NIU UNKNOWN “ROY SMITH” PREPARES FOR SENIOR BOWL
Has Florida chased Troy Smith into the witness protection program? Perhaps. That’s Smith in an NIU helmet, though our Senior Bowl correspondent says otherwise. HT: Kenny.
MOBILE, AL–We’ve never heard of him. Hell, he’s not even on NIU’s roster. Dark horse Roy Smith, though, impressed scouts with his accuracy on Monday, boosting his draft status and becoming a dark horse pick for the NFL draft thanks to his performance in Senior Bowl practices.

TRoy Smith wows the scouts at the Senior Bowl practices.
“I’m just trying to break in, you know, show people that I can still–I mean, that I throw the ball well, even though, you know, people haven’t seen me play much. Because I went to NIU, you know, and didn’t even start. It’s just all so crazy at this point.”
Smith paused. “And that’s truth…cuz.”
Smith says he’s amazed by the attention he’s gotten thus far.
“I mean, maybe it’s because I look like Troy Smith, and our names sound the same, and we even resemble each other. I would like to point out that they measured me at six feet tall, though. That’s six feet even. Um, yo.”
Senior Bowl coach John Gruden thinks he may have the steal of the draft in the unheralded mystery qb.
“It’s astonishing just how Troy Smith-esque he really is. He even sounds like him, just with this crazy, almost fake sounding southern thug accent he’s got. If I didn’t know better, I’d assume this guy was actually Troy Smith faking an identity and “skipping” the Senior Bowl in order to boost his flagging draft status.”
Gruden laughed, then paused. “But when you’ve got Chris Simms and Bruce Gradkowski on your depth chart as the main course, I don’t care if this guy calls himself Nancy Cockswax and wears a Vera Wang when he’s on the field. We need help. I mean, Chris Simms, Jesus,” he said, muttering and turning away from the cameras and toward the field.
Smith denied any connection between him and Troy Smith. He also denied ever being in Glendale, Arizona. He did admit to hearing of Florida, and even recognized the names of defensive ends Jarvis Moss and Derrick Harvey, though he had less than complimentary words for them.
“Flaming marys, both of ‘em from what I hear. Homie. Did you see how offsides they were the whole time? That guy Troy Smith…my God, if he were hear I’d tell him how much of a man he was, and how shafted he got by his bustass wide receivers and the refs. And what was the band doing playing Titanic? They should have played something else…like…(at this point Smith looks down at an index card with some writing on it)…’Throw some D’s’ by the Rich Boy. That’s how we roll where I’m from. Which is definitely not Cleveland.”
Roy Smith says: “Yes, like that downhome jam from wherever I’m from down south says, every girl should have a picture of my dick on their wall.”












1
Can someone tell me why they have a sound guy at the Senior Bowl practices? Take a look at the right side of that picture of Mr. Smith. Seriously, is ESPN so starved for new material that they need to broadcast the Senior Bowl practices? Or can they not wait until their next installment of “The Season: Spring Practice from LSU”
Comment by Geaux Irish — January 23, 2007 @ 12:28 pm
2
NIU’s helmets are black, so I’m pretty sure he’s not in witness protection.
Comment by thechuck_2112 — January 23, 2007 @ 12:38 pm
3
Someone’s gotta tell [NAME REDACTED] that that’s taking re-opening commitments too far.
Comment by canuck — January 23, 2007 @ 12:59 pm
4
(my bad. NIU’s the directional)
Comment by canuck — January 23, 2007 @ 1:00 pm
5
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2738545
$80 million budget shortfall at Rutgers, so they eliminate 825 jobs and cancel at least 459 course sections.
However, 9 of its assistant coaches receive double-digit percentage raises.
I am glad Rutgers has got it priorities right, just like rest of the Universities!
Comment by AUgrad — January 23, 2007 @ 1:08 pm
6
Maybe Rutgers will cut more from their teaching budget by replacing lectures with those useful “directed readings” credits.
Comment by Geaux Irish — January 23, 2007 @ 1:18 pm
7
NIU’s the directional, huh….who woulda guessed? What with the N and all…
And here I am still wondering why Nick Saban took the job at Alabama State.
Comment by PeteJayhawk — January 23, 2007 @ 1:19 pm
8
#6
Directed readings is what we call them over here in Auburn. What do you call them over there?
And “direct readings” >> 459 canceled course sections. Atleast the students have to write a page or two at the end of it.
Comment by AUgrad — January 23, 2007 @ 1:29 pm
9
What about that standout wide receiver from UW-La Crosse, Fred Ginn Jr.?
