OXNARD, Calif. — Mazi Smith is young, but he's far from naive. The Michigan product knows full well what pressure awaits him in Year 2 and how it's been ratcheted up to stratospheric levels over Year 1 when he got the nod as the first-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys; and there's no hiding from what awaits him, nor is he trying to.
Dread it. Run from it. Destiny arrives all the same.
For Smith, that destiny will manifest by way of his coronation as starting nose tackle for the Cowboys in 2024, his time spent studying behind Johnathan Hankins as a rookie now being transferred into competing with 6-foot-6, 341 lb. defensive tackle Jordan Phillips — the Cowboys having struck a trade deal with the rival New York Giants to land the former second-round pick ahead of the second preseason outing.
Following the final full practice of the week before heading to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders, Smith held court and spoke about the Phillips' trade, the vocal coaching style of defensive line coach Jeff Zgonina, his brand-new Cowboys tattoo and plenty more.
It was a conversation that revealed plenty of psychological growth within the mind of the budding 23-year-old, matching what he's showing on the field this summer in Oxnard.
At this point, it's about how many Infinity Stones he can collect before this season is in the books.
On the August trade to acquire Jordan Phillips: "Yeah, I know all about Jordan Phillips. He's made a lot of plays. He's a vet in this game and when you're able to add that to the room, iron sharpens iron. That's what you want. You want a room full of competition. You don't want [any]body to relax. This is football, you know what I'm saying?"
On balancing competition against veterans with learning from them: "You can learn something from somebody without saying anything or hearing anything they're saying. [But] me and Jordan Phillips are gonna have conversations. Just watching how they go about their business. You see vets and players who've done this for 11 years, they've started in the NFL for [a long] time and that's not an easy feat. So when you've got somebody coming in that's done anything like that, first of all, that's respect; and then you look to them and see what they're doing and seeing what you're not."
On his approach this offseason: "I've just tried to pick up the nuggets of the things I need to do, because everybody's different. Everybody needs different things. I was just figuring out what works for me — my routine."
On his biggest takeaways from 2024 preseason opener: "I like the player that I know I can become. That's the thing I like the most. I like the journey of getting there. It doesn't happen overnight. I think I left a lot of plays out there, to be honest. I think that I'm talented enough to make any play that comes inside, and I've gotta get to that point where I'm doing that."
On the impact of newly-hired defensive line coach Jeff Zgonina: "Coach Z, he [does] his thing. He's talking at you, and he's demanding things of you at the start of practice, during practice and at the end of practice. It's all the same energy. You don't really have a choice but to get better."
On Jeff Zgonina's no holds barred coaching style: "You try and expect that [consistent energy] from yourself, but we're football players and we're human too, so it can kinda get up-and-down; but when you've got somebody behind you who's hold you accountable and making sure you're both on the same page, that you're both reaching for the same things, then things get a lot easier. Coach Z is old school. My mom said he looks and sounds like the type of coach that's supposed to be coaching me. It's all good. He's a great energy. I wouldn't trade it."
On if Zgonina's demeanor marries with his learning style: "We play a tough sport. This ain't Candyland. This stuff is real. We've dedicated our whole life to this. I've been playing this since I was seven. I don't ever want to let it go. I know people who didn't have the opportunity I have and they're still not letting it go, so for me to have this opportunity … The first thing [Zgonina] said was about becoming a great player and teaching us how to play the game."
On what Mike Zimmer's scheme demands of him:
"I try to keep my head down. We've got real games to play and I want to make those plays in those games. Just keep my head down and keep working, and not really worry about feelings. It's the next day, let's do it again — let's recreate it."
On his newly-acquired Cowboys tattoo (left arm):
"I got the Star [tattoo] right before I came out to camp — about two weeks before I came out to camp. I love my opportunity that I've got here. … They've trusted me and put resources around me to do what I'm supposed to do. I'm forever indebted. The game of football has given me a lot. It's given me a lot before I got to the NFL. When I got to the NFL, it's just giving me more."
