Steve Smith Sr. to be inducted in North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame

CHARLOTTE — Steve Smith Sr. has been named as part of the Class of 2024 of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, according to reports from the Carolina Panthers.

He’ll be enshrined on May 10 at the Charlotte Convention Center as part of the Hall’s 60th annual induction banquet.

Smith, a member of the Panthers’ Hall of Honor and a three-time Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist, started making memories from the first time he touched the ball here.

Returning the opening kickoff of his rookie season for a touchdown was a precursor of what was to come, as the former third-round pick became one of the most decorated players in NFL history, according to reports from the Carolina Panthers.

He’s eighth all-time in receiving yards and 12th all-time in receptions.

Smith played 13 of his 16 seasons for the Panthers, and in 2005, he turned in one of the most incredible individual seasons the sport has ever seen.

That year, he won the NFL’s triple crown by leading the league with 103 catches for 1,563 yards and 12 touchdowns. The fact he did it for a team that ran more than it passed (487 rushes, 449 pass attempts) made it that much more impressive.

He joins recent Panthers honorees Julius Peppers and the late Sam Mills in the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, according to reports from the Carolina Panthers.

For more details and ticket information, visit www.ncshof.org.

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