Lionbackers.com

Friday, February 22, 2008 - 08:03PM

Catching up with…Joe Smith

from the Lions' website ...

When Joe Smith has somewhere to go, chances are, he’ll get there – even if the means by which he does it are a bit unconventional. Whether it’s taking public transit from the airport to the Lions training facility for a mere $2.50 rather than an expensive cab ride, or terrorizing opposition defences as part of the Lions’ formidable running game, the CFL’s leading rusher in 2007 certainly charts his own path.

While Smith has become as famous for his extracurricular activities as his on-field prowess, the man with the propensity for pop-can collecting and frequently changing his hairdo has emerged as a well-travelled and articulate unordinary Joe with clear goals in football and in life.

We briefly caught up with the third-year running back as he stopped by the Lions training facility en route to yet another off-season destination:


Q: You have become well-known around here for your tendency to be thrifty. Was that a value instilled in you at a young age?

JS: “Yes, to some extent. My parents and my siblings would make it a family event on the weekends – we would go out to see who could collect the most pop cans. Now, my wife Andrea and I still do it as a way to get some exercise and fresh air – we’ll go for a walk around the neighbourhood in the evenings to see what we can find. It doesn’t seem like a lot of money, but it’s amazing how it can add up after you’ve been collecting for a while.”


Q: You have mentioned that you like to travel in the off-season. Where have you been so far this year and where do you still have left on the itinerary?

JS: “I love travelling and fortunately my wife does too. When the season ended, we went to Costa Rica and got married on the beach. Since then, we’ve also been to the Dominican Republic and we just got back from the Philippines where a lot of Andrea’s family lives. I really enjoyed the Philippines and cannot wait to return there – it is such a beautiful country and the food there is unbelievable. The shopping is excellent too – between the Philippines and the Dominican Republic, I’ve become somewhat of an expert on bartering with salespeople. I’ve also been home to Houston quite a bit – Andrea and I just bought a house there and many of my family members live in that area so we’ve been spending as much time as possible there as well. I’ll also try to get out to Cleveland before the season begins because that is where my mom and brother live, and I’m planning a trip with Aaron Hunt to visit Italy which should also be a highlight.”


Q: Since you have done a substantial amount of travelling in your lifetime and have seen many parts of the world, what is your favourite thing about British Columbia?

JS: “We are very lucky in this province to have the ocean so close – I love being near the water. The great thing about BC though is that the climate is relatively temperate – it’s not hot and humid like many of the tropical places I have been to. I can dress up once in a while and wear cologne and not worry that it’s going to be too hot out to do that!


Q: Besides taking a trip with Aaron Hunt this off-season, do you keep in touch with any of your other teammates during the off-season?

JS: “Since I’ve been away so much, I haven’t kept in touch with too many of my teammates, although I managed to spend some time with Ian Smart at his home in Florida not too long ago. I’m also planning on meeting up with Aaron Hunt in Dallas prior to our trip to Italy – many of my cousins live in the Dallas area so we’ll probably spend some time together for a few days. I’ve spoken to Otis Floyd, Dante Marsh and Korey Banks a few times since I’ve been back – actually, Dante and Ian have birthdays coming up pretty soon so I’ll have to send them birthday cards.”


Q: How do you prepare yourself for training camp and the season ahead?

JS: “I’m just starting to get back into training mode. The gym I go to in Houston is excellent – all the workouts I do there are catered specifically to football so I believe it helps me to train efficiently. I’m actually pretty excited to come back here for training camp in May – it will be great to see everyone and get ready for the season.”


Q: You were the CFL’s leading rusher last season. Is there anything you want to achieve in ’08 to take it to the next level?

JS: “On a personal level, I want to lead the league in rushing again this year – I think that’s the goal of any running back. As a team, I want to see us become the best that we can be. There are a lot of talented players here and I know that we can win the Grey Cup this season. As far as the end of last season is concerned, what’s done is done, and I’m focused and ready to go in 2008 and I know that’s the feeling among my teammates as well. I’m very excited to see what we can do this year – I know there are great things in store for us.”

Laid-back Joe Smith takes up-front bonus from Lions over NFL opportunity

By Ron Sudlow, THE CANADIAN PRESS

SURREY, B.C. - Running back Joe Smith's contract extension is good news for both the B.C. Lions and a local hair salon.

