Q. Glad to be back?
GENO SMITH: Extremely happy to be back. The off-season was great. I've been training and being around my family. Everybody is having fun. As you can see in practice, we are flying around and looking good.
Q. Do things feel different for you this year? Last year you were battling for the job.
GENO SMITH: In my mind, no. If it is different, I just want to work hard and be better. That's really it. But in my mind, I keep the same mentality, Drew and I and hole ton we are competing our butts off and that's competition every gay. We're trying to see who is the best quarterback out on the field every single time.
Q. What's it like having Bobby back?
GENO SMITH: It was awesome, just to see Bobby in our uniform again and not in an ugly 45, it was great to see him across the line of scrimmage again. Had gotten used to that. Last year was different. It's great to have him back, such a tremendous leader. Obviously a legendary see how can and someone that we hold dear, so we are happy to have him.
Q. He says that was for sure an interception.
GENO SMITH: That was not an interception, but I like him, he's a guy.
Q. Jackson, what's an initial impression of him?
GENO SMITH: He's so impressive. Very smooth route runner. Natural hands. Also the game is not too big for him. You can see he's got that self-confidence that you look for. He's learning. He's picking up his assignments, learning the offense, like all the other rookies and new guys.
So really, Jackson has been tremendous so far and I'm just looking forward to see him grow and grow as the weeks come about.
Q. Where have you grown most in the last 12 months?
GENO SMITH: Shoot, man, I think in every aspect of my life, every aspect of being a quarterback, being a leader. Obviously it was kind of different for me this year than it was last year or 12 months ago but I think the most growth for me is just perspective. Just gaining more perspective and just learning, growing, just trying to be better every single day.
Q. How does that change how you are here, how you are in there?
GENO SMITH: Going into my 11th season, obviously it's a blessing to seen do that. But you know, who knows when the clock strikes midnight, right. So I cherish every single opportunity. I cherish every single practice, every single moment out here and in the classroom with my teammates and so I think that's where my mindset has changed a little bit from being from being a young guy to being an older vet.
Obviously I still feel young but there's some things to think about and so I'm very excited about the future. I think I can do this thing for, God willing, a long time. So I just want to keep working and try and be better every day.
Q. How difficult is it to be that balance -- 11 years, and you have to stay young and energetic?
GENO SMITH: I still feel look I'm like 21, somewhere around there. But the importance is the mentality. It really. Is it comes down to your mental makeup, your mentality, how you go about every single day. I still wake up, I told Holton today as I was walking down, you're in the NFL, how does it feel? I wake up and it's still a dream to me that I get to do this for a living. I'm very appreciative of that and I look forward to just coming to work and being with the guys.
Q. Can you play fast 40 --
GENO SMITH: I do think I can play fast 40 but a lot of hard work is going to go into that. I'm striving for it but we'll see.
Q. Did you change anything in the prep in the off-season, anything you focused on?
GENO SMITH: Recovery was a big thing. Just getting my body back to square one, back to feeling great. But after the season, I just continued to work out. I really never stopped. I've just been super motivated. I'm very internally motivated right now, and you know, I've really got some things that obviously I want to do for this team and for this city and so I'm just working extremely hard. Probably working harder than I've ever been and I hope to continue that.
Q. There was a lot of speculation the Seahawks might take a quarterback early in the draft and John said he talked to you about that and everything, and obviously they didn't do it but what do you think during that time?
GENO SMITH: It's the NFL. There's a draft every year. There's players out there, guys out there working hard. That's why I've got to work hard. I've got to be better than those guys, and I look at everyone as competition. There's a lot of great rookies that are coming out of the Draft and I think they are all deserving. So if we would have picked one, I would have given him my all just as would I do to any teammate. It really didn't matter to me. I love competition so I'll compete with everybody.
Q. Did you watch the Draft?
GENO SMITH: It's too long, man. Takes too long. But I did watch our perspective. I was tuned in when we pick but I hate the whole waiting to see who get picked and all that. It's just way too long.
