Having teamed with his wife to finance athletic and academic scholarships at the University of Utah, Steve Smith Sr. enjoys receiving letters of thanks from students each year.
In 2022 or some year afterward, Smith hopes to receive a phone call that would be meaningful to him in a different way. The former receiver is in line to become the second Ute player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Smith this month joined the Pac-12 Hall of Honor, in an annual ceremony that recognizes an athlete from each school — in Utah’s case, usually predating Pac-12 membership.