Cowboys rookie NT Mazi Smith just dropped the best quote of training camp
"We brought (Mazi Smith) in to command the A-gap," Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters on Monday ahead of the team's first-padded practice. It's safe to say Smith looks the part in more than just one way. Officially listed at 6-foot-3 and 337 pounds, he intends to bring some much-needed physicality to the […]
"We brought (Mazi Smith) in to command the A-gap," Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters on Monday ahead of the team's first-padded practice.
It's safe to say Smith looks the part in more than just one way. Officially listed at 6-foot-3 and 337 pounds, he intends to bring some much-needed physicality to the middle of the Cowboys' defensive line. While Dan Quinn's defense has established itself as one of the best pass-rushing units in the NFL, a nose tackle like Mazi could be the missing piece to boost the team's run defense and open up many possibilities.
When talking to reporters after practice, Smith had little to say. Yet he said it all with the best quote out of Cowboys training camp up until today.
"I don't do no talk, I get straight after it, I'm trying to hit you, […] I got nothing to say," told reporters via Mike Leslie from WFAA. "I don't even like football, I like hitting people."
Talk about a unique way to fire up Cowboys fans. Smith has been known to be a freakish athlete with elite strength. During his college days as a Michigan Wolverine, he was known for pulling off impressive feats in the gym, and he was even ranked #1 in Bruce Feldman's "Freaks List" entering his final college season.
In the same media availability session, Smith also backed up the fact that he doesn't talk. In fact, he was surprisingly humble acknowledging he's not the strongest player on the team (yet, in the meantime he gives that title to offensive tackle Tyron Smith) and admitting one of his biggest weaknesses as a player.
"I (am) slow off the ball sometimes," Smith admitted to reporters. "I'm trying to make sure that I get off with the same intensity and ready to attack and destroy blocks."
Now that the pads have come on in camp, it's Smith's time to shine. With veteran Johnathan Hankins standing out last year after arriving near the trade deadline, that starting spot isn't guaranteed, even if the Cowboys looked at him as an immediate starter during the NFL Draft.
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Featured image via Dallas Cowboys' YouTube channel
