- Long made an embarrassing comment to Smith at an ESPN party years ago
- The former NFL offensive lineman admits he thinks about the exchange often
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Former NFL offensive lineman Kyle Long apologized to Stephen A. Smith for an embarrassing comment he made to him when he was “hammered” at a party years ago that still haunts him to this day.
Long remembers being invited to an ESPN party early in his career with the Chicago Bears and seeing Smith, who had criticized his quarterback, Jay Cutler.
Smith admits he was “twelve beers deep” when he saw Smith put his hand on his shoulder to talk to him.
Long admits that Smith was talking to someone else when he interrupted him with, “Hey, Jay Cutler says hi,” because he thought he was doing something slick.
Long added Smith didn’t even respond with words. Instead, Long got a look from Smith that he said meant, “You’re a fucking idiot.”
Long shared details of his conversation with Smith at an ESPN party several years ago
Smith had been critical of Cutler, for whom Long wanted to be the ‘white knight’ at the party
“And ever since that day, I’ve been like, ‘I hope I get a chance’ (to reconcile),” Long said on his brother’s podcast. “Stephen A, I’m sorry.”
Smith has built a career on his outlandish statements and was far from the only one to criticize the play of Cutler, who was the Bears’ starting quarterback from 2009 to 2015.
Yet it appears that Long does not hold Smith accountable for any off-color comments, only for his own behavior.
“One of my biggest regrets in life involves Stephen A Smith, and it’s something I think about often,” Long said. ‘It’s one of those things where you’re lying in bed and you’re reminded of something you did that was embarrassing. And you say, “F***! Is this a bad dream?”
Smith has not yet responded to Long’s apology.
Played long term for the Bears from 2013-2019 and attempted another season in the NFL for the Chiefs in 2021, but never got a snap for the team due to injury.