Falk to the forty touts back.
Speaker 7 (01:59):
Left of the up back to thrust slant over the
metal picktop intercept it touchdown Saint Louis.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
So it was all Saint Louis today.
Speaker 7 (02:07):
The spread was nineteen coming in and it could have
been thirty, and they had a covered.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Fires for throwing the.
Speaker 7 (02:15):
Ansau Tig god Duchdom.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Big hole down the sideline.
Speaker 7 (02:20):
He's gone and the Panthers are gonna pull another one
out of their head dis Towrdsianza touchdown fires over the medal.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Is that intercepted? Yes, it is up. It is God.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Panthers have won in and over times.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Man head the forty five to the forty and thought
it's right the honey ten fine touchdown.
Speaker 7 (02:39):
Yes, Charlotte, there is a super Bowl and we're in it.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Cardiac.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
The divisional round showdown with Saint Louis was a collision
of finesse and power. The Rams burst against the Panther
braun head coach John Fox. They had great.
Speaker 8 (03:04):
Skill and they executed very well. And you know we
were gonna have to have a good plan and execute
that plan. And you know, both on offense and defense,
because they weren't slouches on defense either. And you get
in that dome, it gets loud. You know they can
cheat the snap cown. You know our players handled it really,
really well because that was a tough environment.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Defensive end Al Wallace.
Speaker 6 (03:27):
We know the receivers are going down right, they don't
want any hits. We know some short yard as Marshall faults,
he's pulling up right. We got Britson Butner in there.
He's making some big hits. Deon grants, they're coming up,
they're dialing up the blitz is. We're attacking them now, right,
So now we're not sitting back and saying, hey, can
we contain the greatest show on turf. We're being more aggressive.
We're bringing blitzes and we're daring Bulger to make plays
(03:50):
down the field.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
The Rams were able to get inside the Panthers ten
yard line three times in the first half. Former Panthers
play by play announcer Bill Razinski that was.
Speaker 5 (04:01):
A defense that could lay the lumber on you. You know,
when that field shrinks, it's harder to execute your razzle
dazzle plays and vanesse plays and whatever else that the
Rams liked to do when they had eighty yards to
go instead of ten.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
But each time Carolina forced Saint Louis into a field goal.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Jeff Wilkins on for a twenty yard field goal.
Speaker 7 (04:21):
Try left, ash mark snap placement, kick us up man,
it is good, right, hash Mark, kick us up all
it is good.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Placement, kick us up man, it is good.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Al Wallace new the value of holding the Rams to three.
Speaker 6 (04:38):
It's big, it's huge, and we're doing that. I can
just remember Dan Morgan just frothing at the mouth. He's
got to keep doing that. Don't worry about anything else.
Just get off the field. Everybody found a way to
get off the field. Dan's walking up and down from
the defensive line into the defensive backs. He's just screaming,
just keep getting off the field, Just keep making plays.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Stephen Davis gave Carolina its best scoring chance of the
first half, but at a great cost.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Panthers will move left or right. They start at their
thirty two yard line.
Speaker 7 (05:09):
They trailed Saint Louil six and I think thirteen eighteen
to go first half. The lone under center dropped lay
Stephen Davis, big hoole left side to the forty. How
rush is a tackler to the fifty, down the sideline
thirty twenty and finally cut from behind down at the
four yard line.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Davis, a fourteen hundred yard rusher, would leave the game
with a strained quad.
Speaker 7 (05:35):
Back to the Panthers sideline. Another Stephen Davis update from
Greg Brann, Greg Bill, you look at Steven.
Speaker 9 (05:41):
The face says yes. The body language says I don't know.
He's trying to loosen that left quad up right now.
He's sitting on the bench with a heating pad on
his upper quad. You know, he's telling everybody, I'm okay,
I'm okay, but he's not moving very well.
Speaker 6 (05:55):
Our confidence as a defense was rocked when we see
our big guy Stephen Dave pull up on a long run.
And now we're thinking, how are we gonna win this?
I mean, I told you we believe this smoke. We
believe in Foster, we believe in his ability to carry
the low. But we need both of those guys in
this game.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
But Carolina is still capitalized on the drive thanks to
a four to tuitous spounce.
Speaker 7 (06:18):
The lone barks out of his call. Oh, it's a shuffle pass.
Is it a fumble? Loose ball around the two yard line?
It goes into the end zone and there's a big
pile up. Panthers have it. They say they have it.
Dom says they have it.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Is it in the end zone? Is it a touchdown?
We have no signal from the officials.
Speaker 7 (06:38):
It's a touchdown for the Panthers, just the way you
draw it up.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Mohammad's touchdown was the only touchdown of the game through
three quarters. In the fourth, rad Hoover had Carolina dreaming
of the NFC Championship.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
The Panthers will lead by four with nine ten to go.
Speaker 7 (06:58):
Here in the fourth quarter, an opportunity get a double
digit lead.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Yeah, this drive can't be about three points.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
They can't. No, we gotta go ahead.
Speaker 6 (07:08):
We needed to come up to come up big.
Speaker 7 (07:10):
And Kevin Dyson is an in the ballgame for Carolina
wide left.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Foster is in the backfield.
Speaker 7 (07:16):
First and goal from the seven yard line below, quick hitter,
Hoover up the middle five two to one touchdown Brad Hoover,
quick hitter from the full back spot, and there was
enough blue.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Jersey to touch them. Seventy yard touchdown run.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
The Panthers led twenty three to twelve with less than
three minutes to play. But it wasn't quite Curtains for
the Greatest Show on Turf.
Speaker 10 (07:41):
We really kind of.
Speaker 8 (07:42):
Screwed up a couple of things on defense that kind
of let them back in the game.
Speaker 7 (07:46):
Rams break the huddle, Bruce out to the right hole,
to the left, fourth down to Saint Louis from the
Carolina thirty eight yard line. Vulger as Morgan comes on
of Blitz, votes it down Fille and it's caught at
the twenty fall Oh come on out of bounce at
the sixteen yard line. Bulger under center. Third down and
ten from the Carolina sixteen. He's back to pass again, throws.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Over the middle.
Speaker 7 (08:10):
There's talk at the fifteen. At the ten of the five,
he's got a first down. Vulger hands off the Falk
looking to turn it outside.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Kux Lefty's in the touchdown Ram all right, Rams going
for two. Falk's the lone running back.
Speaker 7 (08:25):
Two receivers right, one to the left for Vulger, boot
leg right by Bulger. He drows, it's cock. It's good
for two. They got it to Dane Looker and it's
a three point Carolina Lee a huge play coming up
in this fourth quarter. Here's the kick and it bounces.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
It's free.
