CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Mr. Smith is going to Washington and,
despite his bad knee, he plans to play against the Redskins.
Chuck Smith, one of Carolina's pricey offseason acquisitions, is
listed as probable for Sunday's opener at Washington. The defensive
end has rarely practiced since joining the Panthers and played in
only one of their four exhibition games.
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He said he's ready to go on Sunday, injuries and all.
"You can't rush wine and you can't rush Chuck," Smith said.
"I've got to get back into the flow, I'm a gamer. It's just how it
is."
The Panthers have hardly rushed Smith since luring him away from
Atlanta with a five-year, $21.75 million deal.
He came to the Carolina with 58½ career sacks and a bad right
knee. The Panthers knew about the knee problem, but found it was
worse than they thought.
Smith needed arthroscopic surgery shortly after he arrived to
remove damaged cartilage.
"We didn't know we were going to have to operate, no," coach
George Seifert said. "It was something that was basically cleaned
up from the past. There has been some wear and tear over the
years."
Smith wouldn't deny his knee problem could be an arthritic
condition that won't ever be fully healed. But a little pain
doesn't bother him.
"My knee's not 100 percent, so I what am I supposed to say?"
he said. "It's worrisome. But right now walking down the street is
worrisome and hazardous. Drinking the wrong thing is hazardous. It
just so happens this is a hazardous business we're in, this is the
NFL. Your knees go, you get sore."
The Panthers have faith that the lingering knee problems won't
hamper Smith on Sunday, the only day of the week Smith believes he
needs to be available.
He said he once played an entire half against the Green Bay
Packers after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament and has
learned to play through pain.
"Man, this is my ninth year, I don't give a damn about my
body," he said. "You do what you got to do to help your team,
whether it's play with an arthritic neck, knee, nose or whatever.
I'm just going to do my best and let it ride.
"And if my best isn't good enough, then we'll find out about
that, too."
The Panthers believe his best will be good enough, and plan to
start him Sunday and heavily use him in the rotation with Reggie
White and Eric Swann.
"We believed in watching him play last year that he did a good
job," Seifert said. "So once he's healthy -- and we think that
he's healthy -- he's going to have to go."
Smith said he's ready, and has a warning for Washington. Don't
count him out of the mix when deciding how to block Carolina's big
defensive line.
"I would double-team me cause the last few years, I have been
doing my thing and they know I do whatever it takes," Smith said.
"I believe that on a game day, it's all out the window."
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