Jags' Smith leaves game, mark on franchise

It wasn't always a smooth ride for Jimmy Smith, but the leading receiver in Jacksonville Jaguars history was a class act throughout. Smith, 37, announced his retirement Thursday following a 13-year career spent primarily in Jacksonville, where he made his mark as one of the game's all-time great receivers. Smith ends his tenure 7th on the all-time receptions list with 862 and 11th with 12,287 yards. But what Smith may be remembered for best was his quiet leadership on a team that garners very little fanfare.
Smith began his career in Dallas, where he played just seven games in three years, when the Cowboys won two Super Bowls. But in 1995, he caught on with the then-expansion Jaguars and began his legacy. In 1999, Smith led the NFL with 116 receptions for a career-high 1,636 yards while helping lead Jacksonville to its second AFC title game in four seasons. In 2001, Smith caught 112 balls for 1,373 yards and tied a career-best with 8 touchdowns while starting all 16 games for the sixth time in seven seasons. He was the only remaining member from the inaugral '95 team.
Smith, though, encountered his fair share of rough spots along the way. In November 2001, Smith was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, when tests later reveal Smith had cocaine in his system. Smith denied ever using the drug. Then, Smith was suspended for the first four games of the 2003 season for violating the league's substance abuse policy, when he admitted that he had previously spent time in rehab for a drug addiction. And early in his career he was derailed by leg and stomach injuries, when it was thought he may not even play again. But Smith overcame the odds, and became of the all-time greats, all the while keeping a professional attitude.
(The Associated Press contributed to this article)

Titans should start '06 with Volek, not Young

Think back a few years to when the Bengals made Carson Palmer the first overall pick in the draft. The Bengals entered 2003 coming off the worst season in franchise history, not to mention 12 straight non-playoff seasons, and the assumption was that the Heisman Trophy winner would start right off the bat. But Marvin Lewis resisted the temptation to throw the rookie to the wolves, instead allowing veteran Jon Kitna to play the entire season. Kitna responded with a Pro Bowl year, but the Bengals failed yet again not he make the playoffs. Palmer finally earned the starting job in 2004 and struggled through the first half of the year before turning the corner, leading the Bengals to a second-straight 8-8 record. In 2005, the move paid dividends as Palmer led the Bengals to an 11-5 record and a division title while Cincinnati has finally re-established themselves as legitimate playoff contenders.
In 2006, the Tennessee Titans will be facing a similar dilemma. With Steve McNair likely on his way out, the Titans selected Texas quarterback Vince Young with the number 3 overall pick in this year's draft. Young is undoubtedly the most talented quarterback in the rookie class, but that talent is mostly raw at this point. The Titans, meanwhile, are coming off two seasons in which they have a combined record of 9-23. So the big question is, when does the Vince Young era officially begin the Music City?
The logical choice for the Titans would be to start the season not with young, but with sixth-year backup Billy Volek. Volek joined the Titans in 2001 as an undrafted free agent out of Fresno State, where he backed up current Houston Texans starter David Carr. Although he has only started 10 games in his NFL career, he has posted impressive numbers. In ten games, including eight starts, in 2004, Volek completed 61.1 percent of his passes for 2,486 yards and 18 touchdowns compared to 10 interceptions. That season included a two-game span in which Volek threw for a combined 918 yards, both Titans losses.
Volek may not be the future in Nashville despite his relatively young age (30), but he gives the Titans stability and veteran leadership while the Titans groom Young. Odds are that Vince-anity (sorry for the corny label) will begin some time around mid-season in Tennessee, barring injury to Volek of course. But don't be surprised if the Titans offense shines under Volek, as the team has brought in several reinforcements to an already solid offensive unit. The worse-case scenario for the Titans would in fact be a Volek injury, but if he is healthy, there is no need to throw Young into the ring of fire and salvage the 2006 season.