Below is a transcript from Buccaneers Tackle Donovan Smith's media availability. Full video of press conferences can be found on Buccaneers.com.
(Opening Statements)
General Manger Jason Licht: "It's always exciting for an organization when you're able to do an extension with a guy that you drafted, the organization developed, the coaching staff did a good job with these guys - especially Donovan here. Donovan, in addition to being a massive person has a great, great combination of athleticism, strength – but more importantly his intelligence and his desire to be out on the field every Sunday. I think that gets talked about a lot, but at the same time doesn't get talked about enough. That's a quality that's hard to find, especially with his leadership and the respect that he has from his teammates for loving the game, wanting to be better, and wanting to get better every day. So, in addition to getting and securing him for the next – you know he signed a three-year contract - he also has a tremendous upside still. I'm looking forward to him reaching that potential in the next few years. With that said, I'm going to turn it over to Donovan."
Tackle Donovan Smith: "I want to thank Jason Licht and the Glazer Family for having me. Like I said, I love it here in Tampa, the locker room, the guys, the community, the people around. I couldn't imagine myself anywhere else and it's just a blessing to be able to get this done and know that I have this security to be here for another three years. I just look forward to the great things that come with the team and the new coaching staff. I have to shout out the trainers like he said – fight week in and week out to make sure I'm on the field and you know we do a good job down there with Bobby (Slater) and them so definitely – I'm excited."
(On what it's like playing in a year contract and if that affected him)
Smith: "No I wouldn't say it affected me. You can't sit there and live out your life thinking about the what if's and all of that. I just took it a day at a time, went out there and did what I had to do. Thank god I didn't get hurt or anything like that. Any time you sit there and dwell on something like that that you can't control, it only makes matters worse and you stress yourself out. So, for me to sit there and say it wasn't a thought, I'd be lying. You know for the most part it is what it is. You can only control what you can control."
(On what it takes to start 64 consecutive games)
Smith: "It takes a lot. My hardest days are Mondays and Tuesdays normally after the game. It just takes a lot. You just have to be physically prepared, mentally prepared and just know that it's going to be a battle. All game, 60 to 90 plays, depending on how you play and stuff like that. It's great, It's fun. It's a sport where you can sit there and beat up on grown men, have fun with your guys from the line as well and go out there and pretty much be a kid and play a game you love week in and week out. It's great."
(On how different the offseason has been with a new head coach)
Smith: "It hasn't much different. I took this offseason the same way as I normally do. Take my normally two to three weeks off. Visit family, travel a little bit, just get back healthy, get your body back feeling good. Yeah that's it. I've talked to my agents a lot in the past few months. Outside of that it's been a normal offseason. Except the coaching changes and everything, I can't control any of that, so you just go about your business."
(On if Smith has spent time with Head Coach Bruce Arians and his thoughts on him)
Smith: "Yeah, I spoke to him briefly. Catching up, that's about it. He's a PA guy – Penn State here - so some similarities there. Outside of that, just little chit-chat, nothing crazy."
(On how close Smith was to being franchise tagged)
Licht: "I don't know, I guess it came until noon yesterday, and four o'clock was the deadline, so pretty close. The whole time- hats off to Donovan's agents, Brian [Mackler] , Jim [Ivler] and JR [Jerard Roggio], Mike Greenberg and myself, working on this. Those guys worked really hard to find a compromise with us and we're all happy in the end. It was one way or another Donovan was going to be here. It's just nice to know that we know that he's going to be here for a long time coming. Hopefully even longer than this current deal."
(On if Smith would have been okay playing under a franchise tag)
Smith: "Like I said, I'm not so it doesn't even matter. We were able to come to an agreement and it worked out for both sides, so why not?"
(On what it's like having Ali Marpet as a teammate)
Smith: "It means a lot. As you all know, Ali's my guy. We came in together and everything, as you see, we went to the Lightning game last night together. To be able to know I've got my friend that's grown to be my brother over these years, to keep this thing rolling together is huge. So, we just look forward to it. I can't really say the text he sent me, but it was a good text that he shot me after everything I'd done."
(On what Marpet has said to Licht)
Licht: "Just over the course of their career - they came in together. Ali is a big supporter of Donovan."
(On if Smith welcomes having a new voice/coach)
Smith: "Absolutely. Just like anything else, I can't control it. You go with it. You think back to Penn State, I've had three different coaches, so getting a new coach isn't a different voice or anything like that - I'm not opposed to it or anything like that. You learn them and you learn what works. You build on that. You build relationships and get out there and trust each other. You sit there and grow as a player and go from there. I'm not opposed to any of it."
(On what Smith can get better at in the next 3 years)
Smith: "Just in general, being a bigger voice. People lead different ways. I'm kind of the pull you to the side kind of guy. I could be more outspoken in my leadership. Like I said, just continue to build who I am on the field. Consistency – going out there and playing week-in and week-out, and just help the team win, because that's the plan here. We want to sit there, we want to turn this thing around and get it going. Can't have the Lightning only balling out here in Tampa, so we're going to turn it around and have some fun doing it."
(On what it's like facing players like Saints Defensive End Cam Jordan)
Smith: "As you know, it's the divisional opponents. The thing about the league is everybody knows everybody, so just like anybody else, you're guys having fun. People like to have fun – trash talk and everything. It is what it is, obviously it's coming from a divisional opponent. We'll see him twice a year."
(On where the team can improve as an offense)
Smith: "That's above my pay grade [laughs]. Just generally speaking, putting things together. Just from running the ball, throwing the ball, offense, defense – this is just not one side or both, this is just a team effort collectively. Play complementary football – offense, defense, special teams. I say go out there and put it together to win games."
(On who he called first once the deal was done)
Smith: "My mom. One of the hardest things for me is to see my mother cry. Whether it be happy tears or sad tears. For her to just – she pretty much just broke down and just said, 'I pray for this day and it's a blessing,' so she started crying. It kind of was a group Facetime, my brothers and sisters and stuff. My brothers, sisters mom and grandmother."
(On if he teared up seeing his family tear up)
Smith: "It hasn't really hit me yet. The night before - I don't think anybody knows, my agent knows - I went to sleep about 1:30 and woke up at 3:00 and was just like – I can't go to sleep. I really can't go to sleep. That's why I'm here today."
(On learning a work ethic from his family)
Smith: "My grandfather, to this day - I just went to go visit him, he says you have to keep going no matter what. He's obviously getting up there in age and dealing with some health things. I come home he's on top of his garage – roof of his garage and I'm like, 'sit down'. Same thing with my grandmother. To this day I'm carrying groceries, she's trying to pick up groceries – I'm like, 'Grandma, go sit down.' That's just the mentality of my family – my uncle and just how it goes no matter what. You just have to keep going, because nobody really cares. It's just been passed down and has been instilled in me."
(On how he makes his decisions in trying to keep players he drafted)
Licht: "You do want to keep your own guys, starting with Mike [Evans], Cam [Brate] and Ali. Every team has the same salary cap and every team strives to draft new players. When you do hit a run with guys like Donovan and Ali and the guys that I've mentioned, it puts you in this situation. You're dealt the hand you're dealt with. We're still going to look for good players. We do feel like we have a lot of good, young, talented players, and good veteran players on this team, so it's a little bit of a chess match, it becomes a little challenging, but that's why we do what we do."
-BUCCANEERS-