Donovan Smith has played for just one team during the course of his eight-year NFL career, which means joining the Kansas City Chiefs as a free agent was a big step. Smith doesn’t only have to adjust to a new city, but he also has to adjust to new teammates and a new offensive scheme all at once for the first time as a professional.
Speaking to members of the media for the first time following Wednesday’s OTA practices last week, Smith briefed reporters on how he’s adjusting to his new team.
“It’s real good,” Smith said. “You can see why (the Chiefs are good). Everybody’s talking with each other, making sure we’re all on the same page, obviously. You know we just make sure they bring everybody up to speed. That’s something you look for in an offensive line room because you know, five minds all on the same page is what matters. Everything else – physicality, footwork and stuff we take care of that at practice and whatnot with (Offensive Line Coach) Coach (Andy) Heck. In terms of the guys, you know, they’re great! No bad news yet (laughter).”
The veteran appears to buying into the Chiefs’ way of doing things rather quickly, embracing the “championship mentality” along the way. He’s getting himself into shape ahead of training camp and ensuring that he can keep up with some of the younger talents in the offensive line room.
After just a short time of working under Chiefs HC Andy Reid, he can already tell that he’s both a “player’s coach” and an “offensive line guy.” Anyone who knows Reid’s history knows that he’s both of those things and more.
“You know he’s an offensive line guy, so that’s always a good thing,” Smith said. “Anytime you got a coach (who’s) a fan favorite of O-line you automatically kind of get a whatever you want to call it – a good pass. But no, you can see why he’s a player’s coach. He communicates with a lot of guys. He coaches you hard, but he understands that nothing’s perfect and you know we’re going to get the job done but at the end of the day we’re working. So, to be able to have that leadership from him, consistently through the years just speaks volumes to the man that he is and the coach that he is.”
Under the tutelage of Reid and Heck, Smith is hoping to recapture his prior form after an injury-riddled campaign in 2022. He sees the opportunity as a new beginning and another opportunity to compete for a Super Bowl title.
“I played with a lot more injuries than I probably should have,” Smith said of his final season with the Bucs. “You know, it’s just something that we do. We go out there, we sacrifice our bodies to go out there for the greater good of the team. . . New beginnings, new journey. I’m healthy, fresh, and feeling real good.”
