Info on a changed Fred Smooooooot complements Gary Fitzgerald at the Official Site:
Fred Smoot has always been known for his outgoing personality with Redskins fans and teammates and his playful banter with the media.
Then Smoot went away to Minnesota, and life changed him.
He's still outgoing and playful. He even vows that "Smoot Smack," his brand of trash talking on and off the field, will be back.
But the new Fred Smoot is more humble.
Article chronicles the difficult time Smoot had with the death of his half-brother to a car accident. I was terrified for a moment that Smoot intended to change his persona, because the media back-and-forth as well as his on-field smack talk is the kind of thing bloggers, and others who put pen to paper, relish. Don't you dare change, Fred, unless we're talking about interception production. He ran into
tough times in Minnesota, specifically
criticized for lining up too far off the line. I don't have the film to confirm or deny said claim, though I do know his role is evolving in Washington, as
David Elfin at the Times pointed out this week -- and Smoot's fine with that:
Springs and Carlos Rogers are expected to remain the starting corners with Smoot the nickel back. At least for now, however, Smoot is too happy to be with the Redskins again to complain about being a backup.
"I'll play my role," said the Jackson, Miss., native, who bought a house not far from Redskin Park after signing a five-year contract that included $7 million up front. "This is home. This is where I want to be. I can see living here for a long time after I'm done with football.
Evidence that Fred hasn't changed could come from teammate Ade Jimoh:
"Fred hasn't changed," said cornerback Ade Jimoh, who has played longer with Smoot than any other Redskins defensive back. "He's still Fred. If you didn't know what he went through in Minnesota, you wouldn't know that anything happened. He's supremely confident, which you have to be play corner."
That confidence extends to his own
innocence, apparently, as Smoot denied any wrongdoing in the Love-Boat incident he pled guilty to. I could not care less whether Smoot claims innocence or guilt or whatever for the Love-Boat scandal which, as far as I'm concerned, was one of the greatest things to happen to sports writing in 2005-2006. "Disorderly Conduct" covers noise violations, non-assault fights, or public disruptions. We're not talking about murder here. We're talking about Fred Smoot, an adult,
doing adult things with adult women that may or may not have "cause[d] resentment in others" and that resulted in a fine with no jail time. This is not punching strippers or threatening to shoot people.
I'm over it. In the immortal words of Clinton Portis, modified ever so slightly by yours truly: "I don't know if he was [performing illicit acts with a dildo] or not, but it's his property and it's his [dildo]. If that's what he wants to do, do it... You know, what people do behind closed doors..."
Welcome back Fred Smoot. Hogs Haven is more than confident that Smoot, changed or not, is a huge upgrade as the nickel back over either Mike Rumph or Kenny Wright. We're better off with him returned to the flock, and that's all I care about.
