Transcript provided by the St. Louis Rams
Post Practice 1 - Rams Offensive Tackle Jason Smith – July 29, 2010
(On where he prefers to play on the line)
“Wherever they put me is fine, wherever they put (OT) Rodger (Saffold) I’m sure is fine. We’re just going to go out and play some football.”
(On whether he is more comfortable with the spotlight off of him in his second year)
“The spotlight is for whoever is looking, whoever is looking at the light. I focus more on what’s going on on the field and the things that I can control, and just the intangibles. And I can focus on my effort and my attitude every day. At the end of the day, that stuff is what goes on. Sure, I was a hot pick or whatever, but we all believe between those lines, none of that matters. Who hits the hardest and who plays the (best).”
(On the difference it makes to have a year behind him)
“Things are a lot simpler as far as the language and communication. When my coach is telling me to play the cut-off, I understand what it means now instead of, ‘What does that mean?’ or act like I do and try to figure it out on the run. It’s more of just a second year in this deal and knowing what we’re trying to get done.”
(On how close he is to participating fully in practice)
“To my understanding I’m just limited and we’re just going to keep focusing on the facts and the details of what they’re telling me to do from the inside, to how we’re progressing towards our first game against the Cardinals.”
(On whether his concussion last season is long forgotten)
“Sir? A what? A who? A what? Aww, man…come on.”
(On whether his fractured toe has recovered)
“My toes? Oh yeah. I’ve got five. Oh the one that was fractured? Oh, that one? We’re recovering it and we’re taking it very serious as far as progressing it to practice and up until our first game.”
(On whether his toe is pain-free)
“We’re taking it real serious and we’re progressing up to our first game and we’re practicing and we’re going to go as far as we can every day.”
(On whether Sam Bradford is missing a lot by not being at practice on the first day)
“I obviously missed the rookie camp and I was here for the first day of veteran play. I’ve never been the number one pick, so I don’t know what he’s going through. I was the number two pick and I had a different deal. I’m a tackle and he’s a quarterback. So as an offensive lineman, if I would have missed days I would have missed a lot. He’s a quarterback. Different job. I mean, I don’t know what the plans are with what they’re trying to do with him. Obviously he’s our teammate and we’re real concerned about him and I’m sure he’ll get here in a timely fashion. He has great agents working for him and a great (Rams administration) upstairs and they’re going to do everything in a timely fashion with what needs to be done.”
(On whether he’s helped Bradford in completing the signing as a first-round pick)
“Well, you know, the great thing is that we both have the same agents in Tom Condon and Ben Dogra over at CAA . Those guys do a great job of getting things done and getting them done in a real timely fashion.”
