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Durham Smythe – November 24, 2021 Download PDF version

Wednesday, November 24, 2021

TE Durham Smythe

(Opening Statement) – “To start off, I want to say I left my Mike Gesicki shirt in Texas. I have one. Post bye-week when I’m back up here, you guys will see that. It will be perfect timing, right in time for the Pro Bowl push, so I’ll have that on but that’s a little delayed right now. The relationship isn’t one sided, so you can’t think of it like that.”

(What did you think of TE Mike Gesicki’s press conference?) – “Yeah, I mean that’s just kind of the guy he is. A guy that gets a lot of attention around the building and then he passes it on to guys that maybe aren’t talked as much about – the offensive line, other tight ends like myself. That’s just kind of the guy he is. It comes back full circle and says a lot about him.”

(Did his comments elicit any sort of response, joking or otherwise, to you from General Manager Chris Grier, Senior Vice President, Football & Business Administration Brandon Shore, Head Coach Brian Flores or anybody in the building?) – “Me and all those guys have a good relationship. I think we’re both in a place where we can joke about. ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) comes up and we’ll joke about it here and there – me, Mike (Gesicki) and him and all those guys. It’s kind of fun just because we are close enough in that relationship where we can joke about something like that. We’ll continue to do that and pry at the bear a little bit.”

(Was there any serious clarity that you gained in terms of Head Coach Brian Flores or General Manager Chris Grier kidding around with you about TE Mike Gesicki’s comments but also saying, ‘don’t worry about it we’re going to take care of you?’) – “Not yet. Obviously when you’re at this point in the season, things like that come up but the guys around the building are focused on football and that’s going to be the answer regardless. We really are. Three games in a row now that we’ve won and just trying to keep that ball rolling. There’s so much else to focus on right now.”

(Did you know beforehand that TE Mike Gesicki was going to wear your jersey?) – “I actually had no idea. Our security guy, Drew Brooks, sent me about three pictures of him and people’s reactions. I was actually driving on my way to the building. I had no idea so it was pretty fun.”

(Part of his reasoning with that was that you established a new career high in receiving yards. Your thoughts on this season and how you’ve progressed?) – “Yeah, I’ve said this before. I think this league is one where once you get an opportunity, you have to take advantage of it. That goes across the board. There are really good players at every position that aren’t playing or aren’t getting the opportunities that they think they should. When you do get the opportunity, you just have to make the most of it. That’s kind of what this league is about across the board. I think over the last couple weeks, dating back to the beginning of the year, I just try to catch the ball when it’s thrown to me. That’s what I’ll continue to do and move forward.”

(You caught one of the trick plays right? QB Tua Tagovailoa to WR Albert Wilson to WR Jaylen Waddle?) – “Yes.”

(In practice, are you always wide open on that play?) – “Yeah, actually Mike (Gesicki) is the one on that play that has to take the defense backs out. Every time before he ran it, I was like, ‘Hey man, this is the biggest play of the game for you and me. Make sure you’re hauling ass.’ That was the funny part about it.”

(We didn’t see TE Adam Shaheen at practice. We haven’t been told what his availability is for Sunday. Obviously you know how to do everything he does and vice versa. Does your workload increase this week in terms of preparation if he doesn’t play?) – “That’s to be seen. Obviously, there’s a lot of variables like you mentioned with him and other players. I don’t know the full extent of all of that. At this point, I think we all prepare in our room like we are going to play the majority of the snaps because already we’ve seen this year there’s been some COVID instances in our room, some injuries. I think we all prepare every week to get the majority if not all of the snaps and then we kind of just play it by ear once we get into the game.”

(I meant more workload in terms of preparation and not the game itself because the game itself we’re not sure if he’s going to play. I would imagine it’s the same amount of work either way if TE Adam Shaheen is here or not for you. There’s no extra responsibilities you have to learn if he’s not in the building this week?) – “It’s the same. In terms of preparation, I kind of approach it the same way as the game, prepare the same way every week regardless kind of thing. It’s going to be similar regardless.”

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