There is a lack of appreciation for Tyron Smith.
Smith will officially retire from the NFL on Wednesday during a news conference at The Star. He will sign a one-day contract with the team that drafted him, the Dallas Cowboys.
When Smith was drafted ninth overall in 2011, he was the first Cowboys player born in the 1990s and one of the youngest at 21 years old.
He was part of the rebuild of the Cowboys’ offensive line, and over 13 seasons with the team he was named to eight Pro Bowls, two All-Pro teams and selected to the 2010 All-Decade team.
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He finished his career with the New York Jets last season.
That’s 14 NFL seasons for one of the best to play the demanding position of left tackle. He was part of an offensive line that included Zack Martin (right guard) and Travis Frederick (center).
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Martin retired months ago.
He’s linked to Smith in significant ways. Both players have resumes worthy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Jerry Jones, the one-man Ring of Honor committee chair, is the general manager of the team and drafted both. Jones knows elite offensive linemen when he sees them.
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When healthy, Smith displayed dominance as a player with long arms (36 3/8th) and huge hands (11 inches) to keep pass rushers away from Tony Romo and Dak Prescott. He was a man who took care of his body, weighing no more than 285 pounds in college to 320, his listed weight with the Jets last season.
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Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith (77) shows his hands following practice at The Star in Frisco on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. Smith’s hand strength is a big part of his success over the years. (Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer)
He was solid.
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You never worried about Smith not being in shape.
The concerns began when the body deteriorated.
It was a neck. It was a back. It was an ankle. It was a knee. It was a hamstring.
It seemed like it was always something for Smith.
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He played every game for four of the first five seasons of his career. In the last few years, the number of injuries became more of the story than whether he was a physical force on the field.
He hadn’t played a full NFL season since 2015.
Yet, ask Smith’s head coaches with the Cowboys, Jason Garrett and Mike McCarthy, about the type of player he was when healthy. High praise came from those conversations, whether in private or public.
Smith’s dedication to his team was so apparent and not appreciated enough outside the Cowboys organization. In 2022, Smith suffered a devastating hamstring injury where he tore the tendon off the bone during a practice late in training camp. Smith got up slowly and walked off as if nothing happened. He walked through the locker room later that day without a limp.
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He would miss the majority of the season, returning to start the final four games of the year not at left tackle, where he made his money, but at right tackle. Smith understood Tyler Smith, then a rookie, was playing well at left tackle, so he did what was best for the team: play right tackle.
Smith never complained about his health. At least, not in public.
He was never the most talkative man in the Cowboys’ locker room with reporters, leaving that to Martin. Smith’s actions spoke loudly on the field.
You just wanted to know more about the man who played at USC and walked around the locker room with a presence. With Smith on your side, you had the comfort of knowing if you got into a bar fight, he’s No. 1 on the list as a tag team partner.
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His big hands, detailed a few years ago in a story in The Dallas Morning News, should be legalized weapons of mass destruction, like a prize fighter’s.
Smith was a fantastic player who will retire with his head held high. He leaves a sport few players depart on their terms.
Health is the common factor for many.
Smith is no different, seeing he missed seven games last year with the Jets due to injuries.
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Health is part of his story, no doubt, but never forget Smith was a dominant player.
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