When it comes to the modern NFL, Fred Smoot falls into roughly the same category as Marcus Vick. Sure, Smoot had a much more prolific pro football career than Mike Vick’s younger brother. Then again, anyone who ever actually suited up for an NFL game had a much more prolific pro football career than Marcus Vick.
Still, Smoot and Marcus Vick are currently non-factors in the NFL. But they both are capable of saying or doing things that register on the football media’s radar screen. Marcus did it earlier today, and now Smoot has.
According to Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post, the man who managed one rep in the 225-pound bench at the Scouting Combine and had a unique, to say the least, role in the Love Boat fiasco teed off on the NFL’s all-time leading rusher during a recent podcast.
“Nobody that meets Emmitt Smith likes Emmitt Smith,” Smoot said. “Have you ever heard anybody say, hey man, I met that Emmitt Smith and I really love him? Nobody likes Emmitt Smith. I don’t know if he’s just a jerk because he’s a Cowboy. I don’t know. He be rubbing people the wrong way.”
For the record, I met that Emmitt Smith and I really love him. He’s funny. Engaging. Friendly. He’s the exact opposite of what I thought he’d be based on his work with ESPN, which makes me convinced that the producers at ESPN had no idea how to use him properly.
The next time I see Emmitt Smith, I’ll have to ask him what he thinks of Fred Smoot. Maybe Emmitt will say, “Nobody that meets Fred Smoot likes Fred Smoot. Have you ever heard anybody say, hey man, I met that Fred Smoot and I really love him? Nobody likes Fred Smoot. I don’t know if he’s just a jerk because he’s a Redskin. I don’t know. He be rubbing people the wrong way.”
Or maybe Emmitt will simply say, “Who in the hell is Fred Smoot?”