Tuesday, August 24, 1999
Akili agrees to incentive-laden contract
Bengals' QB starts to earn his pay today
BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
GEORGETOWN, Ky. — The Bengals quarterback of the future arrives today — 27 practices late — when rookie Akili Smith reports to training camp at Georgetown College.
Mr. Smith, the Bengals' first-round draft choice and third overall in the NFL draft, ended his holdout Monday when he agreed to a seven-year deal that could pay him as much as $56 million if he hits all his incentives.
“I'm going to be a part of Cincinnati for the rest of my life,” Mr. Smith said Monday night from his hometown of San Diego. “I really believe things happen for a reason. I believe I was meant to be a Bengal, and I'm anxious to get there and show people they made a good pick.”
The deal will be formally announced at a news conference at 10 a.m. today at the club's Spinney Field complex. Mr. Smith will take part in his first practice later in Georgetown.
Bengals President Mike Brown and his lead negotiator, daughter Katie Blackburn, along with her husband Troy Blackburn and Mike Brown's son Paul, battled for nearly 17 hours over the past two days with Mr. Smith's agents.
At about 6 p.m. Monday at Spinney, after dining on takeout from Taco Bell, Leigh Steinberg and Jeff Moorad, Mr. Smith's representatives, agreed to the richest deal in Bengals history. It averages $7.5 million annually.
The last year of the contract will likely be “voided,” making it a six-year deal, if Mr. Smith meets certain incentives. The negotiations, which became ugly at times, mostly revolved around how much Mr. Smith would have to do to get the money.
Although the deal is larger than the $54 million contract signed by No. 2 pick Donovan McNabb, a quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, Mr. Brown felt good about some aspects of the contract.
“There is less walkaway money, less money for just showing up, than in some of the other deals,” Mr. Brown said. “He has to do something to get this money, and if he achieves most of it, it's a very big contract.”
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