[VeggieDog]

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/h...r-the-falcons/

Lance Ito grew up cheering for the Los Angeles Rams in the 1960s. Now 67, Ito, the judge best known for presiding over the O.J. Simpson murder trial in 1995, remains a Rams supporter -- but concedes that he's also a fan of Falcons rookie Ito Smith.


Ito the running back, it turns out, has a nickname inspired by Ito the judge.


"No, I was unaware of the existence of a pro football prospect by the name of 'Ito' Smith," Judge Ito told ESPN's Vaughn McClure recently. "Having looked him up and discovering he is a handsome and talented fellow, certainly not a bad thing. Pro football is a tough business, and I wish him a long and healthy career."



Smith's given name is Romarius. But when his cousin first saw him shortly after he was born on Sept. 11, 1995, weeks before Simpson was acquitted, she thought, "That little baby looks just like the judge off TV."


"I guess she had been watching the trial with her grandmother," Smith said of his cousin, who was 4 at the time of her pronouncement. "And everybody in the family has been calling me Ito ever since."


So does Smith think he resembles Judge Ito?




"A little bit," he said, laughing. "I guess I looked like a little Japanese baby."


Smith, who is 5-9, 195 pounds and played at Southern Mississippi, was expected to go late in the draft but the Falcons thought so much of him that they selected him in the fourth round.


"I've been overlooked all my life, man," Smith explained. "It's nothing new to me. I'm actually kind of used to it. It doesn't really get me mad because I know God always makes a way for me, no matter what. He always comes through for me. I'll just continue to work hard and keep that chip on my shoulder and just give it all I've got."


In late April, we identified Smith as the Falcons' best pick in 2018 -- which includes first-rounder Calvin Ridley -- in part because of his play-making abilities and that he could have a bigger impact on Atlanta's offense next season.


And CBSSports.com draft analyst Chris Trapasso gave the Falcons an A after they selected Smith, writing, "Smith has amazing jump-cut ability, vision, and is tremendous in the screen game."

[VeggieDog]

Funny story. I enjoy finding out how people got their nicknames.