Durham Smythe – April 28, 2018
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Saturday, April 28, 2018
TE Durham Smythe
(It appears that you would be classified as a blocking tight end. Is that a correct characterization and does that offend you in any way?) – “I guess first and foremost, blocking as a tight end, that’s a part of my game that I definitely take pride in. Coming from Notre Dame in the offense that we ran the last few years, I was asked to be at the point of attack on a pretty consistent basis. So I definitely take pride in that part of my game, but I don’t consider myself a blocking tight end. I’ve played a lot of in-line tight end, so I’m out of the ‘Y’ stance a lot. In terms of how I try to characterize myself, I try to characterize myself as more of a guy who, like I said, takes pride in blocking but can do a little bit of everything in every facet of the game. ”
(What type of player are the Dolphins getting with you?) – “Like I said, a guy who can do a little bit of everything. (I’m) a guy who can go in on early downs and be competitive in blocking defensive ends, and such. Hopefully (I’m) a guy who doesn’t have to be taken off the field on later downs, third-and-long, and such.”
(Can you envision yourself in two tight end sets with TE Mike Gesicki?) – “Definitely. He was actually on my team at the Senior Bowl. There were definitely times in practice where we’d be in a wing set or both on the field at the same time, so it’s something that we’ve already done. I could definitely see it happening in the future.”
(What were your impressions of TE Mike Gesicki?) – “Awesome guy. Like I said, he was on my team so I got to know him a little bit through this whole process, starting at the Senior Bowl, at the Combine and everything. I’ve gotten to know him a little bit. He seems like a great dude, a guy that loves football and a guy that’s going to come in and work.”
(It appears, so far, the Dolphins’ trend in draftees has been speed and athleticism. Do you fit that mold and, if so, can you give me specifics on how?) – “Sure, I would say so. In terms of speed, I wasn’t the fastest 40-yard guy at the Combine, but I was pretty happy with some of my short movement times and things like that, so I think that athleticism is definitely part of my game. Yes, you’re right, (the Dolphins) have. It seems like it has been trending that way in this draft. You can never have too much speed and athleticism on a football team.”
(What do you know about the former Notre Dame and Dolphins TE Anthony Fasano?) – “Funny that you ask. Actually, that’s one of the guys who … Obviously being from Notre Dame we have film from past years readily at hand and Anthony Fasano is a guy that I watched a lot over the last four years, back in his time at Notre Dame and as he’s gone on through the pros. He’s a guy who I’ve watched a lot, a guy that I respect because he, like I said how I try to characterize myself, does a little bit of everything. He’s definitely a great player and someone who I’ve watched a lot of.”
(Anything specific that TE Anthony Fasano does that you would like to try to emulate?) – “Yes, although this is kind of a blanket statement, he does a little bit of everything. He’s not a guy that’s going to go in and just be a big receiver. He’s going to be a guy who is competitive blocking on one rep and then he has to split out and do something on a different rep. That combination is just something I’ve tried to emulate over the years.”
(What’s a part of your game that you’re looking to improve at the next level?) – “I think, specifically, it’s my route running. I think that kind of stems from a lack of total volume of what I’ve done over the last couple of years, because like I said earlier, we ran the ball a lot at Notre Dame. Obviously in practice and such, I was running routes on a pretty consistent basis; but I think taking a step up in that is one area that I’ve really tried to improve over the last few months.”
(Did you meet Head Coach Adam Gase on the road or happen to visit here in Davie or anything?) – “I met with Coach Gase at the Combine and with the rest of the staff. I had an interview with them. I thought it went really well. Obviously, I have a lot of respect for him, so that was the most contact I had.”
(Do you remember anything that Head Coach Adam Gase or anyone else brought up at that meeting that stuck with you?) – “Specifics, no. I just remember it going really well. That’s a point, a focal process, where the evaluation is so high, so they’re taking notes and such; but in terms of just how it went and the feeling that I had leaving it, it was great.”
(What were your expectations for this draft? Where did you feel like you were going to go?) – “It’s tough. It is such a crazy process. You have some people telling you you’ll be a third- or fourth-round guy, then you’ve got other people saying you’re going to go in the sixth, seventh, late, whatever. It’s tough to exactly pinpoint it. Obviously, I had a good feeling about a few teams just because I had gone through meetings with them, and such. When it all comes down to it, when you get in these middle rounds here, it’s tough to know exactly what’s going to happen.”
(What was it like in the locker room for you at Notre Dame? Would you consider yourself one of the leaders of that room?) – “I would say so. I’ve always considered myself more of a lead by example type of guy. I’m not the most rah-rah guy who’s going to be yelling at people, and such; but I think I demanded respect by the way I went to work every day. If you do that on a consistent basis over a number of years, you start to gain that respect. I think in my last few years at Notre Dame, people realized that, and I think that’s why I characterize myself as that.”
