Pro Sports

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Steve Smith made it clear Thursday that he has no intention of ever giving Carolina Panthers officials cause to eject him, but he stopped short of saying he's down to his last chance to remain on the team.

"I'm not looking at it like that," he said. "I just come here to play. Is it my last chance? I don't really see myself as trying to put myself back in this predicament, no matter what people may speculate, or say, or bring up."

Smith said he's thrilled to be returning to the field with his teammates Sunday at Minnesota after serving a two-game suspension for punching cornerback Ken Lucas during an Aug. 1 training camp practice.

"It's a clean slate," he said.

Smith said he wants to put his past behind him — most notably, the Lucas incident and a 2002 film-room fight with former teammate Anthony Bright that also earned Smith a suspension.

"Yes, I've made the mistake twice," he said. "I don't plan on making it a third."

But he vowed he wouldn't dwell on the matter.

"If I allow my past to stay in the back of my head all the time, then I miss out on the future and I miss out on the present things that are happening."

After not making himself available to reporters Wednesday, his first day back at practice, Smith participated in a wide-ranging interview Thursday that lasted more than 22 minutes.

It was the first time he had answered questions from media covering the team since hitting Lucas.

"I know I'm not a victim," Smith said. "I'm not giving it lip service. I'm not saying stuff just to get people off my back. I'm telling you how I feel."

Smith said it was difficult being away from the team the past two weeks, but that he understood it was the consequence of his actions.

"It could have been worse," he said. "I could not have a job."

Seven weeks after the incident that threatened to rock the Panthers' season, the Panthers are 2-0 and warmly welcoming back Smith.

"I don't have to fit in. I'm part of this team," he said. "Those guys have made that (clear). I've heard that come out of their mouths. It's continuously come out of their mouths.

"That's the relief part, the stress-free part. I think that really identifies this team."

The foundation for Smith being re-embraced by his teammates was set in motion during an emotional, brutally honest team meeting on Aug. 3 in Spartanburg. Smith apologized to his teammates that night and players were allowed to speak freely to him.

When asked if he was apprehensive going in that meeting, Smith said:

"How about butterflies? Let's go with that word. Apprehensive, for me, feels like there's an option to turn back, or you're kind of teetering on the fence, 'Do I want to do it or do I not want to do it?

"Despite what people think, I ain't got much quit in myself, so I can't do that ."

Smith said he and Lucas have a growing friendship. Shortly after the altercation, Smith apologized and Lucas said all was forgiven. Since then, Smith said they've been communicating regularly.

"I think we had a great conversation the first time we talked back in training camp for about two and a half hours," Smith said. "We walked into it (and) there were some frowns going on, some laughing. ... I think that was kind of the ice breaker. Hopefully, it continues, and I think it will."

Until now, Smith and Lucas had an underlying animosity for one another that sometimes resulted in heated verbal confrontations in practice.

Asked why the problems previously existed, Smith said: "I mean, flat out, I thought he didn't like me and he thought I didn't like him—just plain and simple."

Smith said he's not receiving anger management counseling, which he received after the 2002 fight with Bright.

"There are a ton of suggestions when incidents happen, no matter who it is or what it is, (from people) who throw their nickel, quarter, dollar, dime, two cents—however you want to say it—into a situation when it's not them," he said. "People think they have an answer on what happened and why it happened. ... Probably the reasons why, people would think I was lying. (But) there's no two sides and I'm not going to make an excuse."

Smith said he didn't see either of the comeback finishes in the Panthers' first two games. He attended his son's soccer game in Asheville on Sept. 7, the day Carolina beat San Diego 26-24 on a last-second touchdown, and listened to the Panthers on the radio during his drive home.

When the Panthers came from behind to beat Chicago 20-17 last Sunday, Smith said he watched the first half at home, listened to the third quarter on the radio and was at another soccer game during the ending. However, he said he kept updated by text-messaging team trainer Ryan Vermillion and speaking by phone to friends who were watching the game.

Smith said he wasn't surprised by Panthers' unbeaten start without him.

"The attitude of the guys was really positive and outstanding," he said. "They had a grudge and (a) chip on their shoulder. I could tell the way they played. "That fourth-down stand (to stop the Bears' last chance to rally late in the fourth quarter), I didn't get to see it, but that just shows where this team is."

Smith's eyes sparkled when he talked about being back on the field again, but he wouldn't speculate on the impact he'd have against the Vikings.

"We'll see on Sunday," he said.