Sunday, Aug. 02, 2009

Rams' Jason Smith may be a millionaire, but he gets the rookie treatment like everybody else

ST. LOUIS -- Though he become a multi-millionaire less than 24 hours earlier, offensive tackle Jason Smith still got the rookie treatment from his St. Louis Rams teammates Friday during the team's first full-squad practice of training camp.

Smith had to carry the helmets of his veteran teammates, a common ritual for rookies throughout the NFL.

"I carried the usuals,'' Smith said. "All five starters of the offensive linemen, Mr. (Randy) McMichael, Mr. (Steven) Jackson. Every once while in a while I try to grab (Marc) Bulger's, but he won't let me.''

Smith later referred to Bulger as Mr. Bulger.

"After my retirement, that's when I'll call him Marc,'' Smith said.

The 6-foot-5, 306-pound Smith didn't need a cart to lug all of those helmets.

"Hey, I've got these big arms,'' Smith said.

Smith, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, signed a five-year contract that could be worth close to $62 million if all the incentives are met.

Smith received $33 million in guaranteed money.

Asked what he was going to do with the money, Smith said, "I was thinking that I'll get a Tempur-Pedic bed or something like that.''

Smith expressed his desire to be in camp on time to his agents, Smith's agents, Ben Dogra and Tom Condon of the St. Louis-based Creative Artists Football agency.

That may have helped to expedite negotiations.

"All I know is that to play football, you to be here,'' Smith said. "You can't be at the house to be a part of the team. You have to be here to be a part of the team.''

Middle linebacker James Laurinaitis also is represented by Dogra and Condon. Laurinaitis signed on Wednesday.

"Obviously when they said, 'Hey, we got James done,' I was like, 'Cool, I guess I am next,''' Smith said.

Smith signed his contract late Thursday afternoon, and promptly reported to the team hotel for a meeting.

"I was just sitting my phone waiting for them to say, 'Come over,''' Smith said. "At the end of the day, things got done, and now I'll be able to help out the team and take the next step with what I need to do.''

Smith said he was glad to be out on the practice field with his teammates on Friday.

"It's a real exciting to have the opportunity to be around the offensive line, the team and be out here in the St. Louis weather and having fun with football,'' Smith said.

Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said Smith had a solid first practice.

"I have to look at the film, but a couple of the peaks that I took at him, I was pleased,'' Spagnuolo said. "There wasn't anything I was disappointed in.''

Smith will start out working at right tackle even though he played mostly left tackle in college. He started 24 games at left tackle, seven games at right tackle and eight games at tight end during his four seasons for the Baylor Bears.

"(Former Baltimore Ravens left tackle) Jonathan Ogden didn't start on the left,'' Rams offensive line coach Steve Loney said. "There is going to be a learning curve, so you try and put them in a position where they can best make that adjustment."

Smith, who allowed only two quarterback pressures and 3.5 sacks in 290 pass plays during his senior season with the Bears, said he felt more comfortable at right tackle after getting work at the position during the Rams' minicamps and organized team activities.

"A lot more comfortable,'' Smith said. "As football goes, the more reps you get, the better you are going to get at anything. Whether it is right tackle or left tackle, serving water, making sure the Gatorade is cold, handing out towels, whatever it is, I feel that I'm a little better at it now.''

Despite being served some humble pie by his teammates, Smith is living his dream.

"Dreams become visions and visions become reality, so at the end of the day, I guess I am,'' Smith said.