"I want to be a Cowboy for life,'' Jaylon has told me repeatedly ... and now he is.
Next, of course, all involved would like similarly happy results for extension candidates Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper and Ezekiel Elliott. But first things first. This should be a celebration of Smith, a player Dallas took a chance on in the second round, 34th overall, in 2016, despite a gruesome knee injury that caused some NFL teams to view the Notre Dame star as undraftable.
Smith missed his entire rookie season in rehab, debuted in 2017 and in the 2018 season, started every game. He’s recorded 202 tackles (132 solo) in two regular seasons, with eight quarterback hits, five sacks, four pass deflections, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. I have called Smith's return to football a "medical and spiritual miracle,'' and he does not agree.
“I feel like I'm an elite player again,” Smith told me recently. “It’s a great feeling to be doing this for 'America’s Team'' -- and hopefully doing it for many great years to come.''