Speaker 7 (08:48):
It's a free ball near the forty yard line. I
think Saint Louis has it.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
They do.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
The onside kick. Recovery told panthersensive back Mike Minter that
Carolina missed its chance to slam the door.
Speaker 10 (09:05):
We know we have them.
Speaker 11 (09:06):
We kind of relaxed a little bit because we did
think the game was over and and for them fool to,
you know, come back and send it to overtime.
Speaker 10 (09:15):
Now, became a game again. We haven't. We gotta get back.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Out of here. The Rams had a chance to tie
on the final play of regulation.
Speaker 7 (09:24):
All right, here we go from the right hash park
thirty three our field goal to tie, snap kicked by Wilkins,
says up man, it is good.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
We're tied. We're going overtime in the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Have we ever had any overtime games on the road
this season?
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Yes, we have. Have we had some of them.
Speaker 12 (09:42):
Hey, we used to this pass got them right where
we want them.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Yeah, one were time on the road.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
The Cardiac Cats were stretched to overtime for the fifth
time that season. They had won three of the previous four.
In this one, the Panthers would win the coin toss
and would receive the overtime kickoff. Under the rules of
the day, the first team to score one and Carolina
(10:09):
had his chance.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Along with the Blitz coming avoids. The rush rolls right, looks.
Speaker 7 (10:14):
Downfield, crows Muhammad's got it and he's in the Ram
territory in the forty two yard line. By action fake
along to throw, lets it go wide open wickets far
side of the field. He's to the thirty hold on
to the football to the twenty yard line. Casey's kick
is up, it is on the way, and the Panthers
are gone.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Tell the NFix no.
Speaker 12 (10:33):
Game.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
First time, the fly came in before the kick even
took place.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
The referee, Oh my goodness.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
For head coach John Fox, jubilation was short lived.
Speaker 8 (10:49):
We thought we won the game, sure enough. There was
a flag out there. I thought they had to be offsides.
But what happened was is they didn't reset the clock
and they called us for delay again, you know, So
that one's really the first time I thought we won
the game, and then had to recruit from that, you know,
to continue the game.
Speaker 5 (11:07):
And then obviously I was at a forty yarder and
then I think Casey had to kick a forty five
yard or and you miss.
Speaker 7 (11:12):
Casey ready, snap is good, placement's good. Casey's kicks up
on the way, and this time the no missed it.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
The miss by Casey left the door Ajar for the Rams.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Second and nine Falter teep dropped. This time fires down
the middle of the field.
Speaker 7 (11:31):
That's caught at the forty five to the thirty nine
yard line. Isaac Crosse, all right, Wilkins, the balls on
the left ash Mark kicking right to left fifty three
yarder to win it. In overtime, snap placement kicks up
and it is short, short, death short from fifty three.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
It was on the money, but short. We're still alive,
We're still playing. I'm normal.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Oh, I don't feel anything. I don't feel a thing.
Cardiac Cats got a second chance in overtime, but squandered.
Speaker 7 (12:04):
It from the Ram thirty five first down. Oh Doloma's
hit gets up, runs and they go.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Back to the thirty eight yard line.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
They're gonna mark him down at the forty one. If
somebody broke on through Colone play accent sacked back at
the forty five. They all blew through it.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Golm slams the ball in discussed on the Rams. Ensuing possession.
They picked up a first down at the Carolina thirty eight.
Saint Louis stood on the verge of victory.
Speaker 7 (12:34):
Balger again, Here comes everybody on the blenz and we
still can't get the Bulger throws it.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
Down, failed up, bricky man. It picked it off at.
Speaker 7 (12:43):
The thirty five yard line.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
It's a game, Sable.
Speaker 8 (12:47):
You get that laid into a game, you know, you
see things over again, and so Ricky was very smart
for a rookie.
Speaker 10 (12:52):
Corner and Ye had a tremendous playoff run there, but
huge play that he had seen, and you know he
was fond to like a tenure of that.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
The Panthers got the ball back at their own thirty five,
but could not move forward alone.
Speaker 7 (13:08):
Under center draw pay Foster trying to turn it outside.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Nowhere to go alone. They pick up the blitz. Now
they don't. He avoids it. Alom's still going down.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
At the thirty one. It was third and fourteen, and
the game had now moved into his second overtime, and
the Panthers season was once again on the brink. But
this is where Jake Delobe and Steve Smith had thrived.
Even when going off script, some of our best players
(13:38):
were mistakes. There would be times where I had a
seam read and I just told him, hey, just hit
me up top and I'll protect myself. And so there
were things where certain angles or certain.
Speaker 4 (13:48):
Things that happened that there was an understanding between us.
I would try my best to protect the throw and
he would try his best to protect my face.
Speaker 13 (14:00):
Was the best punt returner and kickoff return in the league,
and it wasn't even close. And then he started playing
more receiver and saying Steve was just just give.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
Him the football.
Speaker 13 (14:08):
I mean it's not hard, like he is just different
with the football in this team.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Steve Smith had emerged as Carolina's go to wide receiver.
In his third season with the Panthers, Smith had blossomed
into his star. He had come a long way from
his early days in southern California.
Speaker 4 (14:27):
People say this, Oh, he's the Napoleon complex. Sometimes air
quotes Napoleon. His mind and his business, not bothering anybody.
And I'm one of those stranger danger guys. So I
really don't do the whole walk around look at me.
I'm like, walk around, I don't talk. But that's always
been me, like that, that demeanor. I grew up in
(14:48):
Los Angeles, right I grew I grew up in a
time where there was gangs, there was drugs, car jackets.
So I'm just telling you, like when people see me
and sometimes they go, you know, I know who he is.
Speaker 6 (15:00):
You have no idea who I am.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Smith played his college ball at Utah, where he was
first teammates with Jordan Gross.
Speaker 14 (15:09):
Same did just younger and fierier and I was probably
the most scared of him I ever was was when
he was in college, because he.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Was intense man.
Speaker 14 (15:20):
That's like the word probably that I should use intense
and on the field off the field, and that was
something that was really good for me to be around
because I wasn't that way as much. And I learned
a lot from him.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
The Panthers selected Smith in the third round of the
two thousand and one draft. His five foot nine frame
had some questioning whether he would ever be anything more
than a return man.
Speaker 4 (15:47):
When I was drafted by the Carolina and Panthers, I
spent a whole five six months not allowed to practice
wide receiver with the first team because I was not
deemed a wide receiver, demed a specialist.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
But in his very first game against the Vikings in
two thousand and one, on his very first touch on
the very opening kickoff, Smith delivered an exclamation and a
message for his doubters.