The laid-back Louisiana native was not only the CFL's rushing leader last year with 1,510 yards but also led the league in hairstyles.

"This is just a press back," Smith said Friday when asked about latest coif following a news conference to announce his return to the Lions.

Smith dropped a few dollars last season at a salon near the club's suburban practice facility and played with his hair in spikes, cornrows and styled as a pompadour that gave him a Little Richard look.

"We're going to try some new styles in the near future so we can see what works out and I'll know what I want to wear during the season," Smith said before heading to the mall.

Before re-signing with the Lions, Smith had a tryout with the NFL's Houston Texans, a club he said is already deep in running backs and was not willing to offer Smith a significant signing bonus.

"If that had happened, I'd probably be a Texan but since that didn't happen we came back and talked with the team here," he said. "They were willing to put money up front and everybody's happy.

Smith reportedly signed a three-year deal with the Lions, although the club wouldn't divulge specific details. All Lions coach and GM Wally Buono would say is that Smith, 28, will be with the team "for many years to come."

Smith said he also likes the anonymity of playing in the CFL.

"The lifestyle here, I love it," said Smith, who scored a club-record 18 rushing TDs last season. "I can pretty much go around town and nobody goes, 'Hey, that's Joe Smith.' "

"I can pretty much go around and collect pop cans and nobody cares."

Buono said Smith, originally signed out of Louisiana Tech in 2003 as an undrafted free agent by the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars, is a good fit for the Lions.

"The personalities are what makes your team exciting and makes it fun," Buono said. "The thing that you want to be consistent is the work ethic, the pride, the toughness and the commitment to winning.

"Whether he likes to eat Vietnamese food or whether he likes this kind of music or that or whether he likes to leave a game a minute or two early . . . that's Joe and that's what you love about him."

Smith wasn't around for the final whistle of a B.C. home victory last season when he had to dash away - with the club's permission - to catch a red-eye flight home.

Buono said Smith began to give the Lions an identity in during their 2006 Grey Cup-championship season when he started for the first time in the club's sixth game. He ended up rushing for 138 yards and scoring three touchdowns in Calgary.

"He was more physical, the offensive line became more physical, the attitude of the whole club seemed to change and a guy like Joe can bring that," Buono said.

The six-foot-two, 224-pound Smith spent a week with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers after being released by Jacksonville. He then signed with the Tennessee Titans, who assigned him to NFL Europe's Rhein Fire.

B.C. signed Smith as a free agent in May 2006.

Smith, who also had five 100-yard games, 23 catches for 180 yards and a 19th TD last season, said his NFL ambitions are likely behind him.

"No," he said when asked if he'd like another shot. "I'm just easy going.

"I just like things to be easy. If there was a lot of cash up front, maybe."

And he's also not looking back at a disappointing 26-17 West Final loss to the eventual Grey Cup-champion Saskatchewan Roughriders that tarnished B.C.'s stellar 14-3-1 regular-season campaign.

"I'm thinking this year, especially when it gets close to camp, we've got to come back in shape and we've got to come back hungry, ready to do it and win the ring," he said. "Last year, was last year and you can't do anything about it."

WestCoastJoe wrote:
Laid-back Joe

Press-back Joe

Stylin' Joe

Pompadour Joe

Cornrow Joe

Pop Can Joe

Heroic Joe

Quiet Joe

Easy Goin' Joe

David wrote:

WestCoastJoe wrote:
Laid-back Joe

Press-back Joe

Stylin' Joe

Pompadour Joe

Cornrow Joe

Pop Can Joe

Heroic Joe

Quiet Joe

Easy Goin' Joe

And the one that the Lions' Community Relations and Marketing Department have to work on most.....Anonymous Joe.

To have a 1,500+ yard rusher admit that he can walk around town and nobody goes, 'Hey, that's Joe Smith' is not exactly music to the ears of the front office, I'm sure.

And to think, this used to be a rabid football town. People used to live and breathe Lions football (50's, 60's and early 70's). To have someone as talented as Joe Smith go virtually unrecognized (up until the late 80's and perhaps the early '90s) was unthinkable.

DH 8)