Anthony Smith maturing
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While he's been the target of a few verbal shots this week for the brutal hits he has delivered in training camp, it sounds as if second-year free safety Anthony Smith is growing up and accepting his role in the defense.
As free safety, the NFL equivalent to baseball's center fielder, Smith has a lot on his shoulders. He's got the most ground to cover on any given play, he has to read receivers carefully and commit to a coverage judiciously and, as the last person between the offense and the end zone, he needs to know when to give up a few yards rather than risking a big play by trying to knock someone's head off. It sounds like, after the first week of practice and being called out by offensive leader Hines Ward, Smith is grasping the bigger picture. According to the Post-Gazette:
"The only problem with me and [Troy Polamalu] being in there at the same time is we're both risk-takers," Smith said. "Troy can take a few more [risks]. I take my shots. I have to be smart about it, though."
Asked if it's hard for him to curtail his style, Smith said, "It's not tough at all. You just can't make a big play every time. I try to make as many as I can."
Smith has become one of SteelerWatch's favorite players because of his big hits and his natural knack for finding the ball. If he can back that up with his intelligence, it will give the Steelers the best one-two punch at safety in the NFL.
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