Anthony Smith has been here once before.
He was in sixth grade then, being raised by a single mother in the rough post-steel city of Youngstown, Ohio.
Smith wasnt a bad kid, but he was becoming the class clown. Got in some trouble with his mouth. Wasnt reaching his potential. Needed a fresh start.
His mother, Kristen Adams, sent Smith to live with his uncle, Homer, about 7 miles up the road in Hubbard. There, Smith went to a better school, turned his attention |to football and became an all-region running |back and defensive back who earned a scholarship to Syracuse University.
Smiths college career yielded two all-conference nods at free safety, a third-round selection in the 2006 NFL draft and a three-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. As a pro, he quickly earned a reputation as a big hitter and started 14 games over his first two seasons while veteran Ryan Clark battled injuries.
But then Smith made some mistakes. Got in some trouble with his mouth. Wasnt reaching his potential. Needed a fresh start.
The Steelers sat Smith during their championship run last season then sent him away without making him a qualifying offer as a restricted free agent.
So, Smith is here now, a Green Bay Packer, and he feels change once again will do him good.
People can always twist what kind of person you are, Smith said last week, during the Packers organized team activities.
Im a kind of guy who plays the game with a lot of emotion, and Im going to say what I feel. Im not the kind of guy whos going to speak politically correct all the time. You might not hear all the answers you want to hear.
I like to have fun, man. Whatever I feel thats just how I grew up, and thats how I was raised, not to bite your tongue, and I dont do that. If I get a question, Im going to answer it truthfully.
All Smith wants is the chance to define his career with something other than words.
The guarantee
[ul]It was Dec. 5, 2007, amidst the media hype surrounding the Steelers upcoming showdown with the undefeated New England Patriots, that Smith defined his career to date.
Were going to win, Smith said in one of several interviews that day. Yeah, I can guarantee a win.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin confronted Smith and told him not to write checks for the team. Defensive captain James Farrior said, He has to keep his mouth shut.
Four days later, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady went after Smith, completing touchdown passes of 63 and 56 yards in Smiths vicinity as New England rolled in a 34-13 rout.
The next week against Jacksonville, Smith was partly at fault on a 55-yard touchdown pass in a 29-22 loss, and Tomlin had seen enough. Tyrone Carter replaced Smith in the lineup the following week, and Smiths journey out of Pittsburgh had begun.
When players returned for OTAs in March 2008, Smith found out coaches were moving him to strong safety, a position he never had played.
I felt that was kind of fishy, he said last week. Why didnt they try to move me the last two years, if they were going to do it?
Then, Smith found out Carter would be the top backup at both spots. He had gone from starter to No. 4 safety virtually overnight.
So, even as the Steelers roared toward Super Bowl XLIII, Smith was, in his word, miserable.
He kept his mouth shut, went about his business, tried to enjoy the teams success even as coaches deactivated him throughout the playoffs. But as soon as the season was over, Smith went home and hoped the Steelers would agree it was time to move on.
I felt I wasnt getting a fair shake anyway, Smith said. I kind of wanted to be released. I didnt want to be signed back and to waste another year and not be able to come out and sign for the big money. That kind of hurt me last year, not being able to play."[/ul]
The new home[ul]
Money isnt why Smith is here, though.
The low restricted tender Pittsburgh didnt offer would have been worth $1.01 million. The two-year, $1.485 million contract Smith signed with the Packers included a modest $100,000 bonus.
More important was the opportunity. Two other teams showed interest in Smith as their No. 3 safety, but the Packers, according to Smith, promised him a chance to compete for a starting job in their new 3-4 defense, which is conceptually similar to the one he played in Pittsburgh.
Anthony looks very comfortable, Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. Definitely his experience in Pittsburgh has really helped him.
It also helped that new Packers safeties coach Darren Perry was a believer in Smith, having played a role in bringing Smith to Pittsburgh when Perry coached defensive backs there. Smith said the two stayed in touch after Perry took a job with the Oakland Raiders in 2007, and he considers Perry a good friend.
The Packers have two established starting safeties, but neither Nick Collins, who has skipped most of the offseason program and wants a new contract, nor Atari Bigby, who is recovering from ankle surgery, has practiced during OTAs. While it seems unlikely either incumbent will lose his spot in training camp, their absence has given new defensive coordinator Dom Capers and company an extended look at Smith, who has worked with the starters alongside Aaron Rouse.
They always know what I can do, Smith said. Thats why they brought me here.
Surprisingly physical at 6 feet and 203 pounds, Smith often was asked to play deep in Pittsburghs Cover-3 scheme. At times, he got into trouble peeking into the backfield and biting too hard on play fakes, contributing to the inconsistency that got him on coaches bad side.
Asked last month whether Smith has matured since their days together in Pittsburgh, Perry responded, I would say yes. He added: Dom doesnt know Anthony. Mike McCarthy, they dont know Anthony like I know Anthony. So, hes forming the opinion now how he conducts himself on the practice field, communicates, all those little things are going to play a factor in gaining the trust, because if a coach doesnt trust you, hes not going to put you out there on the field.
In other words, Smith has a chance to put the inconsistency behind him. Another chance to reach his potential. A fresh start.[/ul]