Speaker 6 (16:16):
There's a special teams a's from San Diego State.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
I don't remember the guy's name, but he had just
told me, Hey, this isn't Utah anymore.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
It really triggered me. It just hit me in a way.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
He kind of made me feel like I wasn't good enough,
and I wasn't the It was one of those things
that just wasn't the appropriate time, and so it just
hit me as like, you know, Shazzaim, We're ready to go.
Speaker 7 (16:42):
Season number seven, the two thousand one NFL regular.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Season is underway.
Speaker 7 (16:47):
Here's the kickoff, end over end, the rookie Smith from
his seven yard line to the twenty running outside thirty.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
There he goes.
Speaker 7 (16:57):
Smith is gone forty thirty, a rookie on his first
touch as a professional, all the way for a touchdown.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Still, opportunities at wide receiver were rare, but Smith found
someone who understood his frustration, the Panthers five foot nine
linebackers coach.
Speaker 4 (17:16):
That's where my connection with Sam Miles came in because
Sam was always encouraging to me. Sam had saw one
day after practice, I did not get one rep with
an offense in practice.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
After being you so much in.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
Training camp, then the regular season goes and I'm like, yeah,
let's go, let's get going.
Speaker 6 (17:34):
Didn't get one rep.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
It was extremely discouraging, to the point where Sam saw me,
Jimmy Jimmy Hitchcock at the time, and they saw me
after practice. I was I was in tears because I
was a third round draft pick and I never experienced,
never being allowed in one practice to play wide receiver.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Smith only caught ten passes as a rookie, but he
dazzled on special teams. Smith returned the two kicks and
the punt for a touchdown in two thousand and one.
It earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
Tory holt Isaac Bruce or alternates for the Pro Bowl,
and Isaac was the first Toy was the alternate, and
Joe Horn was the second alternate. Isaac doesn't come because
they lose to the New England Patriots. Tory says, no,
Joe Horn didn't want to get on the flight. So
John Harbaugh says, listen. Jermaine Lewis is a returner for
(18:31):
the Baltimore Ravens, and I know he is going to
play a little bit of wide receiver because he wants
to show his team. And John Hopball's Philadelphia Eagles special
teams coach, he says, he wants to show that he
could play wide receiver. So they're missing a guy. You
know how to catch punks here at the Pro Bowl.
Go over there with the wide receivers there down one. Okay,
So I go over. Joe Cully is the wide receivers coach,
(18:56):
and he tells me, hey, going over with the specialists,
and again disappointing, not good enough.
Speaker 6 (19:02):
What he said was go with the specialist.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
But what my heart and my ears and what I
experienced was you're not good enough, So get out of here.
These are for the real receiver. And so I left.
And I held onto that because he could have explained
it to me, or he could have even actually interacted
with me and asked me why I was here, but
he dismissed me.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
After Smith's first season, the Panthers made a coaching change.
John Fox replaced George Seaffert, and when it came to
Steve Smith, Fox had an open mind.
Speaker 8 (19:40):
He did make the poll ball as a return man,
so I think he proved his skill set, you know,
to do that both as a kicking bub returner.
Speaker 6 (19:48):
When I met with Coach Fox, I said, hey, I
want to play wide receiver. I am a y receiver.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
He said, okay.
Speaker 8 (19:54):
Early when I got there, it was you know, Steve
can't do this, Steve can't do that, Steve doesn't do this,
he doesn't do that.
Speaker 10 (20:01):
And we kind of said, we're gonna pu him at
one possession X.
Speaker 6 (20:04):
They moved me to X, which is what I played
in college.
Speaker 10 (20:08):
And we're not going to give him, you know, the
whole roup tree.
Speaker 8 (20:11):
I mean, he's gonna do that's and and he was
too skilled and too athletic, and you know, we weren't
rolling in talent at that point.
Speaker 10 (20:20):
You would have him sitting on the sideline with me.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Smith took a giant leap in two thousand and two,
playing wide receiver while still returning kicks. The following season,
he broke out teammate Al Wallace.
Speaker 6 (20:35):
He was right. He was the best wide receiver we had.
And that's with all due respect to Moose. Was absolute
beasts like he was the best wide receiver out there.
The way the guy could jump, his hands were probably
as big as mine. The plays that he made in
practice in the Explosion, from the time he caught the
ball to sixty miles an hour going down the field
(20:55):
was incredible. Don't make him a gadget guy, like, don't
look at the size. If you look past that and
look what this guy is doing, there's not a defensive
back in the NFL that wanted to see Number eighty
nine lined up across him, because he's going to be
a nightmare for sixty minutes.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
In two thousand and three, Smith caught eighty eight passes
for more than eleven hundred yards and supplanted Mussin Mohammad
as the team's top wide receiver.
Speaker 15 (21:20):
It was somewhat humbling experience, you know, but I was
ready to do whatever took the win at at that
point in my career. And Steve was a special talent.
He was He was a guy that was talented enough
that would warrant that right. I would I would be
less receptive to the concept if he wasn't capable of
(21:44):
fulfilling those shoes. But he was ready for it. I mean,
he'd been groomed and he was ready for it. And
he embraced that, and I embraced it. I embraced that
number two spot. I s so I'm gonna be the
best number two the team needs. And I think when
you have guys that take that approach on the team,
say hey, it's not about me, it's about winning, then
that's when you really start doing something special.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
Despite the on field accomplishments, controversy trail the Smith a
public grievance over his contract and an altercation with a
teammate during film session gave Smith a certain public persona.
Speaker 4 (22:21):
I had really embraced and kind of was the villain, right,
really didn't. I really did not enjoy the media really,
you know, as some people say, you know, I was.
Speaker 6 (22:35):
I woke up angry at the media, but I didn't.
Speaker 4 (22:38):
I just felt that the media had a certain perspective
of me, and so I was lazy and I played
to that perspective. They felt that I was pompous, and
so that's how I presented myself to them because I
I felt that the article was going to be bad.
So I was just kind of like, you know, it's like,
you know, I presented myself to the media the way
(22:59):
vegetables are is like Brussels sprouts.
Speaker 6 (23:02):
Some people don't like him. What you need?
Speaker 4 (23:04):
You need what brussel Sprout's brain, right, you know, looking back,
that helped me, but then it hurt me at times.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
But it is what it is.
Speaker 6 (23:13):
I'll be all right.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
But during the Magical two thousand and three season, the
self proclaimed villain wore the hero's cape on multiple occasions.
