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SPARTANBURG It was just another sunny Friday practice for the Carolina Panthers until fists began flying on the sideline.
Star receiver Steve Smith's temper erupted, sending cornerback Ken Lucas to the locker room with an ice pack on his left eye and disrupting what had been a mostly blissful training camp.
For Smith, it was a sudden, unexpected return – even if for a moment – to the explosive behavior that marred the early days of his NFL career.
Back in 2002, he punched teammate Anthony Bright in the face in a team meeting room, earning a one-game suspension and a civil lawsuit that was eventually settled out of court.
After Friday's incident, the Panthers sent Smith home to Charlotte and weighed disciplinary actions, which could include suspending him for the Sept.7 season opener at San Diego – and perhaps longer.
Under the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, teams can suspend players for up to four games for conduct detrimental to the team.
“Obviously, everybody is going to be waiting to see what are the repercussions for this event,” said receiver Muhsin Muhammad. “I'm just praying that we rally together as a team because, obviously, there's going to be some adversity here.”
General manager Marty Hurney and coach John Fox said the matter was being handled internally. An announcement is expected from the team once a decision is made.
Smith apparently won't face disciplinary action by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, even though he might have violated the league's personal conduct policy.
Among actions punishable under the policy are “violent or threatening behavior among employees, whether inside or outside the workplace” and “conduct that imposes inherent danger to the safety and well-being of another person.”
However, league spokesman Greg Aiello said altercations that occur in practice are routinely handled by the clubs, not by the league.
The extent of Lucas' injury wasn't immediately known. He also returned to Charlotte on Friday afternoon, according to team officials.
Neither Smith nor Lucas was available for comment.
Smith and Lucas were on the sideline without their helmets on during a special teams drill when the fight broke out. Muhammad and quarterback Jake Delhomme said they were unsure what prompted the altercation.
“I would assume it got started from a week in Spartanburg in heat and going against each other every day,” Delhomme said.
Smith and Lucas have had heated confrontations in practice before, but none were known to have come to serious blows.
Once the fight began, players and coaches, including Fox, hurried to the scene and tried to break it up. Based on photos taken by the Observer, director of pro scouting Mark Koncz tried to pull Lucas away, but was unable to stop the fight.
Eventually, linebacker Jon Beason grabbed Smith from behind and pulled him backward while quarterbacks coach Mike McCoy stood in front of Smith trying to calm him down.
Lucas was taken to the tent where players get medical and training treatment. He sat down, and an ice pack was applied to his left eye.
Smith eventually walked over to the tent with Muhammad and leaned down to speak to Lucas.
“Steve was probably a little remorseful for what happened and was trying to apologize,” said Muhammad. “I was walking with him, just to be there.”
Smith later stood outside the tent with a towel draped over his head, talking to kicker John Kasay.
Lucas was carted into the locker room and Smith later left the field escorted by Hurney.
The practice continued without Smith and Lucas with no more disruptions.
Fox spent more time than usual talking to the players after practice.
“We were talked to, things were squashed, that was it,” Delhomme said. “There will be no retaliation by anybody on anything. When you look at the schedule, we don't play the Panthers this year.”
Fox had little to say to the media about the fight.
“Anytime something like that happens, you're obviously disappointed,” he said. “It's part of football and you deal with it.”
Delhomme said he “truly, truly” doesn't expect it to have a lingering effect on the Panthers, even if Smith is suspended.
“I don't know what's going to happen, but you know what? We are the Carolina Panthers,” he said. “Does he make us better? Yes. But we are the Carolina Panthers.”
