There are any number of ways for a person in my position to quantify the enduring excellence of Steve Smith Sr., the Ravens wide receiver who announced Monday that this would be his final season.
You can cite his career numbers, which rank among the best ever. On the NFL’s all-time lists, he’s currently No. 18 in receptions, No. 14 in receiving yards and No. 33 in touchdowns. He’s also one of only two players in history to accumulate 13,000 receiving yards and 4,000 return yards, and the other guy to do it, Tim Brown, just went into the Hall of Fame last weekend.