With football season gearing up, the Helmets and Heels crew are leaving the studios of 1010XL and headed out on the road.
For our first remote trip of the young football season, we head to Zeta Brewing in Jacksonville Beach, Florida where we were honored to have on one of my favorites — second-year linebacker Telvin Smith of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Overall, it was one of my favorite interviews I’ve ever done but towards the end, we touched on the recent comments made by Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz after last week’s preseason game saying the Jaguars defenders were “gunning” for Odell Beckham Jr.
When asked about Cruz’s comments, Smith responded:
“Man, I can’t help it because we’re tough players. Honestly he’s a big part of their offense and obviously you have to take him out of the equation. I wouldn’t say we were trying to hurt him in no way but … we’re gonna make sure he don’t catch the ball. He’s not gonna catch it deep. He’s not gonna catch it short. We gonna force you to go somewhere else.”
Smith continued by saying he didn’t think Cruz meant his comments in a bad way. But then I told him about Beckham’s follow up comments that agreed with Cruz’s statement.
Odell Beckham on @TMKSonYES says he agrees with Cruz. "Man to man, if you have a chance to make a play, make it. Don't make a play on me."
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) August 25, 2015
This understandably annoyed Smith which resulted the following:
“What if the ball is not for you. The man is for you? The name of the game is hit the guy with the ball. You touch the ball, you gonna get hit. You go up for it, you gonna get hit … it’s preseason. We’re just getting warmed up. Obviously he [Odell Beckham Jr.] didn’t have any catches so I would feel some type of way too.”
Smith continued on by complimenting the Giants on a good game but I’m a fan of this kind of banter back and forth between teams especially during a preseason that can sometimes be underwhelming.
You have one of the best wide receiver tandems in the league shut down by the up-and-coming Jaguars defense. And the Giants were not happy.
Maybe the Giants didn’t expect this kind of play from a team who’s drafted in the top-10 seemingly forever. Maybe they underestimated the Jaguars. Maybe that’s too bad.
- via @MadebyTim
This type of play is exactly what you want to see on the field during the first-team series. And Smith’s followup remarks about Beckham is precisely what you want to hear out of a young hungry linebacker.
It’s just a shame these two teams won’t meet again this season so we could see this competition between young studs continue to play out.
Until that time comes, you can listen to the full interview with Telvin Smith on Helmets and Heels live from Zeta Brewing presented by Dream Finders Homes below.
Also included in this week’s show:
- University of North Florida’s Women’s soccer head coach, Robin Confer.
- Baylor University’s sexual assault scandal and Donna’s personal experience with this type of crime.
- If you came here just for the Telvin Smith interview, it starts around the 53-minute mark. We learned random factoids about Smith such The Lion King being his favorite movie of all time, his love of shopping even if it means only window shopping, and how many times he might intercept Brian Hoyer this year.
- Dream Finders Homes is Helmets and Heels new title sponsor. We talk about what this deal means for the upcoming season along with some cool promotions we’ll be doing throughout the season. Side note: We mention it during the show, but if you’re a Jax local, you can register to win a VIP tour of the only home located on a sports stadium in the world with Dream Finders. Oh, and you’ll get free food and drinks. Enter the contest here.
