Denver Native (Carol)
07-09-2010, 01:55 PM
http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=10213
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- For Le Kevin Smith, the 2009 season was a year of firsts.
The fifth-year defensive lineman has played in at least 13 games during each of the past three years, but he made his first two career starts and notched his first career sack last season.
He is part of a group of young linemen with experience in a rotation that now includes newcomers Justin Bannan, Jarvis Green and Jamal Williams.
Smith sat down with us for a Q&A session.
How would you describe your 2009 season?
"A good start, we just didn't finish the way we wanted to. That's something we're keeping in mind."
Do you look at your first starts and first sack as milestones to build off of?
"There are always things that you can build off of. I try to just stick more to how well I can do my job. That's where I'm starting this year."
What do you expect out of yourself in 2010?
"There's a lot. I just hope to improve. That's been my main goal. I just want to improve and hopefully see the field even more."
How will adding the three new guys to the rotation help the defensive line?
"It's great, because not only is it great depth and now we've got all solid players across the board, it's great personalities as well. They are great people that they added to the group this year."
What did you expect when you became a free agent this offseason?
"You can't go into free agency expecting anything. You could either hit gold or you could be done. I'm always somebody who likes to prepare for the worst, so part of that is why I was at Harvard (as part of the NFL Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program). I was preparing to move on if I had to. But it worked out."
Does it give you confidence knowing that the team wanted you back and re-signed you?
"It was good and that kind of factored into me coming, because they did make such a statement that they did want me back here. That kind of went ahead and pushed the envelope to say, 'OK, I'm willing to go back.'"
You got to Super Bowl XLII -- does remembering that feeling drive you to get back there?
"Even if you haven't been to a Super Bowl, I hope you can even just imagine or dream about it. And whatever you dream about, you're not even going to come close to the feeling once you actually walk onto that field. That's something I hope to feel again and actually win, but you've got to win the 16 in front of that to do something."
You're an avid traveler -- you've recently been to Italy and Finland -- did you go anywhere this past offseason?
"This past offseason I ended up getting engaged, so I spent a lot of time with my fiancée because I didn't get to see her pretty much all season. So I just went back to Boston and kicked it with the family."
How long have you been interested in drawing and painting?
"I've been doing that stuff since I was a kid. I grew up doing it. Originally when I went to college I wanted to be an architect. And if it wasn't for football, I would've been an architect."
And that led you to photography?
"Yep. Now photography has become the thing, because it's a little easier to do. The painting and drawing, it takes a lot of time -- at least for me -- to put into a painting. I like to get all the detail. It's like, Aw, man, it's taken me almost a year to finish this painting, but I can go out and shoot 1,000 pics in one day."
How do you find time to keep up those hobbies in the NFL?
"That's what the offseason is for. During the season, you're focused on work. But during the offseason, you know you've got to keep your workouts and regimen going, but you've got to get away from this game. For me, I have to get completely away from football. I have to get away from the city, everything, because that's the only way that I'll come back just super ready to dive back into the game."
Does a career in the NFL and art clash at all? Or do the two go together more than people might think?
"They actually blend, I feel, because there's some art to this. It's a skill. Especially the way that we do it on the line, it's a skill more than just going out and bumming around. They work together for me."
Do you have any specific plans for the break until training camp?
"For me, I'm going to actually put a lot of time in with my little brother. He's a junior (in high school). He's going to be hoping to play defensive end, so I want to teach him about the game. I'm bringing him to Boston and we're going to get it in."
Is he hoping to play in college?
"He's just looking to freaking play right now in high school. But he's a big Texas guy. He isn't feeling Nebraska like I was."
Training camp can be a grind, but are you excited as a lineman to finally put the pads on?
"Yeah. You know, you want your time off, but after you do the minicamp and a couple people start feeling like they're strong without the pads on, you're looking forward to putting the pads on and teaching a few lessons."
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- For Le Kevin Smith, the 2009 season was a year of firsts.
The fifth-year defensive lineman has played in at least 13 games during each of the past three years, but he made his first two career starts and notched his first career sack last season.
He is part of a group of young linemen with experience in a rotation that now includes newcomers Justin Bannan, Jarvis Green and Jamal Williams.
Smith sat down with us for a Q&A session.
How would you describe your 2009 season?
"A good start, we just didn't finish the way we wanted to. That's something we're keeping in mind."
Do you look at your first starts and first sack as milestones to build off of?
"There are always things that you can build off of. I try to just stick more to how well I can do my job. That's where I'm starting this year."
What do you expect out of yourself in 2010?
"There's a lot. I just hope to improve. That's been my main goal. I just want to improve and hopefully see the field even more."
How will adding the three new guys to the rotation help the defensive line?
"It's great, because not only is it great depth and now we've got all solid players across the board, it's great personalities as well. They are great people that they added to the group this year."
What did you expect when you became a free agent this offseason?
"You can't go into free agency expecting anything. You could either hit gold or you could be done. I'm always somebody who likes to prepare for the worst, so part of that is why I was at Harvard (as part of the NFL Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program). I was preparing to move on if I had to. But it worked out."
Does it give you confidence knowing that the team wanted you back and re-signed you?
"It was good and that kind of factored into me coming, because they did make such a statement that they did want me back here. That kind of went ahead and pushed the envelope to say, 'OK, I'm willing to go back.'"
You got to Super Bowl XLII -- does remembering that feeling drive you to get back there?
"Even if you haven't been to a Super Bowl, I hope you can even just imagine or dream about it. And whatever you dream about, you're not even going to come close to the feeling once you actually walk onto that field. That's something I hope to feel again and actually win, but you've got to win the 16 in front of that to do something."
You're an avid traveler -- you've recently been to Italy and Finland -- did you go anywhere this past offseason?
"This past offseason I ended up getting engaged, so I spent a lot of time with my fiancée because I didn't get to see her pretty much all season. So I just went back to Boston and kicked it with the family."
How long have you been interested in drawing and painting?
"I've been doing that stuff since I was a kid. I grew up doing it. Originally when I went to college I wanted to be an architect. And if it wasn't for football, I would've been an architect."
And that led you to photography?
"Yep. Now photography has become the thing, because it's a little easier to do. The painting and drawing, it takes a lot of time -- at least for me -- to put into a painting. I like to get all the detail. It's like, Aw, man, it's taken me almost a year to finish this painting, but I can go out and shoot 1,000 pics in one day."
How do you find time to keep up those hobbies in the NFL?
"That's what the offseason is for. During the season, you're focused on work. But during the offseason, you know you've got to keep your workouts and regimen going, but you've got to get away from this game. For me, I have to get completely away from football. I have to get away from the city, everything, because that's the only way that I'll come back just super ready to dive back into the game."
Does a career in the NFL and art clash at all? Or do the two go together more than people might think?
"They actually blend, I feel, because there's some art to this. It's a skill. Especially the way that we do it on the line, it's a skill more than just going out and bumming around. They work together for me."
Do you have any specific plans for the break until training camp?
"For me, I'm going to actually put a lot of time in with my little brother. He's a junior (in high school). He's going to be hoping to play defensive end, so I want to teach him about the game. I'm bringing him to Boston and we're going to get it in."
Is he hoping to play in college?
"He's just looking to freaking play right now in high school. But he's a big Texas guy. He isn't feeling Nebraska like I was."
Training camp can be a grind, but are you excited as a lineman to finally put the pads on?
"Yeah. You know, you want your time off, but after you do the minicamp and a couple people start feeling like they're strong without the pads on, you're looking forward to putting the pads on and teaching a few lessons."