FRISCO, Texas – As the beginning of the second week of OTA’s at the Star in Frisco, Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Jason Garrett remarked on linebacker, Jaylon Smith’s progress throughout drills, “ I think more than anything else he is moving more spontaneously now. You see him maybe getting into a compromising position and react his way out of it physically, maybe better than he had before. “
Smith no longer has the doubts of his nerve re-generating and can solely focus on the game of football he loves. Yesterday at practice, Smith was the last of the linebacker group to walk off the field. He stayed after to work with coach Bloom on his footwork and mobility in routes against blockers.
His hard work and determination are the reason he is able to play football again. Doctors did not know if he would ever play another down of football but here he is. Smith has a fresh start, and the movements and knowledge of the game will continue to grow and become second nature as he takes the field with no setbacks this time. His positive attitude is contagious to everyone around him.
Garrett added “ He is still a young player and hasn’t played a lot of football for us at this level but he is one of those guys that learns from his experiences. I think you see him get more confident in that regard but I also think just having confidence that his foot is gonna be there and his knee is gonna be there; All the things that a healthy player takes for granted. It has been a process for him and he has worked very hard to come back. I do think you see some more of that naturalness that we saw in college and it is fun to see.”
As his naturalness on the field comes to fruition once again, Jaylon Smith will be a strong force for the Cowboys in the defensive scheme, like he was for Notre Dame. It is only the beginning for the “clear eye view” player!!
