The Fresno State product made a lot of plays in practice during training camp — most notably a leaping, one-handed interception against AJ McCarron — but veteran Shiloh Keo always entered the preseason games ahead of Smith and ended up logging more snaps.
But on cutdown day it was Smith who got the good news, which means today in Oakland he will get to begin his NFL career in his home state.
And while Smith may not see any snaps on defense, he is expected to play on special teams.
He talked about the experience of coming in as a rookie and battling for a roster spot for this week’s Bengals High 5:
Q: Was there one moment in the preseason when you knew you belonged?
A: Coming in I was confident that I could play. But once I came out and started making plays and was able to my job day in and day out, that's when I told myself, 'I can play at this level.' But this is a loaded roster, so I didn't know if it would be here or somewhere else.
Q: What was cutdown day like for you?
A: Obviously going through this whole process, I was definitely confident in myself that I could make the roster. At the same time, finally getting that official news of making the team was definitely exciting. I let my parents know, let my brother know. They were all excited. It was definitely a joyous time for me and my family.
Q: Will they be in Oakland for your NFL debut?
A: Yeah. My parents, my aunt, my brother, maybe a few other people. It would be about a 10-hour drive, so they're going to catch a quick flight. They made it out to my first preseason game against the Giants, too. In college they made it to all the home games up in Fresno and they made it to a good amount of the away games, too.
Q: Because you played with him for three seasons at Fresno State, can you give me a scouting report on Oakland quarterback Derek Carr?
A: He's a very intelligent quarterback. He has a quick release, a strong arm. We have to get in there and put pressure on him and get him off his spot, make him feel the defense around him. I'm looking forward to seeing him. Me and DC are good friends.
Q: Do you think you'll exchange jerseys after the game?
A: I haven't really thought about that. I'm worried about trying to win this game. I'll think about it, but it's my first NFL game, so I might want to keep my jersey. I have to weigh all my options.
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