Trey Smith
KNOXVILLE – Hard to imagine Trey Smith being any larger than he already is.
Tennessee’s junior offensive guard stands 6-foot-6 and is listed at 323 pounds. Even while seated last week in UT’s Ray and Lucy Hand Studio, the former five-star recruit and freshman All-American was an imposing presence.
His stature grew, though, as he recounted his astounding comeback. He was sidelined for the final five games of last season because of blood clots, a condition that cast serious doubt on his football future.
Smith didn’t elaborate much on the medical specifics, other than to say repeatedly that he and his family consulted with some of the nation’s best doctors, who helped formulate a plan for him.
He expounded more on his belief that the process, which also involved considerable prayer and preparation, would deliver him back to the field for games like Saturday night against No. 3 Georgia at Neyland Stadium.
“I knew I was going to be back,” he said. “It’s hard to explain. I don’t know how religious you are but I had a vision that I will be back and playing. … If you’ve got faith in God, it will get you back.”
Smith’s faith is one of several personal qualities that have served him well. These traits also are useful examples for his team and the UT fan base, who are navigating yet another low point of another rebuild.
Smith unwittingly has laid out a psychological game plan that features the following:
Anger: Smith tore into himself and his play during an interview on the Vol Network following Tennessee’s 34-3 loss at Florida on Sept. 21, saying that he did a “piss poor job.”
In the same interview, he said that the Vols “got punched in the face. We’ve got to keep our asses going.”
Smith interrupted his train of thought briefly by saying “excuse me about that” before continuing to stress the need for moving forward.
No need to apologize for the language. Anger means caring. If you don’t care, then you’re bound for apathy, which is really (expletive).
Focus: When asked about an NFL future, Smith steered the conversation back to Saturday’s game and whoever he’s blocking by saying, “If I can’t focus on the task in front of me, I can’t make it to the next level.”
“That’s the way I’ve been raised,” he said. “I don’t care about other stuff. I just care about beating my man’s butt in front of me, if I’m winning my one-on-one matchups, I’m doing my job.
“I don’t really look at the scoreboard to be quite frank with you. I just look at how I’m playing, how I’m competing, how I’m finishing."
In so doing, Smith sets a good example for his teammates. This approach isn’t as practical for a fan, particularly ignoring the scoreboard. That’s not happening. Otherwise, the mind-set might help anyone to be a better person in any other circumstance.
Love: When Smith details such savage offensive linemen practices as “leveling up our nastiness and finish” he’s speaking from the heart.
“I have an undying love for the game,” he said. “It’s almost like an illness. I can’t get it out of me to be honest.
“I love the game of football. If I can find something else that I love, I’d probably be doing it. But to be quite frank, I just love this too much.”
Given Smith’s medical history, his love has inspired quite the leap of faith. He’s relieved to be back in the rebuild.
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Dan Fleser is a 1980 graduate of the University of Missouri, who covered University of Tennessee athletics for the Knoxville News Sentinel from 1988-2019. He may be reached at danfleser3@gmail.com