SANTA CLARA -- Nearly four years ago, Torrey Smith met Muhammad Ali.
It was September 2012, and Ali visited the practice facility of the Baltimore Ravens when he was in the area for a fund-raiser. Smith, a second-year NFL player, was thrilled to be in the presence of Ali, the three-time heavyweight champion and a champion of human rights.
“It was awesome,” Smith said. “All of us were starstruck. You see Ray Lewis starstruck. Guys were like, ‘Man, this is Ali.’ He’s a greater man, and he means more to all of us out of the ring than in it, and that says a lot about him.