Speaker 7 (23:24):
Golone back in the pocket Downfield, it goes for Steve
Smith with coppers there, Hey one up and got it touchdown.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
Loads it downfield for Smith at the tent. Got it
to the five.
Speaker 7 (23:34):
Steve Fox two want touchdown Steve Smith, touchdown Panthers. What
a great move by Steve Smith. Touch down Steve Smith.
The lo out of the shotgun has it again? Fire
Smith caught it, touchdown.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
Steve Smith caught it with one o six to go?
Are you kidding me?
Speaker 2 (23:58):
This is incredible? Now? The Panthers again needed a hero.
It was third and fourteen to begin double overtime. A
trip to the NFC Championship was at stake. The Rams
defensive front had been dominating. Carolina needed a playmaker and
(24:19):
a play head coach John Fox.
Speaker 10 (24:23):
Yeah, well, part of it was because they were so
much covered too.
Speaker 8 (24:26):
That means deep MAVs, two deep safeties, and you know,
you try to it looks like it's going to be
a short route by the widest receiver, and then the
inside guy goes up and it looks like he's going
to go to the corner where he told the seventh round,
and so you get the guy to think that, and
then he broke to the post and you try to
make the safety look like a clown.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
The play was called ex clown quarterback Jake Delane.
Speaker 13 (24:52):
We put it in because we watched Cincinnati, dude, and
Cincinnati had Chad Johnson and Carson Palmer with Chad and
Steve Steve or.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
Jukeo Buddies teammates.
Speaker 13 (25:03):
And the play was faked the corner, and you know
if fake going to the corner, the safety opens its
hips and you go right on the inside of down
the field. Well, I was thinking it was all the
way down the field. Steve would kind of cut it flat.
We could not complete it in practice. We tried and
we tried, and to Dan Henning's credit, he was like,
(25:24):
we're running it in the game.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
How many times did it work in practice?
Speaker 13 (25:28):
None?
Speaker 2 (25:28):
It never worked in practice.
Speaker 13 (25:29):
I couldn't throw it to him because I was I
was under the anticipation.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
That he was gonna go deep and he would come flat.
Speaker 4 (25:36):
Everybody always makes it. Oh, we couldn't get it. That
was That's what practice. Practice is to improve, is not
to be perfect. I was running beautiful routes like usual,
and Jake, just Jake was in.
Speaker 6 (25:49):
La la land.
Speaker 4 (25:49):
I'm not really sure what was going on with Jake,
what he was on. You know, he was on, he
was feeling himself. You know, he he had already had
signed three or four marketing deal. So I mean, I
just think Jake, he just you know, he would just
own one that day.
Speaker 13 (26:05):
I think we knew it covers they were gonna be
in because anything third and nine plus or eleven plus,
he felt pretty certain they would play this coverage.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
And you just hope they didn't get home. Do you
hope they didn't get to the quarterback?
Speaker 7 (26:17):
The Panthers did have, as they look back on this game,
in the fourth quarter, eleven point lead, but did not
hold on. And now they're faced with the third and
fourteen from their own thirty one yard line. They're now
moving right to lap as we start overtime quarter number two, what's.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Again coming to lone pumps? He's got time throws.
Speaker 7 (26:36):
Down fifth Smith and the forty five to the forty.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
I thought it's right, honey. Then fine, touchdown, touchdown Steve Smith.
Speaker 7 (26:45):
Sixty nine yards and we are going to the NFC
Championship Game.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
X Clown had the Panthers and Steve Smith basking in
the national spotlight. Panthers radio analyst Eugene Robinson.
Speaker 12 (27:02):
That became the coming out party for Steve Smith national spotlight.
When you make it's difference making plays down here in
Becca America Stadium, when nobody sees it, you're on that
stage where everybody is waiting for this game, and everybody's
tuned in.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
The rest of the NFL now knew what Steve Smith
had long known Panthers defensive back Mike mintor.
Speaker 16 (27:28):
Well, that he could play football, that he was tough,
and that's really what he was just trying to show
everybody is that that he's a guy that can make plays.
He's a guy that was gonna be one of the
greatest Panthers that ever played.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
I me him telling me that.
Speaker 11 (27:43):
He said, Man, my goal, Mike is one day, you know,
have my name in the stadium. And man, you know
when people talk that way, you know that they are
a different guy.
Speaker 10 (27:57):
Right.
Speaker 16 (27:58):
They're not just talking about making the tether.
Speaker 6 (28:00):
He's just talking about being a.
Speaker 16 (28:02):
Good receiver on the Panther He talking about putting his
name in the ring.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
Longtime Panthers broadcaster Jim Zoki he was right.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
I mean, he backed up everything he said as far
as what he's going to be. I mean, he'll be
in the Hall of Fame, so he's more than backed
it up. But yeah, you got to start somewhere, and
for him, he had to come in and tell people
first because he wasn't getting the opportunity to show them.
People look at stature, they look at size, they look
at what is a cookie cutter and what is normal
as far as what dimensions fit a football player. But yes,
(28:31):
Steve Smith, I think because of his upbringing in LA
having to earn things the way that he did, knew
in his soul that he would be good enough to
do what he did in the.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
NFL, and a rookie offensive tackle Jordan Gross knew in
his soul that the Panthers in overtime would surely prevail.
I never really.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
Thought we were going to lose.
Speaker 14 (28:52):
I mean, and it's not because I was a predictor
of great talent or anything, but just history had shown
that season that, man, we go into overtime, our to win. Oh,
I guess now we're going double overtime. Man, we'll probably
win eventually. You know, it's sure enough. You know, Jake
to Steve and he's out the gate, and man, the
rest is history.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
The win over Saint Louis was Carolina's fourth overtime win
of the campaign. The Panthers were one win away from
their first Super Bowl. The cardiac Cats still had a heartbeat,
They still had belief, and they had hope.
Previously on Cardiac.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
The Cardiac CAATs carried their heartbeat into January. Carolina won
the NFC South and returned to the postseason for the
first time in seven years. Panthers opened the playoffs by
smashing through Dallas's top rank defense in a twenty nine
to ten home win. For the Divisional round, Carolina hit
(00:25):
the road to face Saint Louis, the NFC's top scoring.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Offense rateist show on turf, turf greatest show on turf.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
The Rams had played in two of the previous four
Super Bowls inside the Edward Jones Doome, Saint Louis had
been invincible. The Rams entered the divisional round on a
fourteen game home win streak in two thousand and three.
Saint Louis averaged almost thirty four points per game at home.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
We knew they had some really good players, but we
also I think the team was shaped a little bit differently.
Speaker 5 (01:03):
Warner's not the quarterback anymore, bulger Is Marx is the
head coach, not for Meal, but still a lot.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Of talent, including Marshall fall.
