Former NFL quarterback Frank Gifford once said, “Pro football is like nuclear warfare. There are no winners, only survivors.”
If you ask current Baltimore Ravens quarterback Troy Smith if he agrees with that statement, I’m willing to bet he offers the affirmative.
Nobody said it was easy to make it as a quarterback in the National Football League, and as a matter of fact, I would argue it is the hardest position to play in all of professional sports, but that is another article for another day.
Anyway, back to Troy Smith.
Anyway, back to Troy Smith.
It is a tough world out there in the National Football League, and the former Heisman Trophy winner can attest to that. It seems like just yesterday it was the 2006 college football season, and Smith and his Buckeyes were on top of the college football world.
The Buckeyes were a marked team that season, the unanimous favorite to win the 2007 BCS National Championship. Even with those lofty expectations on their shoulders, the Buckeyes went out and dominated nearly every opponent they faced, due in large part to the precise passing of Troy Smith.
The thing that separated Smith from every other player in the country that season was his uncanny ability to throw accurately on the run. Let’s take a look at some of his key throws that highlighted his ability to escape pressure in the pocket and still make something happen.
In the Penn State game, with the heavily favored Buckeyes only up 7-3 with 13:06 remaining in the contest, Smith takes the snap and looks for receivers while standing at his own 42-yard line.
He bounces backward and trails to the right side of the field, around the 50-yard line, where a Penn State defender forces him to spin back to the inside of the field.
He runs backwards four more yards, to the opposing 46-yard line, plants his left foot on the "O" of the Ohio Stadium turf, then begins his lengthy wind up before unleashing a hissing spiral that travels 60 yards through the air. The football hits receiver Brian Robiskie perfectly in stride in the middle of the end zone before he is immediately brought down from behind by a Penn State defender.
While the fans of Buckeye nation breathed a collective sigh of relief, Smith extends his arms outward, looks toward the Buckeye sideline, and races down the field, as if to say: “Come on guys, I had it in me all along.”
Smith made a plethora of dazzling throws look rather routine that season, which makes it even more amazing that so many people seem to have forgotten how good he actually was in 2006.
Perhaps his best throw came against Texas, when the Buckeyes traveled to Austin to face the Longhorns. The game was tied at 7-7 with 21 seconds remaining in the first half.
Smith calmly takes the snap at the Texas 36-yard line in the shotgun formation. He takes a step back to the 37, but then bounces back to the 36 to set his feet. He sets both feet, winds up, and sends a beautifully lofted, tight spiral through the Austin sky, where it begins to dive nose down when it nears the end zone.
Receiver Ted Ginn Jr. tracks the football from behind his head until it lands directly on his chest, right on the number seven of his jersey, nose up. Yet another touchdown for the Buckeyes, and yet another dazzling throw for Troy Smith to put in his Heisman resume.
Against the Indiana Hoosiers, Smith once again delved into his bag of tricks. Smith took the snap at the Hoosiers’ 28-yard line, on the right hashmark. He faked the handoff to Antonio Pittman and barely eluded the arm of a Hoosier defender by spinning back to the inside of the field at the 33-yard line.
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He continued running to the left side of the field, being chased by three Hoosier defenders. He made it all the way to the left hashmark before he was forced to throw the ball off his back foot from the 30-yard line, with a Hoosier defender jumping in his face. The football zipped through the air and eventually found the awaiting arms of receiver Ted Ginn Jr. in the end zone.
Those are just a couple of examples of what was a seemingly endless display of dazzling passes for Troy Smith in the 2006-2007 college football campaign. He completed 203 of his 311 (65.3 percent) passes for 2,542 yards, while tossing in 30 touchdowns and just six interceptions.
Those are simply stunning numbers by anyone’s standards, and they were good enough to earn him the most coveted individual honor in Division 1-A college football (Football Bowl Subdivision)—the Heisman Trophy.
Smith not only won the Heisman, but he also racked up an astonishing 86.7 percent of the first-place votes—a new record. His margin of victory (1,662 votes) was also the second largest in the history of the award, eclipsed only by O.J. Simpson who won by 1,750 votes.
