Denver Native (Carol)
09-25-2009, 12:26 PM
http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=9396
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Inside the Broncos' Dove Valley locker room, Alphonso Smith doesn't have to go far to seek advice from two of the most prominent defensive backs in the National Football League.
His locker is wedged between two of the most respected secondary players within the pro ranks.
When Smith looks to his left, he sees eight-time Pro Bowler Champ Bailey. When he looks to his right, he sees seven-time Pro Bowler Brian Dawkins.
To say Smith is elated with the locker room setup would be an understatement. But he didn't just get the arrangement by chance -- it took the rookie cornerback a bit of work to lodge himself between Bailey and Dawkins.
"I lobbied for it," Smith said. "As soon as I found out where my locker I was like, 'Yes! I'm in between two future Hall of Famers.' So hopefully it will rub off on me or something."
So far, Smith believes the two players, who own a combined seven first-team All-Pro selections, have aided his transition from the collegiate game to the NFL.
They have taught him tricks of the trade on the field and mentored him off it. But most notably, Smith believes he has become a more studious player by observing how Dawkins and Bailey prepare each week.
"These guys are professionals at preparing," Smith said. "How these guys prepare for opponents is just amazing. "There is nothing like it."
During his standout career at Wake Forest, Smith was one of Dawkins' biggest fans. On a consistent basis, the 5-foot-9, 190-pound cornerback went online and watched videos of Dawkins when he was with the Eagles, amping up his teammates.
Anytime he was looking for inspiration, he replayed his favorite Weapon X YouTube video. That video was the first time he remembered hearing Dawkins preach "respect is not given, it's earned." Now, Smith needs no computer to get that same message.
"Just to hear it in person by him is something that kind of (sends) chills through my body when I hear it," he said.
While Smith credits Dawkins and Bailey for advancing his development, they aren't the sole reason he's already carved out an identity on the club. Against Cincinnati and Cleveland, Smith played an important role in defensive coordinator Mike Nolan's 3-4 scheme. Taking the field in nickel packages, Smith has tallied five tackles and two pass deflections, contributing to the team's 2-0 start.
Veteran secondary counterpart Renaldo Hill believes Smith is excelling so quickly because of the way he carries himself day in and day out.
"It just seems like he's been here before," Hill said. "It doesn't seem like too much discourages him or distracts him. He stays focused, he's confident in his ability so you see that a lot on the football field. It's just like he's one of the vets."
Hill said it didn't take him long to realize Smith wasn't your typical rookie. The two players share the same agent and worked out together in South Florida this offseason. At that point, Hill was asked to mentor Smith by their mutual agent. But as Hill put it, there "really wasn't a lot for me to do."
Hill said Smith's track record at Wake Forest probably helped his transition. A big-time playmaker for the Deamon Deacons, he believes those past experiences removed any intimidation when taking to the NFL gridiron.
"You feel comfortable when you have someone out there on the field that can take care of responsibilities, and can go out there and compete with the best of them," Hill said.
Apparently special teams coordinator Mike Priefer feels the same way about Smith. Midway through Sunday's home opener, he called the rookie's number to fill in for a banged-up Eddie Royal.
Thrown into duty, Smith returned three punts for 10 yards and, more importantly, No. 33 showed he can be counted on to secure the ball.
"Sometimes you've got to fill in for guys and Sunday I had to fill in for a great returner in Eddie Royal," Smith said. "Your number can be called anytime, so through the week I try to prep myself as if I'm the starting returner."
Smith competed for kickoff and punt return duties from the start of rookie camp all the way through minicamps, OTAs and training camp. In the preseason, he furthered his case for a returning role, tallying a team-high six punt returns for 59 yards, including a 27-yard run back. He added five kickoff returns for 97 yards, including a 30-yard scamper.
Although time will tell if Smith continues to make a dent in the return game, it wouldn't surprise his teammates if he gets more reps in those roles as the season progresses.
Royal said he's seen a big rise in Smith's level of play since the team's exhibition finale against the Cardinals.
"You can look back there and you'd never think he's a rookie by the way he's handling himself," Royal said. "He's moving in the right direction. You can tell he's getting better week by week.
"As a returner, you have to be a confident player," Royal continued. "You have to have faith in your hands, your ability to read whether you should fair catch it or not, and he's done a great job. He's handled the role very well and he's taken the responsibility as a responsible man."
Special teams counterpart and fellow defensive back Jack Williams has taken notice, too. He believes Smith's decision-making skills are reason enough to leave him out there, as he should be able to put the offense in good field position more times than not.
"He makes good decisions," Williams said. "We haven't seen him break a real long one yet, but I'm real sure he can do that, so we're just trying to get out there and block for him and hope that he can do something with the ball."
Upon arriving at team headquarters for his post-draft press conference in late April, Smith wasted little time setting the bar for his rookie campaign. On that day he promised he'd play "like his hair is on fire."
Sitting at his locker following a rainy practice on Wednesday, Smith said he still has plenty of work to do before reaching self-imposed benchmark. Backed by a coaching staff confident in his ability and afforded the opportunity to learn from the likes of Dawkins, Bailey, Hill and Andre Goodman on a daily basis, Smith believes he'll get there in due time.
"I still have a lot of things that I can do better to help our team win," Smith said. "I do think I'm playing alright, but I still have a long way to go. Playing like my hair is on fire -- that's how I'm going to get there."
