“The Hitman” hasn’t kept every football he’s intercepted, but he does have the first one — thanks to the alertness and helping hands of Kevin Williams — and remembers the details.
It was Oct. 21, 2012, against the Cardinals — Smith’s seventh NFL game.
On third-and-6 from the Arizona 24-yard line, John Skelton sort of scrambled and tried to deliver the ball to Early Doucet. Smith was right on time for the late throw over the middle and showed his skills as a former running back had not faded during a 31-yard return for a touchdown.
“I was kind of a free player on the play, so I was reading the quarterback and the routes, and the play kind of broke down, so I went to where he was looking and made a pretty decent catch and cut it back across the field, which normally they tell you not to do, but that’s what was open at the time,” Smith explained. “I got some good blocks. Jared Allen got a good block to kind of spring me free.”
Teammates came over to the corner of the Metrodome to mob the rookie. Jamarca Sanford jumped on Smith’s back, and the ball trickled away before it was scooped and delivered back to Smith by Williams.
“That’s something I definitely remember, Kevin coming up with the ball,” Smith said. “I didn’t even realize you could keep the ball, so ever since then, I’ve tried to keep every ball, and if I’m playing with a guy who gets a pick six or something and loses the ball, I try to pick it up. It’s something in the moment you don’t think about, but it’s always good to have the ball for keepsakes.”
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