The weird thing is what happened after he won the Heisman Trophy that made everybody forget about his spectacular season. He led the Buckeyes to a Big-Ten Championship, a BCS National Championship berth, an undefeated record, and a hard-fought victory over hated rival Michigan.
Those are all very impressive accomplishments folks, but in American society today, you’re either No. 1 or you’re nothing.
John Madden once said, “The only yardstick for success our society has is being a champion. No one remembers anything else.” Once you take a look at how the Buckeyes played in the national championship game, you will begin to realize why the former Heisman Trophy winner is truly the forgotten gunslinger.
The Buckeyes were completely embarrassed, as the Florida Gators throttled them before a nationally-televised audience—41-14. Troy Smith posted the worst numbers of his entire college career: he was four of 14 passing for 35 yards, threw an interception, fumbled once, was sacked five times, and was held to minus 29-yards rushing. It was a rough day at the office to say the least.
To Smith’s credit, he had absolutely no blocking in that game. Left tackle Alex Boone looked as if he had blocks of cement strapped to his cleats as Jarvis Moss continually beat him to the edge. He also was without his favorite target—receiver Ted Ginn Jr.—who left the game after the opening kickoff with a sprained left ankle.
After the national-championship embarrassment, it opened the floodgates for criticism of Smith and his game. A man that was the toast of the college football world for nearly the entire season was suddenly a nobody.
People began harping on the fact that Smith was only 6'0" tall, and that he was too short to succeed as a quarterback in the NFL. Many scouts argued that his release was too slow.
All of a sudden, the nation’s college football memory had been completely erased. Blanked. All those awards that Troy racked up—well, they didn’t mean a thing. Nada.
I was thinking to myself, “Scouts are saying this about the same quarterback that nearly took his team wire-to-wire in Division 1-A college football? The same Troy Smith that won the Heisman Trophy? The same Troy Smith that tossed all those remarkable throws in the 2006 campaign?” I simply could not believe my ears.
Fast forward to a year-and-a-half later, and the Baltimore Ravens’ starting quarterback job is nearly Smith’s to lose. In just his second NFL game as a starting quarterback, he led the Ravens to a victory over the Steelers in Week 17 (granted, the Steelers had pulled some of their starters for the playoffs).
He completed 16 of his 27 passes for 171 yards, while tossing in a touchdown and no interceptions. While everybody in the world has since decided to crown former Delaware signal-caller Joe Flacco as the Ravens’ quarterback of the future, Smith has been doing nothing but impressing folks in the Ravens’ camp and outperforming Kyle Boller.
According to an article written by Don Banks of cnnsi.com, Ravens’ offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has played a huge role in Smith’s development in the offseason. "Cam's very good at figuring out a player's strength, figuring out what he does well, and then tailoring the offense around those skills,'' an anonymous Ravens source said.
"He's got Troy moving around and doing a lot of the same things he had success doing at Ohio State.'' That’s the definition of an excellent OC right there—somebody who makes the playbook fit their quarterback, not the other way around.
You see, ladies and gents, Troy Smith was born to throw the football on the run. Very few quarterbacks on this planet throw the football on the move as well as Troy Smith. It is one of his many gifts from the genetic pool.
You see, ladies and gents, Troy Smith was born to throw the football on the run. Very few quarterbacks on this planet throw the football on the move as well as Troy Smith. It is one of his many gifts from the genetic pool.
Everybody is given a certain talent in this world: some people draw beautiful paintings, some people can juggle, and some people might be able to shoot the breeze with anybody on this earth. Troy Smith just happens to be able to throw a remarkably accurate spiral down a football field when he is off-balance.
If the Ravens decide to put him in a moving pocket (like Cameron is reportedly doing), then they will be handsomely rewarded. You can go back to Smith’s highlights from his high-school days at Glenville, and you’ll see him running the bootleg with flawless efficiency.
Watch his highlights from Ohio State, and you’ll see his remarkable ability to improvise, escape pressure in the pocket, and toss a beautifully-thrown football on the move. It is truly a no-brainer to put him in a moving pocket, put some bootlegs in the playbook, and allow Smith to use his greatest asset—throwing on the run.