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Inside the Broncos' Dove Valley locker room, Alphonso Smith doesn't have to go far to seek advice from two of the most prominent defensive backs in the National Football League.
His locker is wedged between two of the most respected secondary players within the pro ranks.
When Smith looks to his left, he sees eight-time Pro Bowler Champ Bailey. When he looks to his right, he sees seven-time Pro Bowler Brian Dawkins.
To say Smith is elated with the locker room setup would be an understatement. But he didn't just get the arrangement by chance -- it took the rookie cornerback a bit of work to lodge himself between Bailey and Dawkins.
"I lobbied for it," Smith said. "As soon as I found out where my locker I was like, 'Yes! I'm in between two future Hall of Famers.' So hopefully it will rub off on me or something."
So far, Smith believes the two players, who own a combined seven first-team All-Pro selections, have aided his transition from the collegiate game to the NFL.
They have taught him tricks of the trade on the field and mentored him off it. But most notably, Smith believes he has become a more studious player by observing how Dawkins and Bailey prepare each week.
"These guys are professionals at preparing," Smith said. "How these guys prepare for opponents is just amazing. "There is nothing like it."
During his standout career at Wake Forest, Smith was one of Dawkins' biggest fans. On a consistent basis, the 5-foot-9, 190-pound cornerback went online and watched videos of Dawkins when he was with the Eagles, amping up his teammates.
Anytime he was looking for inspiration, he replayed his favorite Weapon X YouTube video. That video was the first time he remembered hearing Dawkins preach "respect is not given, it's earned." Now, Smith needs no computer to get that same message.
"Just to hear it in person by him is something that kind of (sends) chills through my body when I hear it," he said.
While Smith credits Dawkins and Bailey for advancing his development, they aren't the sole reason he's already carved out an identity on the club. Against Cincinnati and Cleveland, Smith played an important role in defensive coordinator Mike Nolan's 3-4 scheme. Taking the field in nickel packages, Smith has tallied five tackles and two pass deflections, contributing to the team's 2-0 start.
Veteran secondary counterpart Renaldo Hill believes Smith is excelling so quickly because of the way he carries himself day in and day out.
"It just seems like he's been here before," Hill said. "It doesn't seem like too much discourages him or distracts him. He stays focused, he's confident in his ability so you see that a lot on the football field. It's just like he's one of the vets."
Hill said it didn't take him long to realize Smith wasn't your typical rookie. The two players share the same agent and worked out together in South Florida this offseason. At that point, Hill was asked to mentor Smith by their mutual agent. But as Hill put it, there "really wasn't a lot for me to do."
Hill said Smith's track record at Wake Forest probably helped his transition. A big-time playmaker for the Deamon Deacons, he believes those past experiences removed any intimidation when taking to the NFL gridiron.
"You feel comfortable when you have someone out there on the field that can take care of responsibilities, and can go out there and compete with the best of them," Hill said.
Apparently special teams coordinator Mike Priefer feels the same way about Smith. Midway through Sunday's home opener, he called the rookie's number to fill in for a banged-up Eddie Royal.
Thrown into duty, Smith returned three punts for 10 yards and, more importantly, No. 33 showed he can be counted on to secure the ball.
"Sometimes you've got to fill in for guys and Sunday I had to fill in for a great returner in Eddie Royal," Smith said. "Your number can be called anytime, so through the week I try to prep myself as if I'm the starting returner."
Smith competed for kickoff and punt return duties from the start of rookie camp all the way through minicamps, OTAs and training camp. In the preseason, he furthered his case for a returning role, tallying a team-high six punt returns for 59 yards, including a 27-yard run back. He added five kickoff returns for 97 yards, including a 30-yard scamper.
Although time will tell if Smith continues to make a dent in the return game, it wouldn't surprise his teammates if he gets more reps in those roles as the season progresses.
Royal said he's seen a big rise in Smith's level of play since the team's exhibition finale against the Cardinals.
"You can look back there and you'd never think he's a rookie by the way he's handling himself," Royal said. "He's moving in the right direction. You can tell he's getting better week by week.
"As a returner, you have to be a confident player," Royal continued. "You have to have faith in your hands, your ability to read whether you should fair catch it or not, and he's done a great job. He's handled the role very well and he's taken the responsibility as a responsible man."
Special teams counterpart and fellow defensive back Jack Williams has taken notice, too. He believes Smith's decision-making skills are reason enough to leave him out there, as he should be able to put the offense in good field position more times than not.
"He makes good decisions," Williams said. "We haven't seen him break a real long one yet, but I'm real sure he can do that, so we're just trying to get out there and block for him and hope that he can do something with the ball."
Upon arriving at team headquarters for his post-draft press conference in late April, Smith wasted little time setting the bar for his rookie campaign. On that day he promised he'd play "like his hair is on fire."
Sitting at his locker following a rainy practice on Wednesday, Smith said he still has plenty of work to do before reaching self-imposed benchmark. Backed by a coaching staff confident in his ability and afforded the opportunity to learn from the likes of Dawkins, Bailey, Hill and Andre Goodman on a daily basis, Smith believes he'll get there in due time.
"I still have a lot of things that I can do better to help our team win," Smith said. "I do think I'm playing alright, but I still have a long way to go. Playing like my hair is on fire -- that's how I'm going to get there."