June 28, 2010
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T.J. Greenstone will pause to answer questions for a few minutes, but it’s right back to lifting weights after that. Adam Smotherman is recovering from a torn ACL, but that’s not stopping him from helping teammates in defensive line workouts.
The two defensive tackles share more than the same positions. They both believe fervently in leading this year’s Vanderbilt team by example, especially now that they’ve been elected co-captains.
“Me and Smo, we like to talk how we play,” Greenstone said. “Nothing screams louder than hitting somebody in the backfield or whooping an offensive lineman and seeing it on film, or showing these freshmen how we’re going to work during this offseason. Nothing really motivates the younger guys and all the other guys on the team more than how we work and put our bodies on the line day in and day out.”
That means going at it hard, whether it’s in the weight room or out on the field in sweltering temperatures. It was the mindset that players wanted when deciding who they wanted as captains for the Commodores for the upcoming season.
“I obviously look for a person who’s a leader on the field because the coaches can’t be out there with us on the field,” said Smotherman, who hopes to be healthy enough to play by the season opener. “So somebody who’s a leader on the field and somebody who takes the initiative to lead the guys in his specific position group and on the team when the coaches aren’t here, like when we’re outside training by ourselves.”
Summer workouts are player driven, so the example shown by Greenstone and Smotherman is crucial.
“We need guys that want to work, that want to be here, that love to be here, that want to take the extra steps, because just doing what everyone else is doing isn’t going to get the job done,” Greenstone said. “We need guys that are willing to go above and beyond.”
The two stalwarts of the Commodore interior earned that reputation with breakout 2009 seasons. Smotherman started all 12 games, posting career highs in solo tackles (18) and total tackles (31). For his tremendous strides in workouts, the 6-foot-4-inch, 290-pound Smotherman earned the team’s Strength and Conditioning Award. Greenstone also saw considerable action, only making one start but nevertheless receiving the team’s Most Valuable Lineman award after notching 38 tackles, two sacks, and forcing and recovering one fumble.
“It’s important to have guys with experience out there,” Smotherman said. “Guys that are battle-tested, that have had to push through adversity, injuries and things like that, guys that know exactly what the coaches expect from us on the field and off the field.”
Greenstone and Smotherman were both part of the 2008 squad that led the Commodores to only their second-ever bowl victory. They’ve tasted that success. However, they also were on last year’s team and tasted that disappointment.
“It was kind of a slap in the face going 2-10. We’re working so 2-10 will never happen again,” Greenstone said. “We know we’re a better football team than that, and we’re planning and working every day to be better.”
Photo by John Russell