On Wednesday, the Chicago Tribune's Steve Rosenbloom insinuated in a column that former Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith was possibly taking improper gifts and an embarrassment to the Chicago Bears after reporting items were stolen from his car in Athens.
On Thursday, Rosenbloom issued a mea culpa.
Smith, the Bears' top pick in this year's NFL Draft, reported Sunday that several game-worn jerseys and other Georgia memorabilia were stolen from his parked BMW SUV. Also among the stolen items was an iPad containing the Bears' playbook -- issued in preparation for this week's rookie camp.
A suspect in the theft has been identified and many of the stolen items recovered in Summerville - about 140 miles west of Athens. Still missing is the Bears' iPad (which was swiped of all data remotely.)
Smith expressed his gratitude to police in a tweet Wednesday.
Rosenbloom implied that perhaps Smith did not get the car appropriately. He wrote:
At this point, you could ask how a student-athlete that the NCAA is so proud of not paying is able to afford a 2018 Beemer. But that's not why you called.
He followed by questioning Smith’s explanation and his inability to properly lock a car properly. He ended his column, saying “To think, Smith was considered the ‘safe’ pick.”
Thursday morning, Rosenbloom wrote an apology to Smith, saying he was sloppy in questioning Smith's character:
I was sloppy and unreliable in reference to Smith and his new car. If I had researched the issue properly, I would've learned that Smith had entered into an endorsement or partnership deal with an Athens BMW dealership after he declared for the draft, as many emailers from Dawg Nation rightly pointed out.
I screwed up. I lumped Smith in with those gaining impermissible benefits. I was wrong. I apologize to Smith and the University of Georgia for that.
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