Steve Smith Taking the High Road Not Demanding Apology from Roman Harper

Carolina Panthers star wide receiver Steve Smith is taking the high road following his scuffle with New Orleans Saints safety Roman Harper, and won't demand an apology.

“You best believe I'm not looking for an apology,’’ Smith said Thursday. “I'm not looking for one, don't think I deserve one,” Smith said today. “I didn't lose any sleep over it, won't lose any sleep over it. And when we play them down there I'm not going to walk up to him and say, 'Hey, I expect an apology, or can we make amends?' It's football.

Harper has said publicly he doesn't have any plans to apologize to Smith. His wallet will also be a little lighter due to the late hit, as Harper was fined $15,000 by the NFL.

Smith has had a history of on and off field scuffles. Prior to the 2008 season Smith was suspended two games by the Panthers for punching teammate Ken Lucas in the face, leaving Lucas with a broken nose.

Smith has rarely taken the high road following these altercations but he has shown a new level of maturity in this case.

The reason why could be the incident wasn't a big deal. Smith caught a touchdown pass and Harper was upset. Both players are fierce competitors, and their emotions got the best of them for a few minutes.

Smith plays the game with a level of intensity and passion that NFL coaches dream that most of their players would display. However, it is typically those kind of fiery players who are often involved in these sort of situations.

Smith was right to move on and forget about the hit, and even though it was uncalled for, an apology isn't needed from Harper.

Nicholas Goss is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report, follow him on Twitter for the latest sports news and updates.  Follow @NicholasGoss35