Speaker 5 (01:11):
It was still the greatest show on turn.
Speaker 6 (01:14):
Still the greatest show on turf. It was scary. How
do we stop Marshall Falk, Tory Holt, Isaac Bruce. We
didn't know if we could do it.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
The last time Carolina played in Saint Louis was during
the Miserable one in fifteen campaign, two seasons prior. The
Rams smashed the Panthers forty eight to fourteen, totaling almost
five hundred yards of offense, including three hundred and thirty
seven on the ground.
Speaker 7 (01:40):
Faulk trying to turn the corner and little look out
down the near sideline. He's gone forty thirty twenty and
the ramps star opening drive, Marshall Fawk seventy one yard
hitch around the leup corner, the Falk turning outside right,
a lot.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Of roller thirty Marshall Falk to the forty touts back.
Speaker 7 (01:59):
Left of the up back to thrust slant over the
metal picktop intercept it touchdown Saint Louis.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
So it was all Saint Louis today.
Speaker 7 (02:07):
The spread was nineteen coming in and it could have
been thirty, and they had a covered.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Fires for throwing the.
Speaker 7 (02:15):
Ansau Tig god Duchdom.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Big hole down the sideline.
Speaker 7 (02:20):
He's gone and the Panthers are gonna pull another one
out of their head dis Towrdsianza touchdown fires over the medal.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Is that intercepted? Yes, it is up. It is God.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Panthers have won in and over times.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Man head the forty five to the forty and thought
it's right the honey ten fine touchdown.
Speaker 7 (02:39):
Yes, Charlotte, there is a super Bowl and we're in it.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Cardiac.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
The divisional round showdown with Saint Louis was a collision
of finesse and power. The Rams burst against the Panther
braun head coach John Fox. They had great.
Speaker 8 (03:04):
Skill and they executed very well. And you know we
were gonna have to have a good plan and execute
that plan. And you know, both on offense and defense,
because they weren't slouches on defense either. And you get
in that dome, it gets loud. You know they can
cheat the snap cown. You know our players handled it really,
really well because that was a tough environment.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Defensive end Al Wallace.
Speaker 6 (03:27):
We know the receivers are going down right, they don't
want any hits. We know some short yard as Marshall faults,
he's pulling up right. We got Britson Butner in there.
He's making some big hits. Deon grants, they're coming up,
they're dialing up the blitz is. We're attacking them now, right,
So now we're not sitting back and saying, hey, can
we contain the greatest show on turf. We're being more aggressive.
We're bringing blitzes and we're daring Bulger to make plays
(03:50):
down the field.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
The Rams were able to get inside the Panthers ten
yard line three times in the first half. Former Panthers
play by play announcer Bill Razinski that was.
Speaker 5 (04:01):
A defense that could lay the lumber on you. You know,
when that field shrinks, it's harder to execute your razzle
dazzle plays and vanesse plays and whatever else that the
Rams liked to do when they had eighty yards to
go instead of ten.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
But each time Carolina forced Saint Louis into a field goal.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Jeff Wilkins on for a twenty yard field goal.
Speaker 7 (04:21):
Try left, ash mark snap placement, kick us up man,
it is good, right, hash Mark, kick us up all
it is good.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Placement, kick us up man, it is good.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Al Wallace new the value of holding the Rams to three.
Speaker 6 (04:38):
It's big, it's huge, and we're doing that. I can
just remember Dan Morgan just frothing at the mouth. He's
got to keep doing that. Don't worry about anything else.
Just get off the field. Everybody found a way to
get off the field. Dan's walking up and down from
the defensive line into the defensive backs. He's just screaming,
just keep getting off the field, Just keep making plays.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Stephen Davis gave Carolina its best scoring chance of the
first half, but at a great cost.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Panthers will move left or right. They start at their
thirty two yard line.
Speaker 7 (05:09):
They trailed Saint Louil six and I think thirteen eighteen
to go first half. The lone under center dropped lay
Stephen Davis, big hoole left side to the forty. How
rush is a tackler to the fifty, down the sideline
thirty twenty and finally cut from behind down at the
four yard line.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Davis, a fourteen hundred yard rusher, would leave the game
with a strained quad.
Speaker 7 (05:35):
Back to the Panthers sideline. Another Stephen Davis update from
Greg Brann, Greg Bill, you look at Steven.
Speaker 9 (05:41):
The face says yes. The body language says I don't know.
He's trying to loosen that left quad up right now.
He's sitting on the bench with a heating pad on
his upper quad. You know, he's telling everybody, I'm okay,
I'm okay, but he's not moving very well.
Speaker 6 (05:55):
Our confidence as a defense was rocked when we see
our big guy Stephen Dave pull up on a long run.
And now we're thinking, how are we gonna win this?
I mean, I told you we believe this smoke. We
believe in Foster, we believe in his ability to carry
the low. But we need both of those guys in
this game.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
But Carolina is still capitalized on the drive thanks to
a four to tuitous spounce.
Speaker 7 (06:18):
The lone barks out of his call. Oh, it's a shuffle pass.
Is it a fumble? Loose ball around the two yard line?
It goes into the end zone and there's a big
pile up. Panthers have it. They say they have it.
Dom says they have it.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Is it in the end zone? Is it a touchdown?
We have no signal from the officials.
Speaker 7 (06:38):
It's a touchdown for the Panthers, just the way you
draw it up.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Mohammad's touchdown was the only touchdown of the game through
three quarters. In the fourth, rad Hoover had Carolina dreaming
of the NFC Championship.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
The Panthers will lead by four with nine ten to go.
Speaker 7 (06:58):
Here in the fourth quarter, an opportunity get a double
digit lead.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Yeah, this drive can't be about three points.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
They can't. No, we gotta go ahead.
Speaker 6 (07:08):
We needed to come up to come up big.
Speaker 7 (07:10):
And Kevin Dyson is an in the ballgame for Carolina
wide left.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Foster is in the backfield.
Speaker 7 (07:16):
First and goal from the seven yard line below, quick hitter,
Hoover up the middle five two to one touchdown Brad Hoover,
quick hitter from the full back spot, and there was
enough blue.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Jersey to touch them. Seventy yard touchdown run.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
The Panthers led twenty three to twelve with less than
three minutes to play. But it wasn't quite Curtains for
the Greatest Show on Turf.
Speaker 10 (07:41):
We really kind of.
Speaker 8 (07:42):
Screwed up a couple of things on defense that kind
of let them back in the game.
