*We caught up with offensive tackle Jason Smith in the locker room this afternoon. After coming to the Jets from St. Louis in a trade on Aug. 27, the former second overall draft pick talked with us about his first 12 games with the Green & White, facing his former team last month and his biggest hobby away from the gridiron. *
If you were talking with someone unfamiliar with football, how would you describe your role or position on the field? What would you want people to know?
I'm a helper.
Do you feel like your position is unique?
Every position is unique. They all play their role and their part. Every position plays its own separate role.
You've played in 12 games now with the Jets. What's been the biggest highlight for you in these first 12 games?
Watching the way this team performs. Watching the way this team sticks together as men regardless of what the outcome is.
Compare the locker rooms in St. Louis and here. Is this group pretty close? I'm sure it was close in St. Louis too, but are there any similarities or differences between the two locker rooms in St. Louis and here?
Obviously I'm a Jet, so really that's all I focus on. I think from my standpoint, that's the way I have to look at it, and what I see here is people that have a common goal and work effectively daily to achieve it.
Do you have a closest teammate so far during your time with the Jets?
Yeah, I really value my time with D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Austin Howard.
Did you know anybody on the Jets before you arrived here?
I knew Mardy Gilyard from the Rams. Besides that, I met people along the way but really didn't know anybody.
Is that tough going somewhere where you really don't know anybody? Do you kind of compare it to going to a new school?
Basically, it's change, but it's all about how you deal with it in the midst of what's going on. You just deal with it as it comes up, as different obstacles come up.
I don't know if you know this or not but the four games you've played most in this year, the team has a 4-0 record. What's your reaction when I tell you that?
I don't have a reaction or a comment.
You had a big block on the touchdown drive the other day against Arizona when Greg threw the touchdown to Jeff. Can you describe that play from your perspective?
I don't know what play you're talking about.
The touchdown play when Greg threw the touchdown pass to Jeff.
We're all just pieces of the puzzle, working collectively to achieve a goal.
What did it mean to you when you went back to St. Louis a few weeks ago and picked up a win. What was that experience like going back to play against your old team and seeing old teammates?
You want to win every game you play and that's really how I look at it.
Was it good to catch up and see some old familiar faces?
It was good to see some guys I know and some guys I spent some time with. Obviously I was there for a while. But at the end of the day, in my perspective, it was a business trip. That's how I looked at it and that's how I look at them all.
Do you regularly try to keep in contact with some of your old teammates?
Steven Jackson, me and him, we're friends, along with a lot of other guys. But me and him, we developed a relationship off the field that was real cool. So we still text each other and communicate. But besides that, it's a time of year where a lot of guys are busy and they're working hard.
What's your biggest hobby away from football?
Team roping.
Oh, yeah. What's that like? I've never heard of that.
Never heard of it? You should look it up.
Is it cool?
Very cool. It's a rodeo event.
Is it big in Texas?
It's big all over. Mainly in Texas, though. You know, real cowboys come from Texas.
How often do they have events for that?
Pretty much every day, somewhere.
Did you enjoy it growing up?
It's something that I've adopted and I like to do.
What about Jacksonville this weekend? Are you familiar with anybody on the Jaguars' roster?
It's another game that we're going to go.
I mean, do you know anybody on the team?
I know of some guys.
But not personally or not any real friends?
I'm real simple, a real simple guy, you know.