Falcons running back Antone Smith does a lot of things fast, including finishing a 40-yard dash in 4.25 seconds, his fasted time ever clocked. The only thing seemingly faster than running 120 feet so ridiculously quick is Smith's unremarkably-fast ability to change a game's momentum, with just one snap of the ball, evidenced most recently in Week 5, when he turned a short pass from Falcons QB Matt Ryan into a 74-yard score for his team-leading fourth touchdown of the season.
In 2014 alone, Smith has scored on runs of 38 and 48 yards, combined with receiving touchdowns that covered 54 and 74 yards; he's posted 121 yards on 11 carries (11.0 yards per carry) and added 156 yards on six receptions this season.
Plain and simple, fast matters; it allows for what may be even more astonishing about Smith, his astronomical career average of 50.3 yards per scoring play and 17.2 yards per touch. While Smith has world-class speed and super-sized career averages, it's also his versatility that makes him a dual-threat option, joining Seattle Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch as the only players in the NFL to post multiple rushing and receiving touchdowns this season.
"The biggest thing is being detailed," Smith said about his successful stats. "I've been doing the little things; if I get an opportunity, whether it's special teams or offense, I just try to take advantage of it. I know my carries and my opportunities are limited, so I just try to take advantage of it."
Smith's explosive scores in 2014 are a continuation of jaw-dropping touchdowns from last season:
74-yard TD reception - Week 5 at NYG (2014)
48-yard TD run - Week 4 at MIN (2014)
38-yard TD run - Week 3 vs TB (2014)
54-yard TD reception - Week 1 vs NO (2014)
38-yard TD run - Week 13 at BUF (2013)
50-yard TD run - Week 11 at TB (2013)
The soft-spoken speedster admitted that he's not into "the stat thing" and never has been, even as a senior at Pahokee High School (FL), where he led his team to a state title, or at Florida State, where his career numbers included 2,065 yards and 25 touchdowns. Smith thanks his close-knit family for keeping him grounded, but later admitted that the 50.3 yards per scoring-play average is "pretty crazy," yet not possible, without his coaches and teammates. "This team and the good play-calling and the group of guys that come here every day and go out on that field and work hard every day, that's who I owe all the credit to," Smith said. "I want to go out and help this team win."
