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Thursday Media Transcript: QB Geno Smith

Eric from BBI : Admin : 8/24/2017 3:33 pm
QB Geno Smith

August 24, 2017

Q: How do you feel about taking the field against the Jets, your former team, this Saturday?

A: I knew that was coming [laughs]. It’s going to be an exciting game. Another opportunity to go out there and play with these guys on my new team and to really build ourselves up. Obviously, going against your old team, you may have a few emotions here and there, but I think I’ll be able to manage it well.

Q: Do you feel like you have something to prove to the Jets?

A: You know, you always have that mentality. You always want to go out there and prove yourself. But, nothing extra added towards them, though. I have a lot of great respect for a lot of people in that organization and I appreciated my time there, but now it’s just focusing on what we have to focus on, which is going out there and executing on game day.

Q: What is your favorite Jets memory?

A: I’ve got so many. Honestly, just being in the locker room with the guys, just being with the guys. All those guys on the team, guys who are still there, like Mo [Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson], some guys who are gone like [former Jets center Nick] Mangold. A couple of guys that were on the team my rookie year. We built some great bonds and became more than just teammates, we became friends. And I think that was something that’s really special.

Q: Which Jet players do you still talk to and have reached out to you this week?

A: No one’s reached out. We’re so focused on just getting through the day of practice, but I talk to all the guys, really. [Jets wide receiver] Quincy [Enunwa] and I, we’re still good friends. I reached out to him when he got injured. Mo, we always Snapchat each other, we always talk and check on each other. So, a lot of the guys on the team and even guys who aren’t there anymore, we keep in touch.

Q: Have any of your teammates or coaches asked you any questions about the Jets this week?

A: Of course, of course. Being able to go against [Jets Head Coach] Todd Bowles’ defense the past two seasons in practice every day, you kind of get a little bit of information. I won’t share that here, but there’s some things that you can see on tape that show up and there’s some things that are different. So, you’ve just got to go out there and read your keys. I’m not going to be trying to call out signals or anything like that, just allow us to go out there, read our keys and make plays.

Q: How much of a challenge has it been flipping between the second-team and third-team offenses?

A: Honestly, it’s not really been that challenging because we’ve got a great amount of guys who are competing for spots here and everyone’s really just focusing on, not only themselves, but helping this team become great. That’s one thing that I appreciate, is that no matter who’s out there, whether it’s first, second or third team, guys are busting their butts and trying to get better.

Q: What do you take away from your days with the Jets, any lessons?

A: Many lessons, many lessons. A lot about overall leadership and just understanding perspective and things like that. I was able to get out there and play early on and I think that really helped me out a bunch because I gained a bunch of experience. I’m not wide-eyed or anything. When I go out there on the field, I understand what it’s about and I just try to go out there and make the best of it. So, just being there, being a starter, being a backup, you kind of get it from both sides and I can teach younger guys from my own experience, my past experience.

Q: Do you feel like humility has been important in your growing process here?

A: I mean, humility is a big thing in everyone’s life. It’s important to be humble, it’s important to take everything with a grain of salt and just continue to stay focused. So, that’s something that I wouldn’t say I’ve learned, but it’s something that really, when you look at my career [with the Jets], it pops up. Just when I thought I was doing great, had to take a couple steps back. So, those are things that you’ve just got to focus on. You’ve got to be able to continue to stay focused and not get too big or too low on things.

Q: What’s been working for you so far this preseason, and what do you look forward to working on?

A: Getting completions. I think I’ve done a pretty decent job of getting completions, but I can do a lot better. Being very focused on the details – the small details within the games. I’m still learning the offense and still progressing, but there’s some things I could’ve done better as far as, you know, being more detailed. So, those are things that I’ve got to clean up, and I’ll focus on that this week and continue it on in practice.

Q: What is the fine line between playing freely but not turning the ball over?

A: I never think about it. Honestly, I don’t put my focus on the negative. When I go out on the field, I think about scoring touchdowns, leading the guys and making sure we’ve got that fire and that drive to go out there and put points on the board. You can never eliminate turnovers from the game. Every quarterback has them, you know, it happens. Unfortunately that’s a part of the game, but you’ve got to overcome it. So, without being able to play a full game, you can’t necessarily see that, but all in all when you’re in the red zone, you’ve got to take care of the football. All those things come in as factors. You’ve definitely got to be mindful of it. You know, that’s first things first is protecting the football, but you don’t want to go out there and play scared or just check it down every time.

Q: Where do you think you are in competition with QB Josh Johnson and does it come into your mind?

A: Just focusing every single day. Trying to perfect my craft – in the classroom, in the locker room, and then once you step out on this field, just trying to perfect my craft every single day. I understand there’s a competition, but everyone’s out here competing. I’m not the only one, and everyone wants to win that spot. So, you can’t focus on that. You can’t let that beat you up. You’ve just got to go out there and work your butt off and be confident and let that show.

Q: When you signed here, did it dawn on you that you’d have to beat the Jets or at least do something important against the Jets?

A: I mean, that’s every team. That’s every player who steps on the field. If you don’t produce, you’re probably not going to have a job in this league. So, it’s not really about the Jets. It’s more about me going out there and just continuing to get better and continuing to showcase my ability, but also be productive. I think I’ve shown that I can make plays, but I need to be more productive and finish drives.

Q: When you think back to four years ago, do you think that the Snoopy Bowl changed your NFL life?

A: Not really, no. Honestly, that’s neither here nor there. I don’t know what could’ve transpired from that. Honestly, we didn’t want Mark (QB Mark Sanchez) to get hurt, obviously, but I mean, that’s kind of the way things happen. You can’t really draw it up to be perfect. Sometimes you’ve got to kind of roll with what you’re given and I think for the most part I did that.

Q: You’ve learned that over the years?

A: Yeah.

Q: You talked about the upside to playing when you were young, is there anything you can look back on and say ‘wow, I was really young, that was really hard’?

A: Yeah, of course. I mean, it’s hard on any young quarterback coming into this league. There’s been great quarterbacks that have done well from their rookie year on, and then there’s been guys who haven’t done so well, changed teams, and became great. I think it’s all about how you look at it as the person. You’ve got to take advantage of your opportunities because they can be few and far between. So, you’ve got to take advantage of every single opportunity you get, and I’m aware of that, so I just want to continue to have that mindset every single day I wake up and every single time I take the field.

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