The Carolina Panthers took on the Indianapolis Colts over the weekend in their first matchup of the preseason. Carolina would ultimately lose to the Colts by a score of 21-18, but the play on the field wasn’t what upset a few South Carolina Gamecock supporters over the weekend.
Former Panthers’ star wideout Steve Smith was on hand for the NFL telecast, and he apparently felt that it was the perfect time to unleash some dissatisfaction with a couple of old Gamecocks, namely Jake Bentley.
While broadcasting from the booth in Indianapolis, Smith went on an unprovoked and unprofessional tangent discussing just how bad he believes the former South Carolina quarterback, who’s now at South Alabama, is as a football player.
Steve Smith: “Utah got a QB from South Carolina and it didn’t go well at all. I know we need to talk about the Panthers but let me tell you, I went to a Utah practice and watched him and they thought he’d play better in games. But let me tell you….football….is not his sport.”
— The Spurs Up Show (@TheSpursUpShow) August 15, 2021
Steve Smith not a fan of South Carolina football
Just why he felt the need to bash someone that’s still at the college level is still unsure, though he’s likely just upset that his alma mater took a flier on the passer last season. Bentley suited up for the Utah Utes during the 2020 campaign, Smith’s former college program.
In five games of action, Bentley tossed six touchdowns and six interceptions on 62% passing. The Utes won three of the five games he played under center, but I guess Smith believes the former Gamecock held Utah back from some unknown national championship aspirations. With the PAC 12 starting the season late, the COVID year was pretty much a wash for most teams out west. I guess Smith needed someone to shoulder that blame, so why not a transfer quarterback.
You’d think Smith would take a little more issue with his alma mater for giving Bentley the opportunity to play, since football is clearly “not his sport,” but the signal caller was the low hanging fruit. It’s not the first controversy that Smith has seen, though, so it shouldn’t be too surprising. These comments, again bashing an amateur athlete during an unrelated NFL broadcast, come from a player that his own teammates called a “bully and bad locker room guy.”
He was in multiple confrontations while in the league, including once breaking a teammates’ nose and being sued for assault in return. While his abilities were great on the field, his antics were less than par.
Smith would also go on to rip Shi Smith, who’s now a third-string wideout for the Panthers, saying that playing at South Carolina held him back from developing his skills (again going back to poor quarterback play). Smith caught one pass for 26 yards on Sunday, and had been praised as one of the draft’s best performers throughout the lead up to the event. I guess the elder Smith wasn’t watching.
Take these comments with a grain of salt. Bentley and Smith will have a chance to prove the naysayers wrong this Fall.