On Steve Smith's first play as a professional football player, he returned a 93-yard kickoff for a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings in 2001. Every time Smith touched the field, he wanted to prove to his adversaries that he was the best player on the field. He wasn't afraid to express this vocally or with his play. His speed in combination with his ability to break through a tackle while remaining on his feet made him one of the most dangerous wide receivers of the 2000s and 2010s.
Hailing from Los Angeles, CA, Smith attended his collegiate years at the University of Utah before he was selected 74th overall in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. Out of his sixteen-season NFL career, Smith spent most of it with the Panthers before playing his final three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and retiring in 2016. To this very day, Smith leads the Panthers in all-time touchdowns (67), receptions (836), and receiving yards (12,197). Until another player can even begin to reach these accomplishments, they can't be considered Carolina's best.
Chefs made their way into celebrity land a while ago. But how many celebrities that weren’t trained as professional cooks are actually whizzes in the kitchen? Here are several that come to mind.
Actress Julia Roberts is confident about her cooking skills. “I’m quite a good cook,” she told E! News. “I’m like a closet home ec teacher…I can really cook anything.” Roberts has said she often cooks fish for herself and her kids. And speaking of her three children, “They think that I’m a good cook,” Roberts told People. “They actually told me that I should open a restaurant.” She also relishes cooking for the holidays, particularly shredded Brussel sprouts. Roberts hasn’t published a cookbook, but we did find recipes attributed to her for peach crisp and banana hemp muffins. Or you can make the same summer salad the actress supposedly eats.
Chrissy Teigen started off as a supermodel. Then her love of cooking filtered into her professional life too. At this point, she’s created recipes for a limited Blue Apron release and also just launched her own home and cooking line at Target named “Cravings,” after the two cookbooks she’s released. Teigen describes cooking as “a time of peace” for herself. So maybe peace out to her tuna melt sandwich or the fried chicken wings that are a favorite of her husband, John Legend.
Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, comes from a cooking Italian family. Her father started his own restaurant in New York and also published a cookbook. And apparently, Lady Gaga has inherited the family’s cooking genes. Her Instagram account occasionally features photos of her culinary activities. Sure, sometimes it’s topless cooking. But other times it’s more poignant like in the post she shared about her bringing food to the family of her dear friend who passed away. Want to try a Gaga/Germanotta family favorite? Check out her recipe for whole wheat pasta with a sweet fennel sauce.