Jets rookie WR Arian Smith grew up in the Tampa area, playing football and competing in track and field in high school, and it's more than likely that a contingent of family and friends have been hitting him up for tickets to the Week 3 game against the Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday.
Smith, however, has more pressing things on his mind.
"Yeah, I'm excited for it," Smith said about his homecoming. "But I got to stay clear, just think straight, because that's a distraction. It can be. So, I'll talk to them sometime this week. But as I get closer to the game, I'll definitely home in on my job."
His "job" is catching passes, and last Sunday he grabbed his first in the NFL for a modest 8 yards against Buffalo. And while that fourth-quarter catch from QB Tyrod Taylor may only be a footnote, for Smith it's a milestone.
"It was just a real feeling," he said. "So when I go out there and just play and get the first catch, it means a lot. But I'm looking forward to next week."
Next week is nearly here and the speedy Smith, a fourth-round selection (No. 110 overall) in April's draft, is likely to have more opportunities to get his hands on balls thrown by Taylor, the 15-year veteran who will start against the Bucs because Justin Fields is in the concussion protocol after sustaining a head injury against the Bills in the Week 2 loss.
"It's just like his wisdom, he's been out there being a veteran," Smith said. "Telling me what to do, coaching me for sure. He just brings a sense of calm to the offense. I feel like we all trust him to go out there and do the same job as well as Justin did. So, excited to have him as quarterback now for the offense."
At Georgia last season, Smith (6-0, 179) led the Bulldogs with 817 receiving yards from 48 catches and 4 TDs. In his four seasons with the Bulldogs, he played 47 games and totaled 68 catches, 1,356 yards (19.9 yards/catch) and 10 TDs.
He turned heads at the NFL Combine last February when he posted the fifth-fasted time among wide receivers in the 40-yard dash (4.3). He complemented that with a 38-inch vertical jump, 10-7 broad jump, 6.82 seconds in the 3-cone drill and 4.19 in the short shuttle.
As HC Aaron Glenn and OC Tanner Engstrand continue to shuffle players at WR2 across from WR1 Garrett Wilson, Smith will have a chance to show his skills. Taylor has a reputation for throwing deep balls, which could fit well into Smith's wheelhouse on Sunday.
"They have a good safety that I played with actually in college, Tykee Smith," he said. "He does a good job playing sideline to sideline. Their NT, number 50 [Vita Vea], he's a good player, too. So just, make sure we take care of those key players and make sure we can be dominant and be physical upfront. We'll be all right."
