Much was made about Irv Smith Jr. joining the Cincinnati Bengals over another competitor for his services such as the Mimai Dolphins.
Turns out a family member and former pro urged Smith to choose Cincinnati over all other options.
Smith’s father. Irv Smith Sr., doesn’t have a hard time recalling his pitch to his son about joining the Bengals.
“You need to sign with Cincy. That’s where you need to be. I feel it in my bones,” Smith Sr. said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “I didn’t even look at the roster. I just said that team fits you perfectly. Two amazing receivers, that (running) back they’ve got … that quarterback … the tight end they had is gone. You’re the guy they need for that situation.”
Another fun nugget? Smith Sr. actually steadily advised his son to embrace the tight end position as opposed to wide receiver over the course of his early career.
Sage advice all around, as Smith Jr. is now the third or fourth option in one of the NFL’s most prolific passing attacks — headed up by Joe Burow, whose last two tight ends were rewarded handsomely in free agency after producing in the exact same role.
