Ravens WR Steve Smith quits Twitter

ByJAMISON HENSLEY
October 16, 2014, 6:36 PM

— -- OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Baltimore Ravens receiver Steve Smith has quit his popular Twitter account because he doesn't want social media to be his focus.

"At the end of the day, what's on my Twitter feed and what's going on with the world, I don't think that should be on the same level," Smith said.

Smith was one of the more active Ravens on Twitter, posting 899 times. His account, @89SteveSmith, has 92,500 followers.

His last tweet was Oct. 6, when he announced he was quitting Twitter. 

If you want to know what's going with me follow @SteveSmithFDN and check out what we are doing. it's been real! Deuces done with tweeter!

- Steve Smith Sr (@89SteveSmith) October 6, 2014

Smith won't shut down the account because he'll continue to use it for marketing purposes.

Smith isn't the only Ravens player to quit Twitter recently. Wide receiver Torrey Smith joined him in deleting the Twitter app from his phone because of the negative comments he got from fantasy football fans.

Steve Smith acknowledged that criticism was a major reason why he decided to stop using his social media account.

"I'd kill you on Twitter, so I had to stop," he said. "Somebody said something inappropriate to me, my wife said I wasn't being a very good example for my kids."

Smith understands people are going to say what they want. He has just chosen to ignore them now.

"Internet courage is like a Cover 2 corner," Smith said. "When you got safety over the top, you feel better about yourself."

If you want to know what's going with me follow @SteveSmithFDN and check out what we are doing. it's been real! Deuces done with tweeter!

- Steve Smith Sr (@89SteveSmith) October 6, 2014

Smith won't shut down the account because he'll continue to use it for marketing purposes.

Smith isn't the only Ravens player to quit Twitter recently. Wide receiver Torrey Smith joined him in deleting the Twitter app from his phone because of the negative comments he got from fantasy football fans.

Steve Smith acknowledged that criticism was a major reason why he decided to stop using his social media account.

\"I'd kill you on Twitter, so I had to stop,\" he said. \"Somebody said something inappropriate to me, my wife said I wasn't being a very good example for my kids.\"

Smith understands people are going to say what they want. He has just chosen to ignore them now.

\"Internet courage is like a Cover 2 corner,\" Smith said. \"When you got safety over the top, you feel better about yourself.\"

