How do you make Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith nervous? Throw him on the first tee of a Pro-Am at Pebble Beach.
"Alex was saying that he was more nervous on the first tee than on any first snap of a football game," PGA tour pro Ben Martin, Smith's partner for the day, told the Kansas City Star. "But that (football) is what he does, so I guess that's to be expected. A little more out of his comfort zone but he's been great."
Smith, who also played with 49ers great Steve Young in his foursome, doesn't have much to be nervous about these days. At 31, he's signed through 2018 and he just helped the Chiefs cap one of the most improbable comebacks in regular season history. The Chiefs' playoff win against the Texans was the franchise's first since 1994 and Smith set a personal high in passing yardage. It's safe to say that everything is in a good place. He won't be fending off a young upstart, and he should have total continuity once training camp starts -- in a division that could be free of Peyton Manning.
"I enjoy the characters you meet from all over, and then we get to play with professional golfers, which is humbling," Smith said about playing in a Pro-Am. "It's so much fun and it's a fantastic deal, truly unique, and I don't think there's anything else like this where you're playing with professional sports guys with their work on the line."
Smith didn't make the cut, but something tells us he's alright with that. Life is going well.