Speaker 7 (07:46):
Rams break the huddle, Bruce out to the right hole,
to the left, fourth down to Saint Louis from the
Carolina thirty eight yard line. Vulger as Morgan comes on
of Blitz, votes it down Fille and it's caught at
the twenty fall Oh come on out of bounce at
the sixteen yard line. Bulger under center. Third down and
ten from the Carolina sixteen. He's back to pass again, throws.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Over the middle.
Speaker 7 (08:10):
There's talk at the fifteen. At the ten of the five,
he's got a first down. Vulger hands off the Falk
looking to turn it outside.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Kux Lefty's in the touchdown Ram all right, Rams going
for two. Falk's the lone running back.
Speaker 7 (08:25):
Two receivers right, one to the left for Vulger, boot
leg right by Bulger. He drows, it's cock. It's good
for two. They got it to Dane Looker and it's
a three point Carolina Lee a huge play coming up
in this fourth quarter. Here's the kick and it bounces.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
It's free.
Speaker 7 (08:48):
It's a free ball near the forty yard line. I
think Saint Louis has it.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
They do.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
The onside kick. Recovery told panthersensive back Mike Minter that
Carolina missed its chance to slam the door.
Speaker 10 (09:05):
We know we have them.
Speaker 11 (09:06):
We kind of relaxed a little bit because we did
think the game was over and and for them fool to,
you know, come back and send it to overtime.
Speaker 10 (09:15):
Now, became a game again. We haven't. We gotta get back.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Out of here. The Rams had a chance to tie
on the final play of regulation.
Speaker 7 (09:24):
All right, here we go from the right hash park
thirty three our field goal to tie, snap kicked by Wilkins,
says up man, it is good.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
We're tied. We're going overtime in the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Have we ever had any overtime games on the road
this season?
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Yes, we have. Have we had some of them.
Speaker 12 (09:42):
Hey, we used to this pass got them right where
we want them.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Yeah, one were time on the road.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
The Cardiac Cats were stretched to overtime for the fifth
time that season. They had won three of the previous four.
In this one, the Panthers would win the coin toss
and would receive the overtime kickoff. Under the rules of
the day, the first team to score one and Carolina
(10:09):
had his chance.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Along with the Blitz coming avoids. The rush rolls right, looks.
Speaker 7 (10:14):
Downfield, crows Muhammad's got it and he's in the Ram
territory in the forty two yard line. By action fake
along to throw, lets it go wide open wickets far
side of the field. He's to the thirty hold on
to the football to the twenty yard line. Casey's kick
is up, it is on the way, and the Panthers
are gone.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Tell the NFix no.
Speaker 12 (10:33):
Game.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
First time, the fly came in before the kick even
took place.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
The referee, Oh my goodness.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
For head coach John Fox, jubilation was short lived.
Speaker 8 (10:49):
We thought we won the game, sure enough. There was
a flag out there. I thought they had to be offsides.
But what happened was is they didn't reset the clock
and they called us for delay again, you know, So
that one's really the first time I thought we won
the game, and then had to recruit from that, you know,
to continue the game.
Speaker 5 (11:07):
And then obviously I was at a forty yarder and
then I think Casey had to kick a forty five
yard or and you miss.
Speaker 7 (11:12):
Casey ready, snap is good, placement's good. Casey's kicks up
on the way, and this time the no missed it.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
The miss by Casey left the door Ajar for the Rams.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Second and nine Falter teep dropped. This time fires down
the middle of the field.
Speaker 7 (11:31):
That's caught at the forty five to the thirty nine
yard line. Isaac Crosse, all right, Wilkins, the balls on
the left ash Mark kicking right to left fifty three
yarder to win it. In overtime, snap placement kicks up
and it is short, short, death short from fifty three.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
It was on the money, but short. We're still alive,
We're still playing. I'm normal.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Oh, I don't feel anything. I don't feel a thing.
Cardiac Cats got a second chance in overtime, but squandered.
Speaker 7 (12:04):
It from the Ram thirty five first down. Oh Doloma's
hit gets up, runs and they go.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Back to the thirty eight yard line.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
They're gonna mark him down at the forty one. If
somebody broke on through Colone play accent sacked back at
the forty five. They all blew through it.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Golm slams the ball in discussed on the Rams. Ensuing possession.
They picked up a first down at the Carolina thirty eight.
Saint Louis stood on the verge of victory.
Speaker 7 (12:34):
Balger again, Here comes everybody on the blenz and we
still can't get the Bulger throws it.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
Down, failed up, bricky man. It picked it off at.
Speaker 7 (12:43):
The thirty five yard line.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
It's a game, Sable.
Speaker 8 (12:47):
You get that laid into a game, you know, you
see things over again, and so Ricky was very smart
for a rookie.
Speaker 10 (12:52):
Corner and Ye had a tremendous playoff run there, but
huge play that he had seen, and you know he
was fond to like a tenure of that.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
The Panthers got the ball back at their own thirty five,
but could not move forward alone.
Speaker 7 (13:08):
Under center draw pay Foster trying to turn it outside.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Nowhere to go alone. They pick up the blitz. Now
they don't. He avoids it. Alom's still going down.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
At the thirty one. It was third and fourteen, and
the game had now moved into his second overtime, and
the Panthers season was once again on the brink. But
this is where Jake Delobe and Steve Smith had thrived.
Even when going off script, some of our best players
(13:38):
were mistakes. There would be times where I had a
seam read and I just told him, hey, just hit
me up top and I'll protect myself. And so there
were things where certain angles or certain.
Speaker 4 (13:48):
Things that happened that there was an understanding between us.
I would try my best to protect the throw and
he would try his best to protect my face.
Speaker 13 (14:00):
Was the best punt returner and kickoff return in the league,
and it wasn't even close. And then he started playing
more receiver and saying Steve was just just give.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
Him the football.
Speaker 13 (14:08):
I mean it's not hard, like he is just different
with the football in this team.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Steve Smith had emerged as Carolina's go to wide receiver.
In his third season with the Panthers, Smith had blossomed
into his star. He had come a long way from
his early days in southern California.
Speaker 4 (14:27):
People say this, Oh, he's the Napoleon complex. Sometimes air
quotes Napoleon. His mind and his business, not bothering anybody.
And I'm one of those stranger danger guys. So I
really don't do the whole walk around look at me.
I'm like, walk around, I don't talk. But that's always
been me, like that, that demeanor. I grew up in
(14:48):
Los Angeles, right I grew I grew up in a
time where there was gangs, there was drugs, car jackets.
So I'm just telling you, like when people see me
and sometimes they go, you know, I know who he is.
