Akili Smith, Cincinnati Bengals
Owner: Marc LaLonde
Year Purchased: 1999
Jersey Category: Never Lived Up to Hype
Why is It Terrible: For some reason, this was one of about 15 different NFL players jerseys available in Montreal (where I live) that year. Now, with all the Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, Troy Aikman, Deion Sanders and Marino (The 'Phins are huge in MTL, probably has to do with all their east-coast regional games in the '80s), jerseys around, I felt, as a serious football fan, I needed a jersey of a guy who might not be as famous, but all the while, as good on the field, as those other guys. I needed a sleeper.
So, when I saw the #11 in an XXL in a store window, I snapped it up. I knew just then the rocket-armed QB from Oregon was going to be better than Couch, McNabb and the other pantywaist QBs that went in that draft.
Funnily enough, the Canada-Akili Smith connection just got stronger when the gigantic NFL bust signed today with the Calgary Stampeders.
I still wear that jersey every once in a while, and my desire for player anonymity has been gratified, because nobody can even figure out the guy named Smith who plays for the Bengals. When I tell them some still don't remember him
