Patience, positivity key for Smith
Cowboys linebacker ‘battle-tested’ by year of injury rehab
OXNARD, CALIF. Just as Jaylon Smith was prodded to reflect on last year’s training camp — pretty much a personal rehab boot camp for mending a shredded left knee — Britt Brown buzzed up from behind, right on cue.
Brown, the associate athletic trainer and director of rehabilitation for the Dallas Cowboys, took the liberty of dishing out some perspective.
“It was torture!” Brown said with some serious emphasis before heading to the locker room.
Smith couldn’t help but laugh. And agree.
A year ago, the linebacker spent the bulk of morning practices on a separate field with Brown, his constant companion and drill sergeant, doing drills while attached to thick resistance cords. In the afternoons, Smith would warm up with the team before practice, then typically head indoors for more rehab. That’s the basic flavor of the rehab regimen. Isolation and repetition. “It was definitely challenging,” Smith told USA TODAY Sports. “It was my first time ever being hurt. To battle that, with a dream come true to play in the NFL not being able to play right away, it tested me mentally.
“But here I am now. It was a matter of just understanding the moment I was in and being patient.”
Smith is undeniably one of the most compelling story lines in Cowboys camp as his high-profile comeback, which began when he suffered a gruesome injury in his final game at Notre Dame in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl, continues. In addition to a torn anterior cruciate ligament, Smith suffered extensive nerve damage that added layers of uncertainty about whether he would fully recover.
Before the injury, Smith — talented, prolific and polished — was widely projected as a top-five pick in the 2016 draft. The Cowboys selected him in the second round (34th overall), gambling that he would revert to the player who starred for the Irish.
During the early stages of camp, Smith, 22, was flying all over the field with explosive bursts that suggest he’s operating with full confidence in his knee.
Said coach Jason Garrett, “At every turn, he’s handled what’s expected.”
The Cowboys are gradually working Smith back into the flow, careful not to overextend him as the physical demands ramp up with the contact work in camp. Nonetheless, Wednesday presented another marker as Smith participated in the first day of contact drills in pads.
“I’m very confident in every- thing I’ve done to this point,” he said. “We have a plan in place. Everything we’ve done, we’ve started out slow, then continued to progress and progress, and then we’re good. So I’m really just happy.”
After practices, he’s taken the constant barrage of questions about his health in stride — and with a huge grin.
“This kid’s attitude is amazing,” Brown said. “He’s very positive. Almost to a fault. I mean, I’ve had to be the realist.”
Brown has been a trainer in the NFL for 25 years, including 21 with the Cowboys. He insists he’s never worked with a player who was more upbeat than Smith. That seems more significant as Brown explained the challenges of Smith’s rehab, which hinged on the regeneration of the nerves — an unpredictable process that typically takes from six to nine months.
“That’s why I don’t like protocols,” Brown said, alluding to timetables and models for rehab. “This one didn’t follow it at all, because of the nerve.”
A major hurdle was cleared in January when Smith was finally able to lift the fourth and fifth toes on his left foot. Then he lifted the second and third toes, and finally the first one.
“I had faith as soon as I suffered my injury that I was going to be able to recover,” Smith said. “It’s faith-based; it’s a constant work ethic each day. And the nerve is doing its thing.”
Healing from a serious injury is always part mental, which is why the buzz about Smith’s demeanor adds a layer of optimism about his chances for a full recovery.
“Sitting out a year,” Smith said, “I learned so much about myself as a man.” What specifically? “Patience,” he said. “Timing is everything. The mark of greatness is consistency. That’s not just when you’re succeeding, that’s when you’re going through trials and tribulations and you’re able to preserve. It’s something that really battle-tested me.”
Of course, there are more tests to come. But Smith figures he’ll take it day by day, moment by moment.
The next big marker on the progress scale?
“Tomorrow,” he said.