Smiths keep football tradition alive

Lee Smith is set to play his final year at Powell High School -- just like his dad. Then, Smith, who committed to play football for Tennessee in February, will play for Vols -- just like his dad. An NFL career would continue to mirror the journey that his father traveled almost 20 years ago.

Daryl Smith played six years in the NFL after playing for UT from 1983-86. Smith played for the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles. Now, Smith is an assistant coach at Powell, overlooking his son, a 6-foot-5, 242 pound tight end and defensive end.

Here, Daryl and Lee Smith discuss their family tradition ... football.

Q: You guys at Powell should be pretty good this year. I know you're excited about what you have coming back this year, including your son, Lee.

DS: We're excited. We're starting to get cranked back up here after the dead period and I think our kids worked real hard through the off-season. I think if we can stay healthy, hopefully we can be pretty good.

Q: Lee, I can't remember expectations being any higher at Powell. Do you sense that in the community?

LS: Even last year, definitely. I guess I'm used to it after the team we had last year and the team we have coming back. I definitely think everybody expects a lot out of us.

Everybody's ready to step up. The pressure doesn't get to any of us. Most of our starters are coming back from last year so we all have experience. Nobody feels too much pressure but everybody knows we can do well if we just step up and play.

Q: You were close to a win against Maryville last year. Daryl, do you think that's given kids confidence over the off-season?

DS: I think so. If nothing else, it showed our kids that we can play with Maryville. If we do play good football, we can beat them. I don't think that's been a very consistent mindset at Powell or really any other school. I'm excited about the opportunities this year these kids have.

Q: The confidence factor is almost as big as talent, isn't it Daryl?

DS: I think so. High school may be a little different. But whether it's in the SEC or the NFL, it's become a very level playing field. You've just got to find your 11 best players and you're going against their 11 best players.

Q: Daryl, are you excited about working with the young kids after all the time you spent playing?

DS: I get more nervous coaching than I did playing. After you get hit a few times the butterflies leave. In coaching they seem to hang around a little longer.

Q: Lee, is it nice having your dad around to help you out with some of his knowledge from his playing days?

LS: It's helped me a lot growing up. He played the same position I do in high school. I've got the same body build as he did when he was younger. So he knows what I'm going through and what I've got to do to get better. So it's definitely a positive having him to tell me what to do and tell me what's going to come.

Q: Does it help to have a guy in your household that's had success at the highest level?

LS: It's kind of pressure I guess. If I don't live up to it, my whole life, I guess, everybody's going to say I wasn't as good as my dad and that won't be much fun. I've been around it my whole life. I'll know what to do when I get to the bigger stages.

Q: Lee, when (Tennessee football coach) Phillip Fulmer offered you a scholarship and you committed, can you describe your emotions you felt?

LS: It was awesome. I've always wanted to play for UT. I didn't think it would come that early. I figured I'd have to work hard during the summer and go to the camp and impress them there. When he offered me early, I can't even explain how I felt.

Q: Did UT want a decision pretty quickly and how did you respond if there was any pressure to do it right away?

LS: Coach Fulmer didn't really seem like there had to be a decision right away. He was pretty laid back about it. He just told me he wanted to offer me a scholarship. He didn't give me a time limit.

If I would have been undecided and didn't know what to do and he would have pressured me, I don't know how it would have turned out. When those words came out of his mouth, I knew exactly what I was going to do.

Q: If you had to bet a dollar, four years from now would you be playing tight end or defensive end?

LS: If I had a choice I'd say tight end. But I don't know. I love football on both sides of the ball. Catching passes is fun and playing defense is fun. It doesn't matter to me. As long as I can get on the field, that's all I care about.

Q: Daryl, what position do you see him ending up at in four years?

DS: I think it's tough. I think it may come down to, hopefully, if he works hard, where they need him the most. I think he has a preference of offense. I know he's my son, but it's awful exciting to watch him chase that quarterback around.

Q: With Powell, they've done a lot, Lee, to get you the ball on offense. That has to have helped UT see you and at least project you at tight end.

LS: I am kind of a main part of the offense since I've moved to Powell. They get me the ball when they need to. That's one of the main things I loved about coming to Powell is I get the ball a little more. I guess that would draw Tennessee's eye that I get the ball a lot. But I don't know where I'll end up.

Q: Alcoa's Brandon Warren (who committed to Florida State) said UT doesn't throw the ball to the tight end very often. What are your thoughts on that, Lee?

LS: I don't really know Brandon. He's a ballplayer. I wish he would have come to UT with me.

My friends say that. People say that. I'll go back to Jason Witten any time that's brought up. The man is playing in the pros. I think when Tennessee has a tight end that they can get the ball to, they'll get the ball to him.

