Falcons running back Antone Smith doesn’t understand what’ all the fuss is about.
He quietly goes about his business and when the Falcons do call on him, he usually feels the need to show off his speed.
As the team as limped out to a 2-3 start, Smith has been the glaring bright spot of another injury-filled start as he’s ripped off long touchdown runs.
The Falcons have paid lip-service to getting Smith more carries in the rushing game and more targets in the passing game as they’ve continued to use running backs Steven Jackson and Jacquizz Rodgers more.
Jackson has 63 carries for 238 yards for a 3.8 yards per carry average and two touchdowns. Rodgers had 19 carries for 75 yards for a 3.9 yards per carry average and one touchdowns. Rookie Devonta Freeman has 19 carries for 73 yards (3.8 per carry) and no touchdowns.
“Antone is one of many guys that we have,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said on Monday. “We never go into a game and say we’re going to have X-amount of touches for this player or x-amount of touches for that player. We have packages that are in place that we have designed to get guys touches. We never go in and say he’s going to get this many touches.”
Antone Smith has 11 carries for 121 yards (11.0 yards per carry) and two touchdowns.
He’s also caught six passes for 156 yards and had touchdown catches of 74 and 54 yards.
“My approach is to always go out there and make plays,” Smith said. “This team mindset to also make plays.”
The Falcons have been repeatedly asked since last season, why that can’t seem to get the ball to Smith more.
“Antone has earned more touches by what he’s done thus far in the first five games,” Mike Smith said.
Quarterback Matt Ryan seems to appreciate Smith’s big-play capacity. His 74-yard touchdown catch-and-run against the Giants gave the Falcons a 10-point lead they couldn’t hold.
“That’s up to the coaches,” Ryan said. “They put those guys in. I’ve said it all along, (offensive coordinator) Dirk (Koetter) does a great job of scheming to get all of our guys involved. Antone made a huge play for us (against the Giants) at a critical time.”
Smith, a former special teams maven, who bounced around the league after going undrafted out of Florida State landed on the Falcons practice squad in 2009. He didn’t carry the ball from scrimmage for three seasons.
When last season was going up in flames at Tampa Bay, he ripped off 88 yards on two carries, including a 50-yard touchdown run. Two games later in Green Bay, he had a 38-yard touchdown run.
The big plays haven’t stopped this season as he had a 54-yard touchdown reception in the opener against New Orleans. He had a 38-yard touchdown run in the route of Tampa Bay and he had a 48-yard touchdown run against Minnesota that gave the Falcons a 28-27 lead that they couldn’t hold.
Antone Smith has quietly gone about his business. He said that doesn’t pay attention to the public outcry for him to get more touches.
“I don’t listen to the noise,” Smith said. “I prepare every week like I’m going to be out there more than I supposed to be out there. I just prepare every week. That’s the only thing that I can do. I can’t change anything that I do individually. I just have to go out there and be prepared to do what I do out there on the field.”
Smith was widely considered one of the top running backs in the country before attending Florida State. He was the Old Spice National player of the year.
After rushing for 2,065 yards and scoring 23 touchdowns for the Seminole, Smith went undrafted. He spent time with the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings and Houston Texans before the Falcons signed him.
It’s been long uphill climb for Smith and it has kept him humble.
“I always thought of it like this, nothing in this world is given to you,” Smith said. “I’ve always believed in working hard and being patient. That’s how I got here this far, by being patient the whole time.”
