One time, Brad Smith returned a kickoff 90 yards-with one shoe. Another time, he scored on a 32 yard scamper via the ground. Yet another, he returned a blocked punt for a TUD. And I didn’t even mention the fact that last season he scored on a 32 yard receiving TUD against the rival Patriots.
His insane versatility on the field stretches to his local community as well, where he started the “Brad Smith True Foundation” to help kids in his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio to promote “discipline, education and organized activity.”
Recently, The Scores Report spoke with him about his first season in Buffalo, his preferred position, and his recent stint as an intern/backstage interviewer at Men’s Health magazine.
BE: With the Jets, you had a 108-yard kickoff return for a TD, the longest in franchise history. What do you get more exhilaration out of: that or a 32-yard scamper for a TD?
Brad Smith: It doesn’t matter to me (laughs). If it’s running, blocking a kick, it doesn’t matter. What matters to me is, did I do something to help my team win?
BE: Do you want to play QB more?
Brad Smith: I’m always a quarterback first — it’s what I’ve done my whole life. And I have fun doing it, but I’ve done all kinds of stuff. Whatever they ask me to do is what I’m going to do. That’s how I look at it man. Whatever I can do to help the team win is what I will do.
BE: With the Jets you were there from the transition between Eric Mangini to Rex Ryan. What was that like?
Brad Smith: It was a good transition. The support group they have there is unbelievable, from the training staff to the strength staff at the time, they all made it a smooth transition. Coach Mangini, I learned stuff I still use to prepare for games to this day from coach Mangini. He was one of the most detail-oriented coaches I’ve ever been around. Rex gets you to play and let it loose 100%, so you don’t have to think — I picked that up from Rex. We’ll see how it goes with coach Marrone.