Q: Daryl, where would you rank tight end as a specialized position?

DS: It's becoming more of a specialized position at whatever level. It's becoming a hybrid position. They're taking some of the duties of the fullback and even the slot where they can move them around and put them in motion.

It puts a strain on a defense if you've got a guy that can go in motion and block and lead plays, plus get open in routes. You look for mismatches. If you can put a guy that's 6-foot-5 against a guy that's 5-foot-10, you don't have to run by him. You can get him by position. You win.

Q: There are some guys that need to get away from home. There are others that are better off being at home. Have you thought the whole time your son would be better with the support system here in Knoxville?

DS: I think it can work both ways. I think with Lee being close to his mom where she can reel him back in if she needs to, that's going to be a good thing.

Q: What was it like playing for Tom Landry?

DS: He was a much more personable person than I think most people realize. Lee was born my first year down there. He allowed me to fly home the night before a game as long as I got back the next morning before the game.

When I got back to the hotel the next day before the game he was the first person to meet me. He didn't ask me anything except how was my wife, how was the baby. He was concerned about my family, not that I got back in time.

Q: Landry was portrayed as robotic, a guy that didn't really have emotions. Was that a incorrect portrayal?

DS: To a certain degree, it was incorrect. He took the time to learn every player's wife's name and their kids' names. You're around him, especially during the season, from 7:30 in the morning until 5 or 6 at night.

In the off-season you're there training pretty much every day. Dallas required you to live there close to the facility. Everybody was there year-round.

Q: Were you upset about the way Tom Landry was treated in the end when Jerry Jones bought the team and replaced Landry with Jimmy Johnson?

DS: Oh sure. My wife says my claim to fame is I was the first guy Jimmy Johnson traded. And it's true, I was.

Q: Lee, who is the most talented player you've every played against?

LS: It would probably be Garrett Reynolds from Carter because he's the first player I've ever played against that was taller than me and could actually snatch me up before I could snatch him up.

The long arm, tall thing has always helped me. I know eventually I'll have to get over that. I wasn't prepared mentally to play against somebody as long-armed as me and could get a hold of me.

Q: Daryl, who is the best you've ever gone against?

DS: It's easy for me: Lawrence Taylor. I did OK against him. I made him mad one play by holding by accident and dragging him to the ground.

The next play, he made a sack with my back. I knocked down (former Cowboy quarterback) Danny White with my back. It wasn't a pretty sight that Monday morning in the films. In terms of a guy that could do so many different things, he was just a phenomenal athlete.

Q: Lee, who is the toughest player you've ever played against?

LS: Probably Gary Tucker from Maryville. He would just come hit you in the mouth every play. It didn't matter if you hit him back or if you beat him the play before. He'd come back at you 100 percent.

I figured if I beat him once or twice I could get in his head. I admit I try to do a little trash talking to get in their heads. There's no getting in his head. He's the same player all game. He's going to stroke you every player, no matter what happens.

Q: Daryl, who's the toughest player you went against?

DS: I'll have to go with the guy I played against in practice every day, Jim Jeffcoat. He was relentless. He was one of those guys on Saturday afternoon in sweats and a helmet, he was going full speed.

He'd beat you and go snap the quarterback's arm and get you screamed at. He helped my career. I'd stay sharp because I had to go against him every day in practice.

Q: Lee, who's the best trash talker you've gone against?

LS: To be honest the biggest trash talker I've ever played against is Cole Patrick from Powell when I went against him my sophomore year when I was at Central.

Q: Daryl, does anybody stand out to you as far as trashtalking?

DS: Dexter Manly by far. You could hardly understand him but he was saying something.

Q: Lee, who is the best team you've gone against.

LS: Maryville is just perfect. No matter how much you've got them down, no matter how much you think you're going to win, for some reason deep down inside they know they're going to win at all times. Coach (George) Quarles knows he's going to pull something out of his sleeve to win. I guess when you have Cade Thompson throwing the ball it's kind of hard to stop them.

Q: Daryl, what is the best team you've faced?

DS: I'd say the Giants. (Bill) Parcells is a good coach. I think he's going to do a good job with the Cowboys to get them turned around. But it's probably the Giants teams with Taylor and Phil Simms.

Q: Biggest thrill in your career, Daryl?

DS: Running through the 'T' my senior year by myself. That's big. When there are 100,000 people screaming just for you, it's a pretty big deal.

Q: How about you Lee?

LS: It's not really playing, but I guess when I got my (scholarship) offer and I realized I was going to run through the 'T.' When I realized I'd get to do that and I might get to catch a touchdown in the checkerboard one day, that hit home and that was probably my biggest thrill so far.