Raiders tight end Lee Smith took an unnecessary roughness penalty on Sunday Night Football against the Dolphins. But this wasn’t just any old personal foul.
When the flag came in, the referee’s microphone at field level picked up Smith’s response: “I was just kiddin’ around.”
Smith sounded like a kid getting put in timeout for horseplay at recess, which is probably exactly what he was in this case.
It sure looks like Smith was just kidding around. Lots of NFL players are friendly with guys on opposing teams. It looks like he’s jumping into No. 56 for Miami, rookie defensive tackle Davon Godchaux. They went to different colleges (Marshall for Smith, LSU for Godchaux), and they’re a few years apart. But maybe they’re friends.
Ultimately, Smith’s pleas to the referee went unheeded. His 15-yard personal foul was assessed as planned, and any relationship he may or may not have with the other player didn’t have any effect. This is a tragic story.