This Terell Smith Story Proves He’s Either Insane Or Inspirational

Terell Smith came in with more buzz than is typical for a 5th round pick. Several evaluators felt the Minnesota cornerback went far later than he should’ve. His size, length, and athleticism make for somebody who can thrive at the NFL level. He played really well for Minnesota in 2022. For whatever reason, NFL teams saw something they didn’t like. Eventually, GM Ryan Poles couldn’t pass on him again. The Chicago Bears made him the second cornerback they’d selected in the draft.

One thing about Smith is he’s not one to fear challenges. Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck knows that well. He thought he knew what to expect when he recruited the young man out of high school. The two persistent features were “fast” and “stiff.” Fleck felt the coaching staff could work around the latter. He never could’ve imagined that he wouldn’t have to by the end of last season. The coach told a story to Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune about how single-minded Smith was in his approach to getting better.

We’re talking about Michael Jordan levels of obsession.

After his freshman year, and when he didn’t play his sophomore year because of injury, he spent three years every day — I am not kidding on this — before and after practice with our strength coach working on his hip mobility and flexibility. I mean every single day. After practice, 15 or 20 minutes just on his stretching, flexibility, hip mobility because that was one of the things that held him back from playing his sophomore year with the injuries. He turned it on, played, then had a groin injury and overcame that and had a heck of a senior year.

You’re talking about a guy that really dedicated himself into making something that was maybe a weakness into a strength. You turn on that film now and you don’t see a stiff player at all.

Terell Smith has something every good player needs.

Discipline. People always talk about players needing motivation to be at their best. That isn’t true. Great players become great because they have more discipline than everybody else. They work harder and longer. It is so difficult to turn a weakness into a strength as an athlete. Smith accomplished that, forcing his hips to become more flexible and gaining the necessary fluidity to play man-to-man on the outside with wide receivers. Most players wouldn’t go to that level of relentless detail.

This is probably what attracted him to the Bears. GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus wanted players willing to work really hard. This story offers undeniable proof that Terell Smith is borderline maniacal in his approach. Injuries wouldn’t stop him. The popular saying would be that he’s a “dawg.” Obstacles mean nothing. He will find a way to overcome them or die trying. Don’t be surprised if Smith finds himself on the field for this defense sooner than a lot of people think.