Receiver new to team but knew some 49ers
Q: Tell us about (quarterback Colin) Kaepernick. I know you’re going to be asked this a lot but it’s like a pitcher and catcher; there’s no more important relationship than the quarterback and the wide receiver, so what’s your early read on Kaepernick’s ball, release and how you see him? A: Kap’s done a great job. It’s not my first time catching passes from him; it’s just my first time catching passes on the team with him. Having that background of working with him in the offseason has helped. He’s a good quarterback. If I go to where I need to be, I trust that the ball’s going to be there. Q: What about you and Anquan (Boldin) as Ravens, now 49ers, how crazy is that? I know it’s kind of an old story now, but you guys beat the 49ers in the Super Bowl and now you’re wearing the red jersey. How’s that for ya? A: (Smith laughs) It was definitely a little weird at first. It was a little weird yesterday jogging to the huddle and seeing him, and I’m looking at him like, “This is new.” It’s been a couple of years now, but that’s like my big brother. Q: All right, Torrey, we’ve got to get your opinion on this big story of guys retiring. ... I know you weren’t with those guys last year, but is there something for the guys (who) are on the team (who) have seen all these guys retire that you have to work through? A: I mean, the NFL is all about turnover. Whether you retire or they cut you for financial reasons or you just aren’t good enough, there’s always turnover. It gets a little weird when young guys start retiring, but other than that, it’s the same as normal. People always ask me, “What’s going on over there (in San Francisco)? Is it the coaches? What’s going on?” And I always tell them that everyone has their own individual reasons. If “Cowboy” ( Justin Smith) was 25 years old, then I’d say, “OK, something’s going on here.” (Torrey Smith laughs) Q: We haven’t seen him coach a game before; he’s still a relative unknown. So I’d love to get your initial impressions of Jim Tomsula. A: First of all, he’s a great guy. He’s a guy that I feel everyone loves playing for and he’s definitely a defensive guy; he cheats for them a little bit (everybody laughs). He’s very detail-oriented. You’ll hear “tempo” a lot and that’s something he really stresses, and he’s done a great job leading this team.
Q: Finally, people working for the 49ers have been telling me you have big vision; you have a Torrey Smith nonprofit foundation, at-risk youth with all sorts of challenges, even things like financial, educational and domestic violence, etc. How about you being such a young man with such a big world vision? A: I mean, there are a lot of guys in the league like that. Before I made it into the league, I created this foundation because I always knew that I’d be in a position to give back. Being in the NFL is a huge platform, so I’m always thinking about helping others and doing something beyond just playing football.