DenBronx
08-20-2008, 11:42 AM
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_10249021
So, Rod Smith, nouveau retiree, what have you been up to?
"As little as possible," Smith said.
Which is to say, as much as possible. Smith may have taken off his shoulder pads, but he hasn't shed his image. You don't arrive overnight from 600-plus consecutive offseason workouts at Dove Valley to card-carrying couch potato.
For the record, he's dabbling in real estate and a few other business interests. But Smith's real passion these days is keeping Brandon Marshall on the straight and narrow.
"We talk every other day," Smith said. "It's kind of our standard thing. We have to talk. I'm on track with him, seeing how he's doing. We probably talk more about life than football. Every time he does something right, I let him know. And every time he does something wrong, I let him know."
The interesting part isn't that Smith has become Marshall's mentor. The interesting part is why. He isn't being paid by the Broncos. He doesn't have a title, official or otherwise. He's doing it because he wants to do it.
No, check that. He's doing it because something inside tells him he has to. Because that's how he's wired. If there's one thing about Rod Smith, it's this: He never forgets his roots.
"I don't get paid a dime," he said. "This is personal for me. My pay is by them letting me come through those big gates for 14 years."
With Smith, it's always personal. That's why you knew he would be there last week when Wade Phillips showed up at Dove Valley with the Dallas Cowboys. The same Wade Phillips who, as head coach of the Broncos, signed Smith as an undrafted free agent for the princely sum of $5,000.
Then there's Mike Shanahan. If Phillips gave Smith his start, Shanahan did the rest. The presence of the only two NFL head coaches he ever knew was too much for Smith to pass up.
"Wade gave me my first job, and Mike gave me my last job," Smith said. "I definitely wanted to talk to those guys. Wade has been huge for my career, just giving me an opportunity. He's always said, 'You did it, you did it.' I'd say: 'No, you could have cut me when you cut those other guys. I never would have known what would have happened if you hadn't given me a chance.'
"You know, man? You've got to learn to be appreciative."
Know this about Marshall: If the kid is going to flame out because of off-field issues, he's going to have to overcome Smith's best efforts. It's personal, all right. It's Smith's way of repaying the Broncos for taking a chance back in the day on a no-name player from a no-name school.
And no, it isn't the first time he has done it. Far from it. Or maybe you didn't know about Smith's past efforts to underwrite sports programs for the Boys & Girls Club of Texarkana, Ark., his hometown. Why? Because way back when, somebody helped him stay on the path, just as he's trying to help Marshall stay there.
"I don't try to make a big deal out of it," Smith said. "Some of the people who were very dear to me, who helped me, I still help them with some of their programs."
Then there's the Rod Smith Green and Gold Golf Classic. They play it every year near the campus of Missouri Southern, Smith's alma mater. And yes, the headliner still shows up, still shakes hands, still lets them know he learned to be appreciative.
"It's a big deal to me," Smith said. "With a small school, you've got to try to get money in. We're going to do some more buildings, some more facilities. It's not always about athletes. We'll have better students, too. That's what we want to be, an upper-end Division II school."
He remembers every step of his journey and, unlike so many others, Smith repays those who helped him along the way. That's why protecting Marshall's future is so important to him.
And what could that future include? We're talking about the most physically gifted receiver in franchise history, a player fast enough to get open and big enough to run over anyone in his path. A player who, if he can lose the baggage, could break every one of Smith's franchise receiving records.
"He's potentially a first-ballot Hall of Fame guy because his numbers are going to be ridiculous," Smith said. "It's up to him. We work on short- term goals. Not just football goals, but life goals. If he's going to reach those goals, he has to do the right things."
So, Rod Smith, nouveau retiree, what have you been up to?
"As little as possible," Smith said.
Which is to say, as much as possible. Smith may have taken off his shoulder pads, but he hasn't shed his image. You don't arrive overnight from 600-plus consecutive offseason workouts at Dove Valley to card-carrying couch potato.
For the record, he's dabbling in real estate and a few other business interests. But Smith's real passion these days is keeping Brandon Marshall on the straight and narrow.
"We talk every other day," Smith said. "It's kind of our standard thing. We have to talk. I'm on track with him, seeing how he's doing. We probably talk more about life than football. Every time he does something right, I let him know. And every time he does something wrong, I let him know."
The interesting part isn't that Smith has become Marshall's mentor. The interesting part is why. He isn't being paid by the Broncos. He doesn't have a title, official or otherwise. He's doing it because he wants to do it.
No, check that. He's doing it because something inside tells him he has to. Because that's how he's wired. If there's one thing about Rod Smith, it's this: He never forgets his roots.
"I don't get paid a dime," he said. "This is personal for me. My pay is by them letting me come through those big gates for 14 years."
With Smith, it's always personal. That's why you knew he would be there last week when Wade Phillips showed up at Dove Valley with the Dallas Cowboys. The same Wade Phillips who, as head coach of the Broncos, signed Smith as an undrafted free agent for the princely sum of $5,000.
Then there's Mike Shanahan. If Phillips gave Smith his start, Shanahan did the rest. The presence of the only two NFL head coaches he ever knew was too much for Smith to pass up.
"Wade gave me my first job, and Mike gave me my last job," Smith said. "I definitely wanted to talk to those guys. Wade has been huge for my career, just giving me an opportunity. He's always said, 'You did it, you did it.' I'd say: 'No, you could have cut me when you cut those other guys. I never would have known what would have happened if you hadn't given me a chance.'
"You know, man? You've got to learn to be appreciative."
Know this about Marshall: If the kid is going to flame out because of off-field issues, he's going to have to overcome Smith's best efforts. It's personal, all right. It's Smith's way of repaying the Broncos for taking a chance back in the day on a no-name player from a no-name school.
And no, it isn't the first time he has done it. Far from it. Or maybe you didn't know about Smith's past efforts to underwrite sports programs for the Boys & Girls Club of Texarkana, Ark., his hometown. Why? Because way back when, somebody helped him stay on the path, just as he's trying to help Marshall stay there.
"I don't try to make a big deal out of it," Smith said. "Some of the people who were very dear to me, who helped me, I still help them with some of their programs."
Then there's the Rod Smith Green and Gold Golf Classic. They play it every year near the campus of Missouri Southern, Smith's alma mater. And yes, the headliner still shows up, still shakes hands, still lets them know he learned to be appreciative.
"It's a big deal to me," Smith said. "With a small school, you've got to try to get money in. We're going to do some more buildings, some more facilities. It's not always about athletes. We'll have better students, too. That's what we want to be, an upper-end Division II school."
He remembers every step of his journey and, unlike so many others, Smith repays those who helped him along the way. That's why protecting Marshall's future is so important to him.
And what could that future include? We're talking about the most physically gifted receiver in franchise history, a player fast enough to get open and big enough to run over anyone in his path. A player who, if he can lose the baggage, could break every one of Smith's franchise receiving records.
"He's potentially a first-ballot Hall of Fame guy because his numbers are going to be ridiculous," Smith said. "It's up to him. We work on short- term goals. Not just football goals, but life goals. If he's going to reach those goals, he has to do the right things."