Speaker 6 (15:00):
You have no idea who I am.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Smith played his college ball at Utah, where he was
first teammates with Jordan Gross.
Speaker 14 (15:09):
Same did just younger and fierier and I was probably
the most scared of him I ever was was when
he was in college, because he.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Was intense man.
Speaker 14 (15:20):
That's like the word probably that I should use intense
and on the field off the field, and that was
something that was really good for me to be around
because I wasn't that way as much. And I learned
a lot from him.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
The Panthers selected Smith in the third round of the
two thousand and one draft. His five foot nine frame
had some questioning whether he would ever be anything more
than a return man.
Speaker 4 (15:47):
When I was drafted by the Carolina and Panthers, I
spent a whole five six months not allowed to practice
wide receiver with the first team because I was not
deemed a wide receiver, demed a specialist.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
But in his very first game against the Vikings in
two thousand and one, on his very first touch on
the very opening kickoff, Smith delivered an exclamation and a
message for his doubters.
Speaker 6 (16:16):
There's a special teams a's from San Diego State.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
I don't remember the guy's name, but he had just
told me, Hey, this isn't Utah anymore.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
It really triggered me. It just hit me in a way.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
He kind of made me feel like I wasn't good enough,
and I wasn't the It was one of those things
that just wasn't the appropriate time, and so it just
hit me as like, you know, Shazzaim, We're ready to go.
Speaker 7 (16:42):
Season number seven, the two thousand one NFL regular.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Season is underway.
Speaker 7 (16:47):
Here's the kickoff, end over end, the rookie Smith from
his seven yard line to the twenty running outside thirty.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
There he goes.
Speaker 7 (16:57):
Smith is gone forty thirty, a rookie on his first
touch as a professional, all the way for a touchdown.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Still, opportunities at wide receiver were rare, but Smith found
someone who understood his frustration, the Panthers five foot nine
linebackers coach.
Speaker 4 (17:16):
That's where my connection with Sam Miles came in because
Sam was always encouraging to me. Sam had saw one
day after practice, I did not get one rep with
an offense in practice.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
After being you so much in.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
Training camp, then the regular season goes and I'm like, yeah,
let's go, let's get going.
Speaker 6 (17:34):
Didn't get one rep.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
It was extremely discouraging, to the point where Sam saw me,
Jimmy Jimmy Hitchcock at the time, and they saw me
after practice. I was I was in tears because I
was a third round draft pick and I never experienced,
never being allowed in one practice to play wide receiver.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Smith only caught ten passes as a rookie, but he
dazzled on special teams. Smith returned the two kicks and
the punt for a touchdown in two thousand and one.
It earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
Tory holt Isaac Bruce or alternates for the Pro Bowl,
and Isaac was the first Toy was the alternate, and
Joe Horn was the second alternate. Isaac doesn't come because
they lose to the New England Patriots. Tory says, no,
Joe Horn didn't want to get on the flight. So
John Harbaugh says, listen. Jermaine Lewis is a returner for
(18:31):
the Baltimore Ravens, and I know he is going to
play a little bit of wide receiver because he wants
to show his team. And John Hopball's Philadelphia Eagles special
teams coach, he says, he wants to show that he
could play wide receiver. So they're missing a guy. You
know how to catch punks here at the Pro Bowl.
Go over there with the wide receivers there down one. Okay,
So I go over. Joe Cully is the wide receivers coach,
(18:56):
and he tells me, hey, going over with the specialists,
and again disappointing, not good enough.
Speaker 6 (19:02):
What he said was go with the specialist.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
But what my heart and my ears and what I
experienced was you're not good enough, So get out of here.
These are for the real receiver. And so I left.
And I held onto that because he could have explained
it to me, or he could have even actually interacted
with me and asked me why I was here, but
he dismissed me.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
After Smith's first season, the Panthers made a coaching change.
John Fox replaced George Seaffert, and when it came to
Steve Smith, Fox had an open mind.
Speaker 8 (19:40):
He did make the poll ball as a return man,
so I think he proved his skill set, you know,
to do that both as a kicking bub returner.
Speaker 6 (19:48):
When I met with Coach Fox, I said, hey, I
want to play wide receiver. I am a y receiver.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
He said, okay.
Speaker 8 (19:54):
Early when I got there, it was you know, Steve
can't do this, Steve can't do that, Steve doesn't do this,
he doesn't do that.
Speaker 10 (20:01):
And we kind of said, we're gonna pu him at
one possession X.
Speaker 6 (20:04):
They moved me to X, which is what I played
in college.
Speaker 10 (20:08):
And we're not going to give him, you know, the
whole roup tree.
Speaker 8 (20:11):
I mean, he's gonna do that's and and he was
too skilled and too athletic, and you know, we weren't
rolling in talent at that point.
Speaker 10 (20:20):
You would have him sitting on the sideline with me.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Smith took a giant leap in two thousand and two,
playing wide receiver while still returning kicks. The following season,
he broke out teammate Al Wallace.
Speaker 6 (20:35):
He was right. He was the best wide receiver we had.
And that's with all due respect to Moose. Was absolute
beasts like he was the best wide receiver out there.
The way the guy could jump, his hands were probably
as big as mine. The plays that he made in
practice in the Explosion, from the time he caught the
ball to sixty miles an hour going down the field
(20:55):
was incredible. Don't make him a gadget guy, like, don't
look at the size. If you look past that and
look what this guy is doing, there's not a defensive
back in the NFL that wanted to see Number eighty
nine lined up across him, because he's going to be
a nightmare for sixty minutes.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
In two thousand and three, Smith caught eighty eight passes
for more than eleven hundred yards and supplanted Mussin Mohammad
as the team's top wide receiver.
Speaker 15 (21:20):
It was somewhat humbling experience, you know, but I was
ready to do whatever took the win at at that
point in my career. And Steve was a special talent.
He was He was a guy that was talented enough
that would warrant that right. I would I would be
less receptive to the concept if he wasn't capable of
(21:44):
fulfilling those shoes. But he was ready for it. I mean,
he'd been groomed and he was ready for it. And
he embraced that, and I embraced it. I embraced that
number two spot. I s so I'm gonna be the
best number two the team needs. And I think when
you have guys that take that approach on the team,
say hey, it's not about me, it's about winning, then
that's when you really start doing something special.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
Despite the on field accomplishments, controversy trail the Smith a
public grievance over his contract and an altercation with a
teammate during film session gave Smith a certain public persona.
Speaker 4 (22:21):
I had really embraced and kind of was the villain, right,
really didn't. I really did not enjoy the media really,
you know, as some people say, you know, I was.
Speaker 6 (22:35):
I woke up angry at the media, but I didn't.
