Two and a half seasons since the Carolina Panthers shocked their fan base and the entire NFL, the man in the middle of the most contentious decision in franchise history is willing to admit he was at least part of the problem.

In a 46-minute profile of his 16-year career set to air Friday night, former Panthers receiver Steve Smith acknowledged his final three years in Carolina included a strained relationship with quarterback Cam Newton.

“We bumped heads for the obvious reason. He’s the first overall pick and he was a star where he was,” Smith said on NFL Network’s A Football Life. “I was 31-years-old. I had three kids. So we were two people in two different phases of their life.”

Since Smith’s unceremonious release in the spring of 2014, both he and Newton have avoided saying much about what happened behind the scenes. But former Panthers left tackle Jordan Gross helped pull back the curtain.

“That was a tough dynamic. It frustrated Steve being with such a young quarterback who maybe didn’t get all the terminology down right away, who would mess up his reads on a hot route, things like that. Steve had no patience for that,” Gross said.

“Honestly, I feel like that hurt Cam’s development a little bit because Steve was such an in-your-face character. He wanted to win now. Steve wasn’t a rookie. Steve was getting into double-digit seasons, and he didn’t want to wait to win for this young quarterback to develop.

“I think the organization felt like for Cam to flourish, they needed Steve to step down.”

 

 

Another one of Smith’s former teammates, and coach, agreed.

“Emotionally it was hard for everybody because of what he’s done for the organization, the impact he’s had in the community,” Ricky Proehl said. “He’s the best Panther to step foot in Bank of America Stadium, but I think everybody understood that he probably needed a change. It was probably good for everybody.”

Smith and a sizable portion of the Panthers fan base still hold a grudge against general manager Dave Gettleman, not just for his decision to cut the franchise’s most popular player, but also because Smith claimed he had no idea it was coming.

“If you’re going to let me go, let me know,” Smith said. “Don’t announce it to someone else.”

Smith’s first trip into free agency lasted just over 24 hours. The Patriots, Redskins, Seahawks and Chargers all showed interest, but the Ravens won out.

“Every team that called, I looked at their schedule,” Smith said. “I didn’t know what week, but I knew the Panthers were on [the Ravens’] schedule.”

The “Blood and Guts” Bowl came in Week 4 of the 2014 season. It didn’t go well for the Panthers.

“I knew that whole team. Knew the head coach’s weakness. I knew the offensive coordinator’s weakness. I knew the defensive coordinator’s weakness. I knew everything,” Smith said. “I knew the calls. I knew the cadence. I knew what time they pissed. So I knew how they going to think.”

Smith torched his former team with seven receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Surprisingly, he wasn’t his typical fiery self during the Ravens’ 38-10 rout. At least, not outwardly.

“I still talk to guys on the team and found out they felt that I would be emotionally unstable and I’d be all over the place. So when I went in there, I went in there strictly business,” Smith said. “It was more of a psychological game for me. It was an opportunity to show my growth.

“They expected me to come out there and talk, so I said, nah, I’m not going to talk.”

 

 

Other Notable Quotes From Steve Smith: A Football Life

 

Gross, on Smith’s relationship with Jake Delhomme:

“I think Jake Delhomme was the greatest thing that ever happened to Steve Smith. Those two were so fun to be around because they both cared so much about winning, they were such passionate players. You’d see them in a huddle sometimes yelling at each other. Full on yelling, but it never felt like it disrupted the dynamic because that was their relationship.”

 

Delhomme:

“We expected so much out of each other. We just thrived on it and we worked at it. So when it came time for a game, he knew I was going to go to him.”

 

Proehl, on Smith’s propensity to let his emotions boil over on the field:

“I respected where he was coming from. He wasn’t always right, but it’s something that made him great. It’s hard for someone to do the things that he does on a football field to all of a sudden pull back the reins and say, ‘You can’t do that.'”

 

Smith, on fighting multiple teammates during his time in Carolina:

“There is no justifications on my actions. I apologize for all the people that I hurt. I take full responsibility. And all I can say is I’m sorry. I was a young, immature young man.”

 

Smith, on getting drafted by the Panthers in 2001:

“I never even knew where North Carolina was. That’s just a fact. I didn’t know who’s on the squad. Didn’t know who played there. … So I get drafted, I come in, and a guy taps me on the shoulder. I turned, and George Seifert says, ‘Hey, I drafted you. Don’t f*** this up,’ and walks off. That was it.”

 

Smith, on returning from a broken leg to lead the NFL in catches, yards and receiving touchdowns in 2005:

“Coming back from that injury, I accomplished that you can not measure a man’s ability to play this game based on his stature.”