Q. You mentioned Jackson and his route running -- what goes into a receiver being a good route runner?
GENO SMITH: I think it starts with body control. Obviously you want guys that are very fast, very quick but if they can't get in and out of cuts, it really doesn't matter. He's got great body control. He's actually a very physical guy. He's not the biggest in stature or widest but you can see when he runs he has that route strength and guys don't really knock him off his course really too often.
So you look for things in those guy, body control, how are they at the top of the route, the three point shuffle, how are they in and out of cuts and I think he's really good at that.
Q. You're wearing the mental health, y is that important for athletes?
GENO SMITH: I think mental healthy is important to everybody, not just athletes but the entire world. There's stress that everyone is under and people cope with them in many different ways. The more that we can just talk about it and shed light on mental health, I think it creates this safe place for people where they feel like they can be vulnerable and can express themselves so that they can get better, so I think that's what -- that's the importance of it to me.
Q. Inaudible.
GENO SMITH: I think that's the cool part is that people to got to see my story. They got to see me go through the hard stuff and got to see me have some success later in my career. I know a lot of people want to hear what was my mental straight throughout that but I think it truly comes down to knowing who you are and ultimately having gratitude, being grateful. I've always been grateful. My grandmother always taught me to be grateful for what you have, and I think that's really what it comes down to.
Q. Running back, drafted two picks, what have you seen and how excited are you for that?
GENO SMITH: I'm excited, man. Any time you can get those guys, guys like Kenny and Zach who are stud running backs who have come from tremendous programs who have done great things in college and you add them to a room with D.J. Dallas, and you add them to a room with Ken Walker who was an outstanding rookie running back last year, I think sky's the limit and I can see where guys are stepping up, the leadership is stepping up. D.J. is really controlling that group and Ken has really stepped into his open. I can't wait to see what they all do.
Q. What kind of weapons can they be in the passing game?
GENO SMITH: I hope they are great weapons. I hope we can use them, and obviously we've got to get Ken and D.J. involved. But obviously Kenny and Zach, they bring great things to the table. We have to use all the guys and we look forward to it.
Q. Looked like D was active out there?
GENO SMITH: D is going to do some things. He's getting ready to do many things. I know things have started slow for him but doesn't matter. He is a physical specimen. He's got everything it takes. He's studying his butt off. I've been with him every single day and we are watching extra film and he looks to be really taking that next step.
Q. Going back to Jackson what was your reaction when you saw him picking?
GENO SMITH: I was excited. I was happy. Another Smith in the building but I know his receivers Coach Brown Hartline a little bit. I spoke to him and he said great things. I think Jackson is going to be a tremendous player.
Q. How do you know Brian?
GENO SMITH: He's actually recruiting my cousin who is the No. 1 player in high school right now.
Q. Who is that?
GENO SMITH: Jeremiah Smith.
Q. Spending time with D, was that here or did you meet up in the off-season?
GENO SMITH: Yeah, we were actually training together last year in Florida. We trained together last year and this season we spent a bunch of time together and we are going to train again once we get a break from here. We are all collectively work together but D and I have been really close as of late.
I really see the growth in his mindset and his mentality. He wants it. He's always wanted it and he's always had that ability but obviously he's had some setbacks but I can see just in his mental makeup that he's ready to take that next step and it's my job to help him and that's why I want to be there with him. He's working his butt off. He's super explosive out here on the field. He's one of the more explosive guys I've ever seen. If we can get him where I think he'll be, I think it will help us out a lot.
Q. You've always been on a year by year deal for the most part. Did you do anything to yourself to celebrate or acknowledge having security or a long-term deal?
GENO SMITH: It's still year by year. That's how I've got to look at it. I take it one year at a time for me. My celebration I picked up my baby, hugged him up and went back to the weight room. Stay in it, I've just got to keep in it and focusing on the ball.
Q. Inaudible.
GENO SMITH: When I got to Seattle I was taken aback by just the culture of the fan base and the team, and for them to embrace me the way they did when I was a backup and then obviously we heard the chants when I got in in the Thursday night game and then obviously last year, and for them to just embrace me the way they did, I felt like I needed to do that.
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FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports