Rams Q-&-A: Jason Smith

[RamDez]

Rams Q-&-A: Jason Smith
Saturday, Apr. 25 2009
Here's the transcript of Jason Smith's conference call with reporters at Rams
Park (transcript provided by Rams' media relations department):

(On how it feels to be a Ram)

Smith: “It feels great. A lot of hard work and preparation to get to this point
and it just paid off. I feel privileged to be even considered to, come play for
us and be drafted by them. But, I understand that we have to win, we have to do
things that we’ve never done before. I have to go in there and be something I’
ve never been before. I have to go in that young guy that’s going 100 miles an
hour for one purpose for us to win and for us to be successful and for us to be
a productive football team.”

(On if he has to fill big shoes taking former Ram T Orlando Pace’s position)

Smith: “Well, obviously that is big shoes to follow. I have to give credit
where credit is due. I know Pace was a great offensive tackle, he was drafted
high, he was a seven-time Pro Bowler, he’s still a great offensive tackle. But
I have to go in there and make my own shoes. I can’t fill his, I have to make
mine. Obviously, you know I wear a smaller size than he does at the moment, but
at the end of the day, at the end of my career here, I want them to be saying
the same thing about me. ‘Hey young buddy, you have to go in there and replace
Jason Smith, 20-time Pro Bowler, 15-time, you know. The standard was set high
by him and I want to go reach it and sail past it.”

(On if he woke up confident the Rams were going to pick him today and on his
contact with the organization)

Smith: “Well you don’t know anything. The great thing is I was drafted. I feel
blessed, I feel privileged I’m just happy that they called…”

(On why he wanted to be a Ram)

Smith: “Obviously, they are at the bottom, they want to be at the top. I could
feel that when I was there. I could feel that talking to the guys and then I
had the opportunity to go watch the team workout and I’m feeling like I’m part
of them. I’m saying ‘why not us? Why not us? Why are we not the ones? And I
was like ‘whoa, whoa, whoa,’ I’m not even there yet. But why not us you know?
So obviously I have a job to do and I’m going to have that same mentality,
‘why not us?’ Why not me? Why not today? Why not this game? Why not this year?
Why not this playoff? Why not this Super Bowl? Let’s make dreams and visions
become reality’.”

(On who he received the call from)

Smith: “Mr. Devaney. He called and he was like, ‘hey’ and I’m like, ‘ahhhh.’ I
wanted to scream, but I had to be professional about it because I knew the
arena I’m in.”

(On what his answer was to the call)

Smith: “I was like, ‘ahhhh,’ Mr. Devaney. But honestly I’m like is somebody
calling from the top of lineup or is it actually labeled Rams and then he was
Mr. Devaney and I was like, ‘ahhh, Mr. Devaney.’ But at that point I was like
hey, dreams come true. The good guys always come out on top and at that point I
was like I have a job to go do and these guys are expecting me to be there and
do a job.”

(On if he knows any of the Rams players)

Smith: “I’ve had the privilege of meeting Richie Incognito, Jason Brown the
center, had a middle man talking with Bulger and then I know who Steven Jackson
is and now I actually met either he was linebacker or defensive back, back here
in New York…But it’s a great team and we’re going to be a great team, we’re
going to do whatever we have to do to win.”

(On if there is an NFL tackle or lineman that he has admired or emulated as his
career has developed)

Smith: “Well, obviously the great ones, Orlando Pace, let’s talk about him,
Flozell Adams, Walter Jones, the young ones, let’s talk about Joe Thomas and
let’s talk about Jake Long. These guys have set the standard. These guys have
done things that we must go and do as young tackles and that’s something that
me and Eugene (Monroe) and Michael Oher and all these other guys say the same
thing, the standard is set and it’s set very, very high.”

(On his thoughts the moment he got the call from the Rams)

Smith: “Well, obviously I don’t put much thought into money. I put more thought
into what I have to go do as a football player because I’ve decided this is
what I want to do and at that moment I realized where I want to be.”

(On if prefers playing right or left tackle)

Smith: “Football.”

(On if he can play running back)

Smith: “I can play wherever Coach puts me at. I went through college as a
defensive end. They put me at tight end. I played right tackle, then I played
left tackle. If the quarterback would have went down I would have played
quarterback.”

(On where he worked out with offensive line coach Steve Loney and what that
consisted of)

Smith: “Well, Coach Loney came into Waco (Texas) and actually it was a bad day,
it was raining and muggy and we got out there and we had a workout. So
obviously the weather didn’t stop what we had to do, but it went well. I really
appreciated the fact that he decided to come watch me and I really like him as
a coach. I’m ready to go learn from him. There’s a lot of things that we wants
me to do to be successful.”

(On if the workout was indoors)

Smith: “Actually, it was outdoors in the rain. The indoor facility at Baylor is
not put up yet, it will be up in July.”

(On if he is going to try to get the tackle-eligible plays back into the
offense)

Smith: “I have to learn tackle first. I have to learn what they want to do
there first. Then, I’m, ‘hey coach you know I can catch right? Hey Coach you
know I can catch right?’ and see if it gets thrown in there. But otherwise…I’m
going to do whatever I’m told.”

(On if he thinks it will much of an adjustment going to a three-point stance)

Smith: “Well, obviously, playing a three-point stance is something I’m going to
have to work on. But football’s football, a three-point stance, two-point,
five-point stance, 15-point stance, hey, let’s play football.”

(On his plans for tonight)

Smith: “I’m going to go to sleep. I’m going to get some rest. I have to catch
that flight tomorrow. I have media (obligations), I have camp coming up in
week. I have to rest. I have to be hydrated. Actually, I’m going to go back,
they have a little weightroom the hotel I’m going to workout in.”

(On if he thinks he has achieved owning the ranch)

Smith: “I have achieved that. Financially, credentials-wise, but as a person am
I ready to do that? Am ready to have my own; Am ready to settle down? I don’t
know. Right now, I have to worry about camp next week, rookie camp, and I have
to worry about us winning games because otherwise if I go in there worrying
with a mind frame of what I’m going to do and tell my team about worrying about
a ranch and horses and all that blah, blah, blah, and I won’t be anything, I
won’t amount to (anything), you’ll be talking about me as guy that woulda,
should, coulda.”

(On his strengths)

Smith: “My strengths are my attitude when I wake up every morning.”

[tomahawk247]

(On if prefers playing right or left tackle)

Smith: “Football.”

i love his attitude, no wonder the Rams drafted him

[Bald_81]

His answers pretty much sum up why I wanted him over Monroe. This is what separates him from the rest of the field. Can't wait to see him on the field.

[Mooselini]

Man, this is freaking exciting. Good kid. I hope he plays awesome for the Rams.