Who Is Steve Smith Sr.? Explainer Of The NFL Player Caught In A Cheating Scandal
Steve Smith Sr. has been caught in the eye of a cheating scandal. In mid-February, a man named Tony Martinez ran to social media with accusations aimed at the former Carolina Panthers star, asserting that he had engaged in an affair with his wife, Nicole Martinez.
Sharing a string of sexually charged text messages between Nicole and Steve, Tony posted an accompanying video of him calling and pressing the athlete over his actions. “Yeah, you been f**king my wife, bro,” Martinez said in the video. “What you gotta say for yourself?” A voice resembling Smith then mumbled “sorry” to which Tony demanded that the NFL analyst “man up.”
The situation has since spiraled, with netizens discovering that Mrs. Martinez was actually an employee of the Baltimore Ravens—a team that Smith previously played for during his tenure in the National Football League and whom he works for now. The man claimed that their relationship may have violated the Ravens’ anti-fraternization policy, which could lead to a potential termination for both his wife and the ex-WR.
But who is Steve Smith Sr.? And isn’t he a family man?? VIBE has you covered with all of the details surrounding the athlete caught up in an alleged affair from out of the blue.
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He’s Married.
Image Credit: Westerholt/Getty Images Contrary to the allegations, Steve Smith Sr. is a married man. He and his wife, Angie Smith, have been married since 2001. The couple met at the University of Utah through a mutual friend. Angie and Steve have since had four kids together, including Boston, Steve Jr. Baylee, and Peyton.
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Evangelical Christian
Image Credit: Coppola/Getty Images for #Culinary Kickof Smith is a devoted Evangelical Christian. During his 6th year in the NFL, Smith made headlines after he traversed to Nigeria and Togo to convert soccer players into followers of Christ.
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Drafted To NFL In 2001
Image Credit: Daniel/Getty images Steve Smith Sr. was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in 2001. He would play most of his career in the NFL with the NFC South team before leaving for the Ravens, where he played from 2014-2016. During his tenure in the league, Smith became a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro selection.
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NFL Network Analyst
Image Credit: Cammett/Getty Images After his successful playing career, Smith transitioned into sports media. Smith retired on Jan. 2, 2017 and began working with the NFL Network shortly after. The Los Angeles native has become synonymous with his unfiltered and blunt takes during NFL Gameday and offseason training camps, drawing comparisons to his on-field demeanor.
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Mysterious Investment
Image Credit: YouTube Screenshot Making headlines yet again, Smith found himself at the center of a Charlotte Observer story recalling how the athlete paid off Elexus Jionde’s college tuition in full—in secrecy. Jionde, who has since gone on to become a provocative author and Black Twitter personality, was attending Ohio State University when Smith decided to pay for her $40,000 a year education in 2017.
“It’s not about taking and how much can you get for yourself. It’s about your life and (taking advantage of) all the resources and applying them and then paying it forward to someone else,” he told the publication.
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