Comment by Doug — January 23, 2007 @ 2:31 pm
10
Maybe Mustain can teach these boys a thing or two about being confused as to what school to play for.
http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/6377340
Comment by UFsabby — January 23, 2007 @ 2:31 pm
11
#1 - the NFL network is televising the game - and yes, the practices (Jan 22 - 25) are being broadcast.
Comment by PSUgirl — January 23, 2007 @ 3:01 pm
12
honestly where did roy get this helmet. Like chuck said real NIU helmets are black, maybe he made it himself.
Comment by John — January 23, 2007 @ 3:22 pm
13
Don’t guys trade helmet stickers with each other at these all-star games? I realize it’s the offseason, but you guys need a cup of coffee and a mid 80’s Bowl Game rerun on Mouseears Classic.
Comment by Brew(ster) Crew — January 23, 2007 @ 3:26 pm
14
I love all the sticker-trading. That’s why that kid from Lane College had a UAB logo smacked onto his helmet. Don’t tell that to Andre Ware, though.
Comment by Newspaper Hack — January 23, 2007 @ 3:54 pm
15
I got a real good question for Troy Smith.
“What is with the Livestrong yellow bands still on the wrist during games?” That was so 2004.
Comment by Odell 51 — January 23, 2007 @ 4:38 pm
16
Newspaper Hack . . . I’m so glad I’m not the only person who noticed that. “Somebeody needs to find out what Lane College’s Mascot is . . . Look at that Beast!”
Comment by Chuck D — January 23, 2007 @ 10:09 pm
17
#5 Rutgers football probably hasn’t generated any revenue in years but I bet it did in 2006 and will moving forward. In any organization you don’t penalize the top producers for the sins of the dead weight. Last I heard alumni aren’t heading back to campus to fill the stadium to watch a physics class leaving precious greenbacks in their wake.
Comment by FishFan-GatorMan — January 23, 2007 @ 10:20 pm
18
#17
So its okay for an institute of education to sacrifice proper education at the expense of making sure its coaches stay so that they “might” get extra revenue because of football?
Comment by AUgrad — January 24, 2007 @ 4:12 am
19
I would bet that the budget for the Rutgers Athletic Department is a separate entity from the academic budget. That’s the way it is at most universities from what I understand.
Football coaches getting raises because their success puts more butts in the seats and brings more money in? How odd.
Maybe they should consider raising tuition to cover the costs of all these educators and classes they can’t afford?
That’s what they did to me at OSU every year, to the maximum amount allowed by law.
Comment by Drew — January 24, 2007 @ 10:16 am
20
The largesse in football money is being aided by a $3 million infusion of university cash into the $13 million football budget. Athletic Director Robert E. Mulcahy III said that football success will mean increased revenue from ticket sales and a self-supporting program by as early as next year.
That doesnt seem like it is a separate entity. They are spending for the football team at the expense of education so that it becomes a separate entity.
Comment by AUgrad — January 24, 2007 @ 11:07 am
21
#19-
Actually, the state of Ohio capped all tuition raises at 9%, EXCEPT OSU, so my sophmore year they jacked it up 33%. My freshman first quarter $790, in Sept.01, when I graduated, Dec. 05, it was $2800 a quarter, WTF?
Comment by bhors — January 24, 2007 @ 1:50 pm
22
How are we not talking about the video that Orson put up. This is the only reason why I would move to the south. Just so I can put some d’s on my cadillic.
Did you see the white women in the video? They were all blonde. Why to lawya’s love WBW?
Comment by Odell 51 — January 24, 2007 @ 1:56 pm
23
Good point AUGrad. I know plenty of people complain about the same stuff here in Columbus, where the athletic department is completely separate. That never made much sense to me (the complaints, that is).
I stand corrected.
Comment by Drew — January 24, 2007 @ 2:26 pm
24
If they spent $3 million on the football program you also have to look at what they got for it. I work in advertising and communications and you can bet your sweet bippy that the amount of publicity generated for the university was greater than that $3 million shortfall. And if the program continues to improve, that amount of publicity will increase. You ask if that’s a wise investment. Well every investment has risk associated with it but nothing ventured, nothing gained. I hardly think the school’s fiscal crisis has to do with the $3 million subsidy. What about the other $77 million? At least football CAN be self sufficient the other money losing programs in the school probably can’t.
Comment by FishFan-GatorMan — January 24, 2007 @ 3:01 pm
25
I heard Roy Smith just bought a caddilac…
Comment by Will — January 25, 2007 @ 3:14 pm