Geno’s last chance for redemption
GENO Smith met the media Monday, and virtually nothing he said really mattered. Because if he has any chance, this last New York chance, this Jawshank Redemption, to resurrect his career here, he needs his actions to speak louder than his words. Don’t tell us. Show us. Show your bosses, show your coach, show your teammates, that you have learned a painful lesson, and try to become the best quarterback you can be.
It’s terrific news that his broken jaw is healing. He doesn’t need his mouth for his Jawshank Redemption. He needs his head and his arm.
Smith should start on his Jawshank Redemption by observing how Ryan Fitzpatrick works the room, and gets teammates to want to fight for him and with him. It’s about accountability, and trust, and selflessness, and commitment.
Smith made the bed he sleeps in now and now is the time for him to wake up.
He should do himself a favor and read The Franchise Quarterback Primer, which states: Be the first one to arrive, and the last one to leave. Be the same guy every day, no matter what you may read or hear. Never make excuses. Earn the re spect of your teammates. And respect your teammates. And don’t, of course, miss a Saturday night team meeting, or curse a fan, or toss a football with your dad with a broken jaw against doctor’s orders.
From the day he arrived in 2004, it’s as if Eli Manning wrote the book. Or read the book Big Brother Peyton Manning wrote 18 long years ago.
You are not entitled to be a leader just because you are the quarterback. Ask Robert Griffin III about that. Or the 2014 Johnny Manziel.
It was Smith’s job to lose, and one punch from a former teammate named IK Enemkpali over an alleged $600 debt caused him to lose it to Ryan Fitzpatrick, who will start the home opener on Sunday against the Browns, and at the very least until Smith is fully healed.
“It’s been a little tough,” Smith said, “but the support has been there. My teammates have supported me, my coaches have sup
ported me, my fam ily has supported me, mom was right there with me, so the perspective is that you just got to keep working.
“You know, these things happen in life, and unfortunately it happened to me, but I’m not gonna hang my head, I’m not that type of guy, I’m not weakhearted, so I just keep pushing on and keep working.”
I asked him what lesson he had learned.
“I’m going to keep that to myself,” he said. “Obviously, there is a lesson learned in every situation, but ... just got to keep working.”
While the team that belonged to him now belongs to another quarterback.
“You can imagine how I felt that day, in a split second something can happen, anything can happen — walk outside, God forbid something can happen,” Smith said.
It didn’t happen outside. It happened inside the locker room.
“When situations occur, I think that shows you character of a man,” Smith said. “You just got to keep pushing, keep plugging, really not change much. Obviously, the setback has altered some things for me, but just going to stick to what I know and that’s to keep working and keep working hard.”
I asked him if he regretted putting himself in that situation with Enemkpali.
“I’m not going to talk about that incident, like I said,” Smith said. “It was something that happened weeks ago. There’s still an investigation being done, so it’s not really important for me to say anything about it. I think that will clarify more things than anything.” Does he deserve any blame? “Once again, going to move on. We got the Cleveland Browns this week, and that’s important.
“I hate the fact that I got to answer so many questions about myself because it’s really about the team more than myself.”
He’s the only NFL quarterback who has ever had to answer questions about himself following a teammate’s punchout.
Did Enemkpali apologize? Did he pay Enemkpali? He wouldn’t tell us. Because there will be no Jawshank Redemption unless and until he shows us.