It’s amazing how one game can erase so many people’s memories of how good a quarterback truly is. This fall will be the time when Troy Smith, the “forgotten gunslinger,” refreshes the nation’s memory and claims the starting quarterback position for the Baltimore Ravens.
For once, we won’t be hearing about Kyle Boller, and we won’t be hearing about Joe Flacco and how he is the quarterback of the future, but instead, Mr. Bootleg himself—Troy Smith.
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2 months ago
Great article. It's about time someone gives Troy Smith some credit. I personally think that he is an extremely talented quarterback and that he can be a franchise player if given the chance. In fact, I would go as far as to say that he is a better player than Jamarcus Russell, who was taken about 5 rounds earlier in the same draft.
from 2 months ago
whoa whoa whoa jeremy, please mail me some of that dank shit your smoking because theres no other way you can really believe Smith is better than Russell.........
from 2 months ago
I wouldn't say he will be a franchise player ever but I think if he is given the opportunity he can do very well for his team... And I absolutely agree he will have a better career than Russell.... Russell will be a bust and he will show signs that of that this upcoming season. Russell will get more chances that Smith just because he will be making more money... but Russell didn't have a college career even close to what Smith had.... I'm sorry but 1 good year in college does not make you a good quarterback in the NFL.
from 2 months ago
Man so many Russell haters on this site.
I mean i guess a 6'6 270lb QB with the strongest arm in the NFL, clutch play, and extremely good mobility for his size has bust written all over him. Playing in the SEC definitely dosen't help either; since Troy Smith and his Buckeyes proved over and over that the BIG 10 is truely better..........
I'm not a Raiders fan or an LSU fan but JaMarcus Russell is a once a decade prospect who easily deserved to be the #1 pick; whether he's David Carr or Peyton Manning or somewhere in between will be up to him. But to say that Troy Smith is a better prospect is having little to no serious knowledge about football or the quarterback position. I know your bias Adam being an OSU fan so I can understand, but it won't happen. Like I said there is a reason they chose a D-II qb to be the future over Troy Smith. But at least he can beat out the all-world Kyle Boller. I am truely impressed.
"I'm sorry but 1 good year in college does not make you a good quarterback in the NFL."
Neither does two or three good years in college; completely different game buddy. For more info see David Carr, Rick Mirer, Matt Leinart, Tim Couch, Alex Smith, Rex Grossman, Tommie Frazier, Jason White, the list goes on.........
from 2 months ago
Here's the thing. Physically, Russell has the abilities to be one of the greatest QBs ever. But, then again, so did Michael Vick and Ryan Leaf. Troy Smith had a better college career than Russell, and he has played better thus far in the NFL than Russell. Also, I would say that he shows more character as well, as he has never complained once about his somewhat unfair situation in Baltimore, while in Oakland Russell greatly hindered his season by sitting out for a rediculous amount of money that no rookie should ever receive. I'm not saying Smith will definitey be better than Russell, especially since Russell will be given many more opportunities, but i believe Troy has the talent to possibly end up better.
from 2 months ago
As I said prior, having only one good year in college is not an indicator of things to come in the NFL. But neither does two or three good years in college; completely different game buddy. For more info see David Carr, Rick Mirer, Matt Leinart, Tim Couch, Alex Smith, Rex Grossman, Tommie Frazier, Jason White, the list goes on.........
I don't get where Troy Smith showed me all this talent. Yes he had a very good college career consisting of a Heismann (which always means ur gonna be good in the pros), no championships, and alot of michigan beating; not very notworthy in my book. JaMarcus excelled in the SEC. As for character your're dead wrong. Smith was benched by Jim Tressell the 2006 season for lack there of.
you say, "he can be a franchise player if given the chance. In fact, I would go as far as to say that he is a better player than Jamarcus Russell, who was taken about 5 rounds earlier in the same draft"- then followed it up with...............I'm not saying Smith will definitey be better than Russell, especially since Russell will be given many more opportunities, but i believe Troy has the talent to possibly end up better."
