Ravens’ Steve Smith puts Steelers’ Mike Mitchell on his ‘lifetime hit list’

Baltimore receiver Steve Smith has put Pittsburgh’s Mike Mitchell on his “lifetime hit list” for a hit the Steelers’ safety didn’t even deliver.

The two former Carolina Panthers teammates had at least one heated exchange during the Ravens’ 23-20 overtime win over the Steelers on Thursday night before Smith was hurt on a hit in the back by Pittsburgh’s Laurence Timmons during the second half.

As Smith was leaving the game, Mitchell could be seen yelling at the injured player, who thought that Mitchell was the one who had hit him.

“I got speared in my back by an ex-teammate,” Smith said after the game. “I kinda know his character and who he is. After he hit me, he said, ‘How do you like that?’”

Smith had nothing to say to Mitchell at the time but had a strong message for him later.

“The best thing I could do without threatening him and saying I will assault him when I see him is I will say I look forward to playing him again, and he’s on my lifetime hit list,” said Smith, who did not return to the game.

Smith seemed to send a similar message with only his eyes to Pittsburgh’s Antwon Blake earlier in the game when he held on to the defender’s shirt and stared him down for several seconds after a play.

This summer Smith declared he planned to “wound, damage and puncture a lot of people on my way out” this season, which he says will be his last in the NFL.

There’s not much Mitchell can do about whatever he said after Smith got hurt, but he might want to clear up exactly who knocked the receiver out of the game. Doesn’t seem like anything good could come from being on Smith’s lifetime hit list.