2017 NFL Draft interview: Kansas safety Fish Smithson
By Matt Conner
Kansas safety Fish Smithson talks about the adversity of losing and why he’s not sleeping much in the days before the 2017 NFL Draft.
Fish Smithson isn’t supposed to have a favorite team at this stage. Every NFL hopeful is trained to avoid any sort of favoritism, to adopt the most sterile answers possible so that they don’t say anything that could potentially hurt their stock. But the Kansas safety and Baltimore native will admit that it would be something special if the Ravens ended up selecting him in the upcoming 2017 NFL Draft. The swirl of nerves and excitement keeps him up at night even after long days of tough workouts.
Smithson grew up idolizing Ed Reed and the emotional Ravens defense that once held the Lombardi Trophy overhead. For a team looking to add a smart, passionate defensive back with a knack for making plays on the ball, Smithson is a nice candidate. We recently asked him about the lessons learned from Kansas’ losing seasons, the best pre-draft advice he’s received and why he hasn’t slept for the last month.
What are the emotions for you right now with the draft so close?
I’m not getting enough sleep, I’ll say that. [Laughs] I haven’t gotten a good night of sleep in the last month. Before you have pro day and interviews and workouts but now it’s just draft month. It’s hard to sleep at this point.
Are you laying there awake just thinking about what can happen?
Yeah, I’ll be up all day, working out twice a day. I’ll come home and shower and I’ll be tired and worn out from workouts, but I get in bed and I just lay there awake looking at the walls, wondering what city I could be in. If I get drafted, what place will I be drafted at? It’s everything. [Laughs]
When did you realize that these sorts of dreams were really possible for you?
I’ve always taken it seriously I would say, but when it came into view, it was when I came to the University of Kansas. The coaches told me that I had what it takes. Once I came here, I got a lot of reps and put out some good tape that first year. The following season, Dexter McDonald went on to the NFL. So did Ben Heeney and JaCorey Shepherd went into the NFL. Those were two corners and a linebacker who all got drafted. I talked to all of them and they all told me that it’s not as far away as I think anymore. They told me to keep pushing and that I could be there, too, one day. That’s when it came into effect for me.
Have you talked to those guys since then about advice on how to be during this pre-draft period?
I talk to Ben a lot and I stay in touch with a lot of those guys. Ben gave me some advice about where my head should be during this process. I was also training in Orlando, and that’s where the Pro Bowl was at this year, so I got to meet Chris Harris and Aqib [Talib]. I was talking to those guys and they had different perspectives. Aqib went in the first round and Chris went undrafted, but both of them still ended up at the Pro Bowl. It lets me know that it’s not where you start but where you finish. Chris was telling me to keep doing what got me here and I’ll be good.
Lots of performances stand out from your time at Kansas for me, but what stands out when you look back as a favorite?
Honestly, I’m the kind of person who critiques himself a lot. A whole lot, actually. When I think about the games, I always think about the plays that I missed, instead of the ones that I gained. But I guess a proud moment would be against Texas from my senior year on Senior Night. I made a couple good plays in that game and helped us get the win.
Are you that way off the field too?
[Laughs] Yeah, I think so. But I’m always looking to grow. I love to grow and I think that’s the best way to be. You can’t be big-headed and you can’t have low confidence, so I think that’s a good way to keep my head level.
You mentioned the Texas win and you opened with a win over Rhode Island, but beyond that, it was a hard year in terms of team success. Do you learn something about yourself from that sort of experience?
Definitely I just learned so much because throughout my whole life, I’ve been winning. Then I came here and we didn’t achieve the results that we wanted. It just hit me how to lead through adversity. That’s the best thing I can say. You still have to come to work every day and to practice. Things might not go how you want on Saturday but you still have to show up on Monday prepared and ready to lead the team even though you still have to grind and do those things you have to do to get ready for the next Saturday.
You grew up in Baltimore. Would it be something special for you if you hear your name called by the Ravens?
It would. They were my favorite team growing up. Now, I can’t really have any favorites, but honestly that’s the team I watched the most growing up. It would be something special since that’s where my family is. I think that’d be really special.
I’m assuming you idolized Ed Reed, then?
Yep. Watching how they played with the type of emotions they showed on the field, they were beasts and played at another level. I idolized Ed Reed and the way he played the game and the impact that he had. That was very special.
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How are you spending the draft weekend?
I’ll be in Kansas with a couple of my teammates. I don’t think I’ll be able to sit down and just watch it, so I’ll probably be working out somewhere to keep my mind off of it.
Just make sure to keep your phone charged.
Oh yeah! Don’t want nothing bad to happen. [Laughs]