As for JaMarcus's contract issues; thats the agent not him, and if you've seen the size of JaMarcus's family and crew that will be mooching of him the rest of his life you'd understand haha.
Either way Vince "jesus in cleats" Young is better than both; in many ways he's like the love-child of these two players; the poorage thats not to hot and not to cold if you will.
from 2 months ago
You're right about that, I don't doubt that Vince Young will be the best quarterback of the 3 in the end. He has leadership skills, unworldly talent, and always comes through in the clutch. As far as Russell and Smith are concerned, I guess we'll just have to see. Don't get me wrong though, I'm rooting for Russell and I hope he does prove me wrong and become a star, but at this time I'm still just not sold yet.
2 months ago
As a Ravens fan, I am dying to see him start this year. I thought he was fun to watch last year, and it's about time that the Ravens got a young mobile QB. Not to mention his cannon of an arm.
from 2 months ago
Um... If Smith starts for the Ravens, I'd have to believe that'd be a fairly bad situation. Smith will more than likely be the No. 2 QB on the depth chart behind this years first-rounder Joe Flacco.
The starting job will be Flacco's to lose.
from 2 months ago
To Josh:
You honestly think that Flacco is gonna walk in and be the starter from day 1? Especially with him not playing D1?
There is going to be a big learning curve for Joe, and you aren't going to throw away your season just to get Joe playing time. Not saying Flacco wont be the future of the team, but you say it would be a fairly bad situation for Troy to be starting? I think it would be much worse if Flacco is starting game 1. Troy was more than serviceable in the final two games of last season, all the more reason for Joe to sit and come to grips with the offense in Baltimore.
From everything I have read, Troy has been impressive thus far, and the veterans have responded to the young man with his confidence and leadership in practices.
from 2 months ago
To Josh, you should probably look at how Troy Smith perfromed last year. The kid was very successful from day 1, and Troy's success at the college level leads you to believe it was not a lucky fluke. Joe Flacco, on the other hand, played at a lower level and will need a significant amount of time to adjust to the NFL game.
To Cody, Joe Flacco did play division 1, just 1-AA; pretty much half a step down from division 1. Long story short, Joe Flacco should be a good starter in the future, but he should need plenty of time. Until then, its Troy's turn to show just how good he could truly be.
2 months ago
Troy Smith was magnificent in college, the only knock on him was his size, but I spoke to Jeff Garcia's dad, Bob Garcia, anbd he said size is not important, Jeff stands at 6'1", and he has had success at the next level, he said "It doesnt matter the size because you drop back and you have areas to throw" and its not like Smith is a bad QB, he was incredibly accurate. I hope the Ravens, if not another team give him a chance to shine. He is great
2 months ago
Very nice article.
He was a great college Qb; somewhat overshadowed by Vince Young (even though had he been able to start the entire game when they played i think OSU would have won) and that shouldn't be forgotten by many as it has. But I highly doubt Troy Smith will have that much sucess in the NFL; i think he can win some games, especially with a good D behind him, but Flacco is their future for a reason.
from 2 months ago
Thanks for proving my point. A quarterback that has one good year in college does very rarely succeeds in the NFL.
Russell is nothing but potential and has never been anything but potential. He had one good year in college and a great game to finish off his college career. If you are trying to tell me that someone playing for the Oakland Raiders, who is nothing but a potentially good player, will reach his actual potential with that team... your an idiot and have no knowledge of the pro game of football. Russel has a great strong arm... but last I checked accuracy is way more important anyways. Are they going to make the #1 pick in the NFL a designated hail mary passer?... I don't think so. He will never reach his so called potential... just because he is big and can move does not mean he is ever going to be a great player. He has no awareness and no leadership... that is where Troy Smith has him beat.
from about 1 month ago
I never said he'd reach that potential i said his abilities along with that potential warrant the 1st pick in the draft that year and i think he has a better shot than Troy Smith.
No awareness no leadership? That seems like an arbitrary thing to say, i don't know what your judging that on thus far. He played exceptionally well in a very tough conference (as did troy smith minus the tough conference part) and had a few clutch 4th quarter plays and comebacks that readily come to mind; including ASU and Alabama in 2005.
