Receiver takes a rough road to rookie camp
May 14th, 2007 | by Kevin Morris |
By Bill Coats
Peering down at his white practice jersey with the blue No. 13, wide receiver
Shaine Smith was unable to stifle a spreading smile.
“It’s hard to believe I’m in a Rams uniform,” said Smith, an undrafted free
agent out of Hofstra. “I still can’t fathom the thought that I’m actually doing
this. I’ve come a long way from where I’ve been.”
Smith’s journey to rookie minicamp in Earth City began in Southern California,
where he, his half-brother and mother were homeless much of the time. They
often spent nights squeezed into a Honda Civic.
Midway through Smith’s junior year at Carlsbad High, his father learned of his
dire situation and brought him to New York City. That’s where Matthew Smith had
been living since separating from his wife more than a decade earlier.
After an impressive senior season at August Martin High in Queens, Smith was
courted by several NCAA Division I programs. But because of academic
difficulties, he wound up at Nassau Community College for two seasons.
By then, the big schools had lost interest. Smith’s lone scholarship offer came
from nearby Hofstra, an NCAA Division I-AA school on Long Island.
He played sparingly as a junior behind wideouts Marques Colston, a rookie
sensation last year with New Orleans, and Devale Ellis, who made Detroit’s
roster as a free agent. When Smith started his senior season by snagging a
total of 19 passes in his first two games, NFL scouts began to take notice. He
finished with 60 catches for 951 yards and nine touchdowns.
“I thought Philadelphia was going to take me in the draft,” said Smith, 23.
When the Eagles’ subsequent free-agent offer was less than expected, he and his
agent “decided to try to see what else we can get on the table,” Smith said.
“They were trying to bring me in just for nothing. I believe that I’m worth a
little bit more than nothing.”
Enticed by Smith’s size (6 feet 2, 189 pounds), speed (4.5 seconds for 40
yards) and soft hands, the Rams thought so, too. “He has talent,” coach Scott
Linehan said after Saturday’s two practices. “Guys like Shaine will get a lot
of chances out here.”
The Rams are well-stocked at wide receiver, with Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce and
Drew Bennett in the top three spots. The roster also includes Dane Looker,
Dante Hall, Marques Hagans, Dominique Thompson and Derek Stanley, a
seventh-round draft choice this year, plus three other undrafted rookies.
Still, Smith insisted he wasn’t fazed by the competition.
“I’m really up for the challenge,” he said. “I don’t want to come in here and
say, ‘I’m a rookie, I’m going to learn the ropes, so I’ll just sit there behind
these guys.’ . . . I want to play my first year. That’s my goal, and it will
happen.”
Difference of opinion
No. 1 draft pick Adam Carriker, who is moving from defensive end at Nebraska to
tackle with the Rams, wasn’t overly pleased with his first day as a pro. “I had
a few mistakes,” he said. “I’ve got to learn the technique of playing inside.
That’s definitely something that’s very important.”
Conversely, Linehan struggled to temper his enthusiasm.
“I’m going to reserve my optimism without sounding like I’m impressed … but
I’m pretty impressed,” he said. “Now that he’s here and being able to see him
in a Rams uniform, it confirms why we felt so strongly about him. I think he’s
going to be really special.”
Ram-blings
Robert Hubbard, an undrafted running back from Nevada, failed his physical
exam. Replacing him on the 32-man camp roster was 6-5, 262-pound Anthony James,
a tight end at Louisiana Tech who is trying out as a tackle. James became the
first casualty when he sprained a knee ligament in Saturday morning’s practice.
