Smith and friend Phil Blackmon, an offensive lineman, had transferred to Utah in 1999 from Santa Monica College. Gross was a young lineman himself, thrown off by such a blunt first gesture.
As the next two decades unfolded, however, the 6-foot-4 future Pro Bowl tackle got used to that sort of talk from his teammate.
.@89SteveSmith discusses returning to Utah for his induction into the Crimson Club Hall of Fame https://t.co/2OSxUgXUQH #Utes #ASUvsUTAH
— Brennan Smith (@BrennanJSmith) October 21, 2017
On Friday evening inside the Rice-Eccles Stadium tower, Smith and Gross were inducted into the Crimson Club Hall of Fame.