This accuracy issue you speak of remains to be seen in the pros since he hasn't really played yet. But either way Troy Smith was really not that much better if at all accuracy wise in college.
Troy: career (62.7%) best year (65.3%)
JaMarcus: career (61.8 / or 64.1 depending on wheter you count his freshman season in which he played sparingly) best year (67.)
I'm not saying russell is the best qb ever but he had all the measurables to warrant a #1 pick. The transition to the pro game is another story and something that remains to be seen. Physically he is all you could ask for in a quarterback and as we've seen with the likes fo Akili Smith, David Carr, Ryan Leafs, Tim Couchs, its tough to measure the mental aspect. In my opinion Russell deserved to be the number one pick and Troy Smith should have not fallen to the 5th round like he did and perhaps your right; the ravens might have a steal. But obviously since you know the pro game so much better than I do you can't say you would take Smith over Russell; it just wouldn't make sense.
6'6 275-280
or
6'0 225
Not to mention Troy Smith's running ability will be curtailed much more in the NFL, and if he decides to try and run as much as he did in college he'll wind up like every running qb in the NFL; on the injury list............Lastly whether its his fault or not Troy Smith has a heismann, and in the last decade that dosen't bode well for your NFL career. Eric Crouch, Jason White, Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, Ron Dayne, Chris Weinke, and Carson Palmer (the only one who has shown much).
2 months ago
I'm not as high on Troy Smith as you are, but I agree he'll probably be the Week 1 starter. If not, he'll take over early on when Boller starts doing his Joey Harrington impression.
I think he'll be the starter not necessarily because he's the man they want, but because he's the man they need. Kyle Boller is a proven bust and his days are numbered in Baltimore (and the NFL). Derek Anderson didn't get a shot - Boller has had more than ample opportunity. Joe Flacco, on the other hand, is the QB of the future, but first-year rookies rarely do well under center without at least half a season under their belt.
Sure, they could bring in some veteran, but the free agent stock is less than impressive for quarterbacks this year. Who wants "can't hit the side of a barn" Byron Leftwich or "one sack away from retirement" Daunte Culpepper?
In other words, Smith is the QB by necessity.
Additionally, Smith is probably the kind of mobile QB that might be needed behind an Ogden-less O-line and a somewhat-rebuilding offense. Unfortunately, Smith never struck as that elusive Flutie-esque playmaker-on-the-run, but as a pocket passer with slightly above-average mobility, so that O-line better be solid.
2 months ago
Good work. I have to admit, even as a huge UM supporter, I thought he had an incredible college career, but I didn't see much of a future for him in the NFL. He now has the chance to prove us all wrong.
2 months ago
The Troy Smith campaign has started. He should be given the opportunity to play. His size won't be the factor of whether or not he has a successful NFL career. It will be based on whether he will be able to understand the offense sufficiently and makes the in-play mental adjustments to avoid mistakes. In other words, will the game slow down enough for him. I hope he does play well. For once it would be great for the Ravens to have San Diego's problem when they had Brees and Rivers.
The research for the article was great. However, Frank Gifford was not a quarterback. He made the Pro Bowl at defensive back, running back and receiver. He did throw for 14 touchdowns in 12 seasons.
2 months ago
If the Ravens don't give Smith a REAL shot this year ... there's a problem.
Oh, Troy was a Billick pick ... he may be doomed.
about 1 month ago
I love Troy Smith but I think Dennis Dixon is better than him.
about 1 month ago
troy smith is better than joe flocco
about 1 month ago
Thanks!!! From your #1 fan in Newark OH-IO! Great article!!!
about 1 month ago
I'm glad someone wrote this article. Troy Smith obviously deserves a shot in Baltimore. He's so short and yet he was able to perform under an NFL size offensive line at Ohio State that averaged 6'5" and 313 lbs. Baltimore's offensive line averaged 6'4" and 319 lbs. last year with Ogden. Ogden's replacement will most likely be smaller than 6'9" and 345 lbs.
about 1 month ago
I wish Troy Smith get dealt to Miami. we need a QB
22 days ago
this may be the most well thought out, most logical article i've read in a long time, outstanding job
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