PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Steelers special teams coach Danny Smith joked Thursday that his trademake gum did stay in his mouth, he wishes he would have had it on his right shoulder. The gum may have helped prevent him from getting a concussion, but he suffered three tears to his rotator cuff and will need surgery.
Smith was knocked over on the sidelines as the game ended with Steelers safety Damontae Kazee knocked out of bounds late by a Packers player. He was down in the pile and eventually helped out by tight end and special teams player Rodney Williams.
“I couldn’t get up,” Smith said. “When I landed on my shoulder, it went numb. I couldn’t get off the ground. I got tramped on a couple of times, but I couldn’t get off the ground, that was the problem. I rolled over on my back and when I rolled over on my back, he slid me out.”
He added his special teams players are good guys and all in it together and joked he will have a hard time sitting Williams down now. He needs Williams with him.
Smith said he’s been hit a lot and hit hard over his career on the sidelines. He said he has a lot of metal in his body. In college, he got hit in the leg and got a plate and six screws in his knee. He was hit by Antonio Brown in training camp years ago where he broke ribs, the L-1 vertebra in his back and his finger.
He was so matter of fact about it. Williams said after he play that the 70-year-old Smith is a tough guy. He’s been doing all of his usual coaching duties this week. You wouldn’t know he would need surgery just by watching him.
“I’m good,” Smith said.
That’s why his players love him and he is thankful for their support.