Super Bowl Champ Interning for Rep. Elijah Cummings
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G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images(BALTIMORE) — Torrey Smith is a man of many hats, or maybe helmets. Not only is he a star wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens and a new Super Bowl champion, he is also an intern for Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md.
That’s right, an intern.
Smith is interning for Cummings in the Baltimore office of Maryland’s Seventh Congressional District. Smith, who is a graduate of the University of Maryland, is interning for a constituency that spans more than half the city and most of Howard County, as well as some of Baltimore County.
Smith, 24, dedicated his 2013 off-season to politics when he began his month-long unpaid internship in early March. He could not be reached for comment.
But the Super Bowl winner is not getting any special treatment in the district office. Smith, a native Virginian whom the Ravens drafted in 2011, went from catching passes to filing papers, according to the Baltimore Ravens website.
“I was handling files, reading letters, relaying them, typing up what sponsors say, printing stuff,” Smith said. “I was the office guy.”
Although such grunt work seems tedious, the pro athlete said that he enjoyed it and learned a lot.
“I learned that there are really politicians that do a lot for their community – [Cummings] being one of them,” Smith said. “You can literally call your congressman and any issue you have, they can basically point you in the right direction if they can’t help you. I never really knew that.
“Being on that side and seeing how they work, it’s pretty cool. Their staff, they actually care. That says a lot when it comes to a city like Baltimore. You need people who are leaders and taking care of your area who really care.”
The Ravens will pay Smith upwards of $700,000 next season, according to Spotrac.com.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio