>>> HE'S THE LATEST JAGUAR TO BE
ELEVATED TO ELITE STATUS.
JIMMY SMITH WAS INDUCTED INTO
THE PRIDE OF THE JAGUARS.
THE AFTERMATH OF SMITH'S
FOOTBALL CAREER HAS BEEN MARRED
BY HIS PERSONAL STRUGGLES.
>> HE SAT DOWN WITH AN
INTERVIEW.
>> JIMMY SMITH WRESTLES WITH
DEMONS LIKE MANY PEOPLE DO.
HE WAS ADDICTED TO DRUGS, HE
WENT TO JAIL.
NOW HE'S CHOOSING TO VIEW HIS
INDUCTION AS A BEACON OF HOPE
FOR OTHERS.
PASSES LIKE THIS THAT PROPELLED
NUMBER 82 INTO THE HEARTS OF
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS FOOTBALL
FANS.
IN HIS TEN SEASONINGS WITH THE
TEAM, HE WAS THE ALL TIME
LEADING RECEIVER.
WHEN THE JAGUARS PICKED HIM UP
FOR THEIR INAUGURAL YEAR, SMITH
HAD BEEN SITTING OUT THE
'94 SEASON.
DESPITE SEEING NO FOOTBALL
ACTION THAT YEAR, THE CALL FROM
EXCITEMENT.
>> I WASN'T FOND OF COMING HERE.
I THOUGHT THAT THE JAGUARS WOULD
BE ANOTHER REVOLVING DOOR.
I JUST REMEMBER TELLING MY
FATHER, I DON'T REALLY WANT TO
GO TO JACKSONVILLE.
IT'S A NEW TEAM.
TEAM.
IT JUST HAPPENED TO BE THE
PERFECT SITUATION FOR ME.
>> THE COACH SAW THE POTENTIAL
AND SMITH SAYS HE MADE SURE TO
BRING OUT THAT TALENT IN HIM AND
THE OTHER PLAYERS IN THAT VERY
FIRST TRAINING CAMP.
THROUGH.
ABOUT SIX WEEKS LONG.
WE PRACTICED.
OUR ONLY OFF DAY WAS ON SUNDAY.
HOW I MADE IT THROUGH THAT CAMP,
IT WAS GOD'S WILL.
>> SMITH GARNERED THE NICKNAME
LIGHTNING.
BOTH PLAYERS ELECTRIFIED THE
FANS.
THE JAGS REACHED THE PLAY-OFFS
FIVE TIMES.
BUT SMITH'S ON-FIELD SHOWMANSHIP
AND CONFIDENT BELIE THE TROUBLES
BREWING IN HIS PERSONAL LIFE.
HE WAS FIRST ARRESTED IN 2001
AND WAS SENTENCED TO A SIX YEAR
PRISON TERM IN 2012.
HE W RELEASED EARLY.
THANKS TO THE SUPPORT OF THE
THROUGH.
>> I OWE A LOT TO THIS CITY, TO
OUR FAN BASE, TO THE FRANCHISE
FOR SUPPORTING ME DURING M
JOURNEY THROUGH MY STRUGGLES.
I DIDN'T WANT TO COME BACK TO
JACKSONVILLE WITH JUST MY NAME
ALL RIGHT?
I WANT TO USE IT AS A PLATFORM
OR SPRING BOARD TO BRING FORTH
THE AWARENESS OF YOU CAN
OVERCOME.
>> FOOTBALL TAUGHT SMITH YOU
HAVE TO RELY ON OTHERS FOR HELP,
HELP TO FACE YOUR DEMONS.
IT'S AN IMPORTANT LESSON HE
FEELS EVERYONE NEEDS TO HEAR.
>> IT'S BEEN TOUGH.
IT'S NOT OVER YET.
IT A FRIEND WAS TALKING TO ME.
HE MENTIONED THAT YOU ARE ALL
PRO AT GETTING BACK UP.
AND THAT'S THE MESSAGE THAT I
WANT TO SPREAD THROUGHOUT TO
EVERY KID, EVERY JACKSONVILLE
FAN, EVERY ADULT, EVERYONE.
UP.
>> I'M HAPPY TO BE SITTING HERE
TODAY WITH A SMILE ON MY FACE,
HEALTHY, HAPPY AND A LEGEND.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
LOVE YOU!
OF THE PRIDE.
IF YOU WANT TO HEAR IN SMITH'S
OWN WORDS WHAT IT WAS LIKE
THE FIRST YEAR, GO TO