Smith taking fight to opponents now

Preseason punch became turning point

Only players were allowed in the private meeting that would set the course for the Carolina Panthers season.

It was Sunday night, August 3, two and a half days after star wide receiver Steve Smith used his fist to break the nose of starting cornerback Ken Lucas in a sideline fight at training camp.

The Panthers had already suspended Smith for the first two regular-season games, but he had not faced his teammates.

Coach John Fox knew the incident could divide his team -- offense vs. defense, friends of Smith vs. friends of Lucas. This could destroy us, he and others thought, or it could make us stronger. So when team leaders requested a players' meeting without coaches, Fox gave his blessing. He knew it could be volatile, but he trusted his players.

The emotional meeting lasted about 30 minutes. Players spoke to each other, especially to Smith, in ways they never had before.

Now, some players and coaches say it was the foundation for the Panthers' 12-4 regular season and a key reason they're hosting a home playoff game tonight against the Arizona Cardinals.

"If we didn't have it," linebacker Jon Beason said of the meeting, "we'd probably be 4-12."

A lifelong battle

Less than five months before the fight, in late March, Panthers owner Jerry Richardson flew with Steve Smith to Salt Lake City.

It was a special moment for Smith. He and his wife Angie were announcing a $250,000 gift to his alma mater, the University of Utah, to establish a football scholarship fund.

It was clear Richardson was proud of Smith, who had become one of the league's most explosive offensive threats and also appeared to have shed his team-bully reputation that he had battled since fights with teammates in 2002.

Richardson told reporters at the Utah press conference: "We are fortunate to have this young man. He is an outstanding person."

Smith grew up in inner city Los Angeles, near streets infested by drugs and guns. His mother was a drug counselor whose stories about cocaine addicts scared him away from even drinking alcohol.

He dreamed of playing pro football, but later would say that strangers, family members and friends told him to get a more realistic dream.

The Panthers chose Smith in the third round of the 2001 draft. He scored a touchdown the first time he touched the ball, on a kickoff return. He didn't play much at wide receiver as a rookie, catching only 10 passes in 15 games.

Smith, 5 feet 9 and 185 pounds, struggled to keep his explosiveness on the field and not aimed at players on his own team.

Sometimes he had argued and fought with his college teammates, a habit he tried to break but which resurfaced with the Panthers. In the 2002 training camp, he fought with receiver Guilian Gary; then, in November of '02, he fought with teammate Anthony Bright during a film session, resulting in a one-game suspension and a civil lawsuit he eventually settled.

After the Bright fight, which drew a stern fussing-out from Richardson, Smith was determined to change. He received anger-management counseling and prayed with Carolina team chaplain Mike Bunkley to receive Jesus Christ as his savior.

Smith developed into a superstar receiver, helping lead the Panthers to a Super Bowl in 2003 and the NFC championship game in 2005.

When Smith addressed the press conference in Utah last March, he could barely believe the path his life and career had taken.

"I never thought this day would come," he said.

Team in crisis

When training camp opened in late July, coaches and players sensed something special about the 2008-09 Panthers.