Just like how Smith was in attendance several weeks ago for Zack Martin’s retirement ceremony, Martin returned the favor, joined by teammates like Fredrick, La’el Collins, former head coach Jason Garrett, and a plethora of other. It marked the end of yet another one of the Cowboys’ best eras on the offensive line, and one that Smith will never forget.
“For the group that we had, it was unbelievable. You can’t beat the group that we had, we felt like we were on top of the world and unstoppable, and there’s no better feeling than that, we felt like we couldn’t be touched.”
With Smith at left tackle, quarterbacks weren’t touched often, and Smith especially had an affinity for Dak Prescott. He spent eight of his 14 NFL seasons protecting Prescott’s blindside, and like many of his teammates, was effusive in his praise for Prescott as a teammate.
“One of the best teammates I’ve ever had,” Smtih said. “Dak cares deeply about everyone in the locker room, and he’s more than a teammate, he’s a lifelong friend, and I’ll always have your back, you’ll always be QB1 to me.”
Before the Cowboys selected Smith 9th overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, Jerry Jones hadn’t used a first-round pick on an offensive lineman since he bought the team in 1989. Smith ended up being the perfect candidate to break the precedent.
“We won’t have a player, ever, with the Dallas Cowboys… that shares better credentials on how they came, how they worked, how they used their background to work, and what they accomplished and meant to the team.” Jones said.
“It is a tragedy that we didn’t get a Super Bowl with you sitting out there at that left tackle, and sitting there with many of the other players that you mentioned here today. But that doesn’t take away from the fact of what you’ve accomplished in the NFL Tyron, and that doesn’t take away from the respect that you see in this room.”
In the NFL, it’s rare to come across a talent that can complete change a team at any position. Even rarer, though, is a player that is so good, he changes a team’s entire roster construction philosophy. Tyron Smith did that, and then some.
“It changed our way of thinking about taking that [round] one pick and using it on an offensive lineman, and he did that.” Jones said.
