The Pittsburgh Steelers capped off a busy Commerce Deadline Tuesday by buying edge rusher Preston Smith from the Inexperienced Bay Packers. You’ll have heard he has 68.5 profession sacks in 155 regular-season video games. However what else ought to you understand?
Three-Sport Child Thanks To His Mother
When Smith was rising up, he wasn’t a football-only child. And that’s a great factor. From a expertise perspective, year-round specialization in a single sport as a child has gone the best way of the dinosaur. Extra persons are realizing {that a} various background in sports activities is sweet for athletes.
It’s additionally good for his or her mothers, too. Smith’s mother inspired him to play a number of sports activities, and he performed basketball and baseball alongside soccer.
“My mother was attempting to maintain us lively,” mentioned Smith per commanders.com. “Have a number of dimensions to our life, not being a one-sport athlete, taking part in a number of sports activities and simply having a number of completely different athletic capability.”
And if Smith’s profession is any proof, possibly extra dad and mom ought to encourage their children to strive extra sports activities, too.
Stephenson Excessive College, NFL Pipeline?
Smith performed soccer for the Stephenson Excessive College Jaguars. The soccer crew isn’t one which’s been round for fairly some time as they began taking part in soccer in 1996. However in that comparatively quick time, they’ve produced 18 soccer gamers that a minimum of had a cup of espresso within the NFL. Preston Smith has performed extra NFL video games than every other Stephenson Excessive College graduate. Nevertheless, the participant with the second-most video games from the Jaguars is a former teammate of Smith’s new QB Russell Wilson. Bruce Irvin could have solely performed a part of his highschool profession at Stephenson, however the connection is there.
Additionally, three years after Smith graduated highschool, present Chicago Bears DE Montez Sweat graduated from Stephenson.
Dominant Senior Season At Mississippi State
Smith was a three-star prospect popping out of Stephenson Excessive College in Stone Mountain, Georgia. And he confirmed a capability to make performs for the Bulldogs earlier in his school profession. He had 5.5 tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks his sophomore season. However as a senior, Smith had a standout season for which SEC coaches named him First-Staff All-SEC and the Related Press named him Second-Staff All-SEC. He even turned the primary defensive lineman in convention historical past to be named Defensive Lineman of the Week three weeks in a row.
Simply how good was Smith? He had 48 complete tackles, 15 tackles for a loss, 9 sacks, two interceptions (together with a pick-six), 9 passes knocked down, 5 pressured fumbles, and one fumble restoration. He additionally blocked two kicks on particular groups.
That’s a darn good solution to cap off a university profession.
A Veritable Ironman In The NFL
Washington drafted Smith within the second spherical of the 2015 NFL Draft. Since that second, Smith has performed in 10 NFL seasons. He’s missed precisely one recreation in that point. And relying on who you discuss to, Smith solely missed that Week 7 recreation simply to verify his indirect damage can be good to go the next week.
“My physique is my funding,” mentioned Smith in an interview with Larry McCarren for Whole Packers: 1-on-1 on packers.com. “It acquired me thus far, it acquired me all the things I wished in life.”
It’s a outstanding achievement for anybody to have performed in 155 regular-season video games in 10 seasons. But at the same time as Smith approaches his thirty second birthday on Nov. 17, he’s nonetheless going sturdy and never exhibiting any indicators of sporting down. Not unhealthy in any respect for a participant in search of his fourth-straight season of eight-plus sacks.
He’s Sacked Russell Wilson In The Playoffs
Smith has 68.5 sacks in 155 regular-season video games, however he’s additionally performed in eight playoff video games and added 4.5 sacks in that timeframe.
And two of these sacks got here in the identical recreation in 2019, a 28-23 win over the Seattle Seahawks and Smith’s new QB. You possibly can see these sacks within the NFL’s video highlighting Smith because the 63rd participant within the Prime 100 checklist for 2020.
Crucial of the 2 sacks got here on a third-and-five play with solely 3:19 left. The Packers had been nursing a 28-23 lead however the Seahawks had been threatening. But one way or the other Smith ended up one-on-one with a Seahawks tight finish and blew proper by him to carry Wilson down.
I’m positive Wilson is relieved that Smith is on the identical crew reasonably than chasing him down.
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