Steve Smith steps out of the shadows

ALBANY, N.Y. — The pattern will never show up in a New York Giants playbook, but it's one Steve Smith has known his whole life.

It's called deep undercover.

Despite his outstanding career at USC and two productive seasons in New York, Smith can still slip past fans the way he does defenders.

That's likely to end this NFL season, as Smith steps into a more prominent role with the Giants, who no longer have stars Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress on their roster.

"You've just got to put the talk to rest and go out and show them what you can do," said Smith, who will move from the slot to Toomer's spot outside. "I feel like if I stay healthy, I'll make plays."

And he has already made several of them, including an incredibly important one in Super Bowl XLII against New England that's often forgotten because it was sandwiched between the miraculous helmet catch by David Tyree and the winning touchdown.

Smith, then a rookie, had five catches for 50 yards in the Super Bowl. His biggest came on the winning drive with less than a minute to play when he gained 12 yards on third and 11 from the New England 25. On the next play, Eli Manning found Burress in the end zone for a touchdown.

Of the winning drive, Smith said: "That moment right there was just one of those things where, 'Do you really want to be noticed? Do you want to be remembered forever?' And that's how we approached it."

Devout Giants fans who watch from grassy hillsides or along the fences at the team's University of Albany training camp remember Smith's catch and tell him so.

"It feels good that they remember it," Smith said. "They're always yelling to me, 'Third and 11!' That's all they really need to say."

More often, however, Smith has worn a cloak of anonymity. For example, although he didn't complain, it irked him that he would never see his USC jersey in sporting goods stores around Los Angeles. Instead, the racks were filled with Dwayne Jarrett's No. 8.

"At SC, they loved the big receiver, the big, tall, 6-5 guy," said the 5-foot-11 Smith, who has vastly outperformed Jarrett as a pro. "I wanted to have my jersey in stores like he did, but you can only have one guy.

"That stuff you can't control. That's who the coaches pick. Even if I had the greatest season ever, that's what they decided. I definitely think that gave me a boost to go out there and play even harder."