Za’Darius Smith shines in Falcons debut

FLOWERY BRANCH — The most emotional part of Za’Darius Smith’s first game day in 11 months wasn’t the chills he felt running out of the tunnel, or the decision-validating two-sack performance against Aaron Rodgers, or even the Falcons’ missed opportunities in a 20-13 loss to the Steelers.

No, none of that. And it wasn’t from playing through the soreness in his shoulder that made him questionable coming in, either. It came after he’d done all that — and, for the first time in his football career, couldn’t recap it with some family members he so dearly loves.

“A sad moment for me was after the game, not being able to call my folks, man, and tell them what I did on the field,” Smith said Monday. “My mom used to always talk about Aaron Rodgers. When I left Green Bay and went to Minnesota and I had to play against the Packers, it was always, ‘Go get Aaron Rodgers, get him on the ground.’

“And, man, I had an opportunity to do that (Sunday). That was the only sad part — I couldn’t call her and talk to her about it.”

Smith, who turned 34 on Sept. 8, retired in October to spend the final few months of his mother’s life by her side. His mom, Sharon, died Feb. 10 at 66 years old. Then, Smith lost his grandmother. Then, his father.

They would’ve had plenty to cover Sunday evening.

Smith played only 16 snaps for the Falcons’ defense — a byproduct of his shoulder injury and, to a larger scale, his ramp-up process after being signed Aug. 18 — but he was immensely impactful. The defensive end tallied two sacks, three tackles for loss and a pair of quarterback hits.

“Pretty good ratio, one (sack) out of eight snaps,” Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday. “But yeah, definitely a plan to acclimate ‘Z.’ And he’s just coming back to getting back into practice, getting back into football shape, quote unquote. Proud of how he’s gotten himself ready, proud of the impact that he has on this football team every single day.

“Obviously, his ability to affect the quarterback is a huge deal, and the hope is to continue to bring him along.”

Perhaps most impressive? Smith still isn’t fully healthy. He gave credit to the Falcons’ coaching staff for not rushing him back and giving him veteran rest days to recover and take care of his body.

Smith sees the light at the end of his ramp-up tunnel, too.

“Close enough,” he said. “I’m in Year 12, man, so (Stefanski’s) not going to put too much on me. But at the same time, we’re going to get the work done. So, I can say I’m 80%, around there, but hopefully give me a couple more weeks and I’ll be where I need to be, 100% for sure.”

Smith’s productive debut gave him the chance to introduce the Falcons to his patented postsack celebration: the dog crawl. He learned it from Tim Williams, a former teammate with the Ravens, and said, “Bro, I’m going to use that.” For over 10 years, he’s done the dog crawl, then acts like he’s eating and getting full at the same time.

Those moments — the crawl, the prayer after taking down Rodgers on the final play of the second quarter, with Samson Ebukam by his side, and the defense-wide bowling pin celebration after recovering a fumble in the first quarter — mean more to Smith, who’s trying to bolster the Falcons’ culture with each joyous event.

“It’s all a team celebration,” Smith said. “I told the guys we got to celebrate. After big plays, we got to celebrate together as a team. That’s big for me, man. That’s a happy moment, and that’s another thing I missed from the game was those celebrations and just smiling and being joyful with my teammates.”

Smith said he’s “very comfortable” playing within defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich’s system, and he’s found enjoyment doing so alongside his new teammates.

The Falcons’ meetings were supposed to end by 1 p.m. Monday. Smith didn’t arrive for his news conference until after 1:30 p.m. The reason for his delay? Teammates wanted to stay and watch the rest of the film from Sunday’s loss, even though their scheduled meeting time had long passed.

“When we talk about the little things, that’s what I’m talking about, man,” Smith said. “And guys just staying after practice, wanting to get more work. I feel like that’s how we’re going to become a better team and a better defense, by just continuing to do the little things.”

The Falcons signed Smith with belief he’d be a strong veteran leader, and he’s already lived up to expectations.

He’s taking his leadership to new heights this week, hosting his defensive teammates at his newly bought house. Smith is bringing in a chef to cook lamb chops and lobster tails while the Falcons’ defense watches Thursday Night Football. He also has a pool and a pool table.

Smith’s invitation is rooted in camaraderie and togetherness. The more both grow, the better the Falcons’ defense will play, he feels. He learned firsthand in his first four seasons in the NFL, when Ravens leaders Terrell Suggs, Elvis Dumervil, Eric Weddle and C.J. Mosley held weekly events.

When he left Baltimore for the Packers after the 2018 season, Smith brought the idea with him.

“It’s big, man,” Smith said. “I feel like when guys come together outside of football and have that team camaraderie, you get to know one another better. And when guys are tight on the field, you know exactly what that guy is going to give and what I’m going to give because I know my guy is tight. So, basically just building that relationship.”

Falcons defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus referred to Smith, in his 12th NFL season, as a “great leader” who’s been on a lot of teams in a lot of places.

“He’s a real-time vet,” Dorlus said Monday. “When you see guys who aren’t afraid to lead, that just came in, it speaks a lot about who the person is and the team we’ve got.”

At the end of Smith’s availability, when questions were finished and he was free to leave, he wanted to use his platform to spread one final message: For those attending the Falcons’ Week 2 bout with the Panthers, monitor the sidelines for 45 people decked out in the same shirt.

Smith is sending a Greyhound bus to Harrison Street Baptist Church and bringing all the members of the church to the game. His mother always wanted him to do such a thing, and now that the Montgomery, Alabama, native is playing in Atlanta, it’s logistically feasible.

This one, Smith said, is big for him — but it’s bigger for his mom. And after a Falcons debut where he felt things went well, he’s ready to put on a show in Week 2 for his in-person guests and another watching with immense pride from her heavenly home.