Geno Smith had two initial goals to accomplish this offseason: acclimate himself back in the facility while getting to know his teammates and coaches and learn the offense. But the Jets quarterback wants to do more than that.
During the Knicks playoff run, Smith went to one of their games against the 76ers where he was greeted by many Jets fans wanting photos with their returning quarterback.
"It was just great for me to immerse myself back into the community and I want to continue to do that," Smith said after the first of three mandatory minicamp practices. "I want to be not just the quarterback of the team, but I want to be a part of this community again and I want to make sure that's something I'm doing."
Smith already believes there is plenty for those Jets fans to be excited for and he said this spring has been "tremendously awesome."
"What I see within this team is there's a unity here, there's a belief inside the building and I believe every single one of the coaches and players are working with this same intent and I think that's something that's very powerful," Smith said. "That unity, that intentionality that we have about our work, I think it breeds success and so we've got to just stay down and keep our heads down, stay focused on day-to-day and all the big things will happen."
A Commanding Leader
Smith's return to the Green & White brought an important leader back into the locker room.
"You can see the maturity in him," head coach Aaron Glenn said. "You can see how he's grown over the years and he's really rubbing off on a lot of guys here, so I'm excited, we'll see what he brings to the table."
But Smith doesn't worry about leaving an impact; he's just trying to be himself.
"Being a leader, to me, is about just the day-to-day and how you present yourself every single day, so I just try to be consistent," Smith said.
If anything, Smith is thankful how his teammates impact him.
"Just being with these guys, a lot of young guys and they give me new life," he said. "For me, it's just so exciting to be the elder statesman in the room, but I still feel young and I just want to be one of the guys and continue to try and make an impression on my teammates if I can."
When it comes to running an offense, his teammates were quick to notice Smith's command and leadership — especially in the huddle.
"The veteran feel that you get with Geno is something that is very nice to have back," RG Joe Tippmann said. "The way he can communicate what's going on, like when he gets the play and then gives it back to us, it's something I admire about him."