","publishedDate":"2014-10-16T22:36:38Z","contributors":[{"name":"JAMISON HENSLEY","url":"","role":"","logo":"","logoAlt":""}],"modifiedDate":"2014-10-18T19:35:54Z","section":"Sports","wordCount":276,"relatedTags":{"heading":"Related Topics","tags":[]},"lead":{"ratio":"16x9","disableForMobile":false,"type":"xl","mediaType":"image","alignCaptionToBody":true},"ads":{"Sticky":{"kvps":{"test":true}},"RightRail":{"kvps":{"test":true}},"InlineBox":{},"InlineOutstream":{"disabled":false},"Taboola":{"position":"bottom","pageType":"article","config":{"network":"abcnews-abcnews","mode":"thumbnails-a","container":"taboola-below-article-thumbnails","type":"article","targetType":"mix","placement":"Below Article Thumbnails"}}},"featuredVideo":null,"dateline":"—","seo":{},"LivePromotion":{}},"autoUpdate":{"enabled":false,"topics":["general-elections-2020-balance-of-power"]}},"upw":{"balanceOfPower":{"electoral":{"header":"Biden Projected to be President-Elect","candidates":{"democrats":{"id":1036,"displayName":"Joe Biden","shortDisplayName":"J. Biden","firstName":"Joe","lastName":"Biden","party":"democrats","major":true,"incumbent":false,"winner":true,"votes":306},"republicans":{"id":8639,"displayName":"Donald Trump","shortDisplayName":"D. Trump","firstName":"Donald","lastName":"Trump","party":"republicans","major":true,"incumbent":true,"winner":false,"votes":232},"other":{"displayName":"Other","votes":0}},"parties":{"democrats":"democrats","republicans":"republicans"},"type":"electoral","votes":{"democrats":{"available":{},"total":306,"difference":{},"popular":{"displayValue":"81,283,098","value":81283098}},"republicans":{"available":{},"total":232,"difference":{},"popular":{"displayValue":"74,222,958","value":74222958}},"other":{"available":{},"total":0,"popular":{}},"total":538},"needed":{"displayText":"270 to win","displayValue":"270","value":270},"lastUpdated":{"value":"2020-12-18T21:15:13.850Z","displayValue":"December 18, 4:15:13PM ET"},"reporting":"99% of Expected Vote Reporting"},"senate":{"header":"Senate Seat Results","candidates":{"democrats":{"displayName":"Democrats","icon":"party-democrats","votes":46,"winner":false},"republicans":{"displayName":"Republicans","icon":"party-republicans","votes":50,"winner":false},"other":{"displayName":"Other","votes":2}},"parties":{"democrats":"democrats","republicans":"republicans"},"type":"senate","votes":{"democrats":{"available":{"displayText":"12 Democrats up for election","shortDisplayText":"12 Dems. up for election","displayValue":"12","value":12},"total":46,"difference":{"displayText":"Gained 1 seat","displayValue":"1","value":1},"popular":{}},"republicans":{"available":{"displayText":"23 Republicans up for election","shortDisplayText":"23 Reps. up for election","displayValue":"23","value":23},"total":50,"difference":{"displayText":"Lost 1 seat","displayValue":"-1","value":-1},"popular":{}},"other":{"available":{"displayText":"0 Others up for election","shortDisplayText":"0 Others up for election","displayValue":"0","value":0},"total":2,"popular":{}},"total":100},"needed":{"displayText":"51 for control","displayValue":"51","value":51},"lastUpdated":{"value":"2020-12-17T18:22:05.390Z","displayValue":"December 17, 1:22:05PM ET"}},"house":{"header":"House Results: Dems Retain Control","candidates":{"democrats":{"displayName":"Democrats","icon":"party-democrats","votes":222,"winner":true},"republicans":{"displayName":"Republicans","icon":"party-republicans","votes":210,"winner":false},"other":{"displayName":"Other","votes":0}},"parties":{"democrats":"democrats","republicans":"republicans"},"type":"house","votes":{"democrats":{"available":{"displayText":"233 Democrats up for election","shortDisplayText":"233 Dems. up for election","displayValue":"233","value":233},"total":222,"difference":{"displayText":"Lost 10 seats","displayValue":"-10","value":-10},"popular":{}},"republicans":{"available":{"displayText":"201 Republicans up for election","shortDisplayText":"201 Reps. up for election","displayValue":"201","value":201},"total":210,"difference":{"displayText":"Gained 10 seats","displayValue":"10","value":10},"popular":{}},"other":{"available":{"displayText":"1 Others up for election","shortDisplayText":"1 Others up for election","displayValue":"1","value":1},"total":0,"popular":{}},"total":435},"needed":{"displayText":"218 for control","displayValue":"218","value":218},"lastUpdated":{"value":"2020-12-17T18:22:02.900Z","displayValue":"December 17, 1:22:02PM ET"}},"lastUpdated":{"value":"2020-12-18T21:15:13.850Z","displayValue":"December 18, 4:15:13PM ET"},"autoUpdate":{"enabled":false,"topics":["general-elections-2020-balance-of-power"]},"electionsConfig":{}},"types":["electoral","senate","house"]}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewabcnews,wdgasec,wdgnewabcnweb,wdgnewabcnewsrollup","ns":"abcnews","pageName":"abcn:sports:story","pageType":"story","pageUrl":"abcnews.go.com/Sports/ravens-wr-steve-smith-quits-twitter/story?id=26256229&userab=abcn_web_article_ts-218*variant_a-818","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"abcn:site","tagID":"apage_news01","userABCookie":"abcn_web_article_ts-218*variant_a-818","alertTag":"none","authors":"JAMISON HENSLEY","authorsBureau":"none","authorsUnit":"none","dateline":"—","id":"26256229","modDate":"2014-10-18","mediaOnPage":"none","modTime":"15:35","provider":"ABC News","pubDate":"2014-10-16","pubTime":"18:36","section":"Sports","subBrand":"none","title":"Ravens WR Steve Smith quits Twitter","videoId":"none","videoName":"none","wordCount":276},"taboola":{"config":{"network":"abcnews-abcnews","mode":"thumbnails-a","type":"other","targetType":"mix","placement":null,"pageTypeOverrides":{"story":{"mode":"thumbnails-a","type":"article","targetType":"mix","placement":"Below Article Thumbnails"},"home":{"mode":"thumbnails-b","container":"taboola-homepage-thumbnails","type":"home","targetType":"mix","placement":"Homepage Thumbnails"},"section":{"mode":"thumbnails-b","type":"category","targetType":"mix","placement":"Section Front Thumbnails"},"liveBlog":{"mode":"thumbnails-d","type":"other","targetType":"mix","placement":"Blog"}}}}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/Sports/ravens-wr-steve-smith-quits-twitter/story?id=26256229&userab=abcn_web_article_ts-218*variant_a-818","vary":{"host":"abcnews.go.com","cached":true,"path":"/Sports/ravens-wr-steve-smith-quits-twitter/story","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","country":"us","userab":"abcn_web_article_ts-218*variant_a-818","region":"gdpr"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};