Speaker 4 (22:38):
I just felt that the media had a certain perspective
of me, and so I was lazy and I played
to that perspective. They felt that I was pompous, and
so that's how I presented myself to them because I
I felt that the article was going to be bad.
So I was just kind of like, you know, it's like,
you know, I presented myself to the media the way
(22:59):
vegetables are is like Brussels sprouts.
Speaker 6 (23:02):
Some people don't like him. What you need?
Speaker 4 (23:04):
You need what brussel Sprout's brain, right, you know, looking back,
that helped me, but then it hurt me at times.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
But it is what it is.
Speaker 6 (23:13):
I'll be all right.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
But during the Magical two thousand and three season, the
self proclaimed villain wore the hero's cape on multiple occasions.
Speaker 7 (23:24):
Golone back in the pocket Downfield, it goes for Steve
Smith with coppers there, Hey one up and got it touchdown.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
Loads it downfield for Smith at the tent. Got it
to the five.
Speaker 7 (23:34):
Steve Fox two want touchdown Steve Smith, touchdown Panthers. What
a great move by Steve Smith. Touch down Steve Smith.
The lo out of the shotgun has it again? Fire
Smith caught it, touchdown.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
Steve Smith caught it with one o six to go?
Are you kidding me?
Speaker 2 (23:58):
This is incredible? Now? The Panthers again needed a hero.
It was third and fourteen to begin double overtime. A
trip to the NFC Championship was at stake. The Rams
defensive front had been dominating. Carolina needed a playmaker and
(24:19):
a play head coach John Fox.
Speaker 10 (24:23):
Yeah, well, part of it was because they were so
much covered too.
Speaker 8 (24:26):
That means deep MAVs, two deep safeties, and you know,
you try to it looks like it's going to be
a short route by the widest receiver, and then the
inside guy goes up and it looks like he's going
to go to the corner where he told the seventh round,
and so you get the guy to think that, and
then he broke to the post and you try to
make the safety look like a clown.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
The play was called ex clown quarterback Jake Delane.
Speaker 13 (24:52):
We put it in because we watched Cincinnati, dude, and
Cincinnati had Chad Johnson and Carson Palmer with Chad and
Steve Steve or.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
Jukeo Buddies teammates.
Speaker 13 (25:03):
And the play was faked the corner, and you know
if fake going to the corner, the safety opens its
hips and you go right on the inside of down
the field. Well, I was thinking it was all the
way down the field. Steve would kind of cut it flat.
We could not complete it in practice. We tried and
we tried, and to Dan Henning's credit, he was like,
(25:24):
we're running it in the game.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
How many times did it work in practice?
Speaker 13 (25:28):
None?
Speaker 2 (25:28):
It never worked in practice.
Speaker 13 (25:29):
I couldn't throw it to him because I was I
was under the anticipation.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
That he was gonna go deep and he would come flat.
Speaker 4 (25:36):
Everybody always makes it. Oh, we couldn't get it. That
was That's what practice. Practice is to improve, is not
to be perfect. I was running beautiful routes like usual,
and Jake, just Jake was in.
Speaker 6 (25:49):
La la land.
Speaker 4 (25:49):
I'm not really sure what was going on with Jake,
what he was on. You know, he was on, he
was feeling himself. You know, he he had already had
signed three or four marketing deal. So I mean, I
just think Jake, he just you know, he would just
own one that day.
Speaker 13 (26:05):
I think we knew it covers they were gonna be
in because anything third and nine plus or eleven plus,
he felt pretty certain they would play this coverage.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
And you just hope they didn't get home. Do you
hope they didn't get to the quarterback?
Speaker 7 (26:17):
The Panthers did have, as they look back on this game,
in the fourth quarter, eleven point lead, but did not
hold on. And now they're faced with the third and
fourteen from their own thirty one yard line. They're now
moving right to lap as we start overtime quarter number two, what's.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Again coming to lone pumps? He's got time throws.
Speaker 7 (26:36):
Down fifth Smith and the forty five to the forty.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
I thought it's right, honey. Then fine, touchdown, touchdown Steve Smith.
Speaker 7 (26:45):
Sixty nine yards and we are going to the NFC
Championship Game.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
X Clown had the Panthers and Steve Smith basking in
the national spotlight. Panthers radio analyst Eugene Robinson.
Speaker 12 (27:02):
That became the coming out party for Steve Smith national spotlight.
When you make it's difference making plays down here in
Becca America Stadium, when nobody sees it, you're on that
stage where everybody is waiting for this game, and everybody's
tuned in.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
The rest of the NFL now knew what Steve Smith
had long known Panthers defensive back Mike mintor.
Speaker 16 (27:28):
Well, that he could play football, that he was tough,
and that's really what he was just trying to show
everybody is that that he's a guy that can make plays.
He's a guy that was gonna be one of the
greatest Panthers that ever played.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
I me him telling me that.
Speaker 11 (27:43):
He said, Man, my goal, Mike is one day, you know,
have my name in the stadium. And man, you know
when people talk that way, you know that they are
a different guy.
Speaker 10 (27:57):
Right.
Speaker 16 (27:58):
They're not just talking about making the tether.
Speaker 6 (28:00):
He's just talking about being a.
Speaker 16 (28:02):
Good receiver on the Panther He talking about putting his
name in the ring.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
Longtime Panthers broadcaster Jim Zoki he was right.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
I mean, he backed up everything he said as far
as what he's going to be. I mean, he'll be
in the Hall of Fame, so he's more than backed
it up. But yeah, you got to start somewhere, and
for him, he had to come in and tell people
first because he wasn't getting the opportunity to show them.
People look at stature, they look at size, they look
at what is a cookie cutter and what is normal
as far as what dimensions fit a football player. But yes,
(28:31):
Steve Smith, I think because of his upbringing in LA
having to earn things the way that he did, knew
in his soul that he would be good enough to
do what he did in the.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
NFL, and a rookie offensive tackle Jordan Gross knew in
his soul that the Panthers in overtime would surely prevail.
I never really.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
Thought we were going to lose.
Speaker 14 (28:52):
I mean, and it's not because I was a predictor
of great talent or anything, but just history had shown
that season that, man, we go into overtime, our to win. Oh,
I guess now we're going double overtime. Man, we'll probably
win eventually. You know, it's sure enough. You know, Jake
to Steve and he's out the gate, and man, the
rest is history.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
The win over Saint Louis was Carolina's fourth overtime win
of the campaign. The Panthers were one win away from
their first Super Bowl. The cardiac Cats still had a heartbeat,
They still had belief, and they had hope.
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