Smith spent the past month in Florida where he trained with several teammates. While he’s gotten more experienced and “wiser,” his preparation for the season looks the same.
“I try to get better every way that I can and improvement doesn’t just happen on the field on gameday, it starts in the offseason,” Smith said. “You have to challenge yourself every single day … and I appreciate the fact that, in Year 14, I still have a lot of room for improvement.”
Smith always had plans for a long NFL career, so there’s not much shock in his voice when he says it’ll be his 14th season.
“I’ve always believed in myself, I’ve always believed in my talent and my work ethic and I believe that’s going to carry me forward as well,” Smith said.
It’s been 10 years since Smith played for the Green & White, and in that time he’s learned from “being under some really great quarterbacks.”
“That’s what the NFL is about, it’s about the process,” Smith said. “Heading into Year 14, I still have that same edge, that same chip on my shoulder that I had as a rookie … you always got to have that edge, and you always got to try and find new ways to get better.”