Tennessee Titans safety Anthony Smith has announced his retirement, Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported Saturday.
Smith was viewed as a potential long-term answer at free safety when the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in third round of the 2006 draft out of Syracuse.
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Then came that pesky, failed -- and very public -- guarantee in 2007, when Smith vowed victory over the undefeated New England Patriots before their Week 14 game in Foxborough. Tom Brady shredded Pittsburgh's defense for 399 yards and burned Smith for two of his four touchdowns in a 34-13 victory.
"We've played against a lot better safeties than him, I'll tell you," coach Bill Belichick said of Smith after the meltdown.
Smith was never the same after that, floating through the 2008 season in Pittsburgh before stops with the St. Louis Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars, Green Bay Packers and Tennessee Titans. After starting 14 games with the Steelers over his first two seasons, he started just five games over his final three years in the league. At 28, Smith's career is over.
