Durham Smythe – June 4, 2021
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Friday, June 4, 2021
TE Durham Smythe
(Entering your fourth year, what’s this evolution as a player been like for you? You came in initially as an in-line guy and now obviously you’re trying to be a more well-rounded tight end. What has the evolution been like?) – “I think you hit it kind of on the head. Obviously my first two years here really, a year and a half, two years; my primary responsibility was the run game and pass protection and things of that nature. But I think at this position, we’re all trying to become more well-rounded so you can stay on the field more often, have more variety in terms of who we put on the field at what times and just kind of being able to be on the field, like I said, more often. I think that’s where it is, just kind of working towards that still. That’s the ultimate goal is to become totally well-rounded.”
(When you see the team draft a tight end, sign a tight end, draft a basketball player to develop, what goes through your mind as a guy in the final year of his contract?) – “I think the way I think about it is, is that when you’re a team like we are that’s kind of trying to start shifting this culture – and I think we’re on our way of doing that – winning more games, becoming more talented; you want to just bring in good football players. And that’s kind of how I look at it. Hunter (Long) is a good football player. Cethan (Carter) is a good football player and you want to surround yourself with good players when they’re available and I think that’s what we’ve done. I think we’re pretty deep at this position. I think we’re pretty talented from top to bottom, which is kind of fun, just to be around guys who are good or have talent. That’s how I look at it and I’m not the one making the decisions, but I think that’s just what you want to do, is bring in the most talent.”
(There were obviously four players who have done a very good job from the same draft class with you, TE Mike Gesicki, LB Jerome Baker, K Jason Sanders going into your last year. Sanders got the extension a few months ago. Would you like to get an extension at this point? Has your agent discussed it with the team?) – “That’s something that is the classic ‘leave it to them to discuss.’ That’s the classic thing. I love it here. I love the team. I love playing here and that’s really what I’ll say to anyone asking that. I obviously don’t have a hand in a lot of those things. I just enjoy playing here, enjoy the guys, enjoy the culture and stuff like that. So that’s how I respond when anyone asks that – when my mom asks that. (laughter)”
(Why is TE Mike Gesicki giving you a hard time about your confidence? Why is he haggling you on social media every day?) – “I deal with that every day. (laughter) So you guys are seeing it now because it’s on social media. I deal with that every day. I’m actually staying with him right now for these couple weeks, so he was actually right next to me on the couch when he did that. These are things that happen on a day-to-day basis and now it’s in the public eye. You guys can see what I deal with on a daily basis, so that’s nothing new to me. (laughter)”
(What’s it like being TE Mike Gesicki’s roommate?) – “It’s pretty solid. We have a pretty good rapport with each other. It feels like we’ve been roommates for the last, really, three and a half years at this point, so we’re pretty used to each other. We don’t have too many issues there.”
(TE Mike Gesicki going to accuse me of wanting to get clicks, but if you really hate him as a roommate you can tell us.) – “The thing is, is that I don’t pay right now to stay with him, so I’m not going to say one negative thing or else that might change. (laughter) So that’s really where this is coming from.”
(I wanted to ask you about Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey. You’ve been in his tight end room obviously for a year now and going into your second year. I was just curious about what you think about his promotion to co-offensive coordinator, what he brings to that position and just some other kind of changes you’ve seen in the offense so far?) – “With George (Godsey), he’s just a very smart guy. He’s an encyclopedia in terms of, really, offensive knowledge in general, which I think has really helped me and Mike (Gesicki) kind of develop the last couple years; understanding offenses, not just from the tight end position, but kind of from an overall perspective. And it wasn’t surprising to see him get promoted. He’s been in a situation where he’s an OC (offensive coordinator) before. I think that’s where he’s going to thrive because he knows so much about it. Really both the guys that are there – George and ‘E’ (Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville) – they’re doing a great job. I’ve been with them the last three years. They’ve done a great job for the last three years, so I think it was very deserving for the both of them and I think the offense is still coming together at this point. It’s so early. We’re kind of working on techniques and such and just kind of getting out there and running football plays, which a football play is a football play. So I think we’re still developing that, but I have a ton of faith in those two guys.”
(TE Mike Gesicki told us I think it was last week that he’s pushing to get five-tight end sets on the field and throw you guys the ball every single play. How’s that debate going?) – “I’m going to say the same thing. We’re both pretty big supporters of the tight end – I don’t know what you want to call it – tight end wave, tight end position in general. So yeah, if we can do that, I’d be a full supporter. I can play running back. I know Mike said you don’t want to see me carrying the ball in the backfield, but I can. (laughter) So we’ll keep pushing for that and percentages are unlikely, but we’ll keep pushing. (laughter)”
(I wanted to ask you how did you end up living with TE Mike Gesicki and does it come up that you make substantially more than him this year?) – “(laughter) The situation is I had an apartment down here, lease ran out. I was back in Texas for the offseason and when OTAs were kind of up in the air, I just kind of stayed back in Texas working out and then when we decided to come, Mike still had his place. I knew he had a guest room, so I said – I didn’t ask – I said, ‘I’ll live in your guest room for a few weeks.’ That’s what I’m doing and every now and then he’ll bring that statistic up, but – we’re not going to get into the serious financials, but he’s a second-round draft pick, etc. (laughter) It goes much deeper than just the number for this year.”
(It does even out.) – “Yeah, absolutely. (laughter)”
(I wanted to ask you, Chiefs TE Travis Kelce didn’t name himself, but he named TE Mike Gesicki as one of the top five tight ends in the game right now. I guess what do you think about that and maybe we’ll have you continue saying something nice so you can continue living rent-free?) – “Yeah, (laughter) in all honesty, I think it’s deserving. I give him a lot of crap, but I think it’s absolutely deserving. Being with him for the last three years and seeing how much he’s developed, I don’t know if everyone sees that on a weekly basis, but I do and I think he is a top-five tight end in this league. The things he can do in terms of changing a game are impressive and it’s cool to see a guy like Travis (Kelce) who’s been established as one of the best in the game for so long give him some credit because it’s definitely deserving.”
(In all seriousness, what is it like for you to have gone through these past several years with TE Mike Gesicki to lean on, to bounce ideas off of? It seems like if we see one of you guys, we always see the other. So what’s it been like?) – “In all honesty, it’s been great. To have someone that’s not only in your rookie class, but in the same room as you who’s going through the same things you are from the very beginning, it’s been really cool. And like you said, kind of in the offseasons and through the years, we have bounced a lot of things off of each other in terms of what we do well and I think to an extent, it’s helped both of us a good amount. I think that’s been really nice for me personally and it’s just been fun. It’s been fun to have somebody to kind of grow with in this league for the last three, three and a half years.”
(Now I know you can’t say anything negative about TE Mike Gesicki, but I’m going to put you on the spot. Tell us one thing about Mike that we don’t know that we should know.) – “Wow, there’s just so many. All right, so his basic knowledge of – so he’s a smart guy. Mike’s a smart guy. He knows football very well. If you ask him academia questions, he might get those potentially right; but basic knowledge of most things in terms of like, common sense, let’s call it – movies, shows, anything in pop culture – he knows absolutely nothing. He knows nothing. You can ask him any question. He won’t be able to answer it. Any song, any – whatever. The other thing is he claims that he’s a pretty good cook and he doesn’t know anything about it. He can make baked salmon, but if it’s not baked salmon and he tried to make something, he’d probably poison us with undercooked meats or whatever. So common knowledge is a zero and cooking skills very low. Those are two fun facts for you.”
