WVU Fans Will Absolutely Love What Raiders’ Pete Carroll Has to Say About Geno Smith

The West Virginia Mountaineers were in good hands back in 2009-2012 when Geno Smith was their quarterback. During his time in Morgantown, Smith passed for 11,662 passing yards, 98 touchdowns, just 21 interceptions, and completed 67.4% of his passes in his career. Of course, his journey in the NFL has been even crazier.

Smith is getting ready for his next chapter in his career with his former head coach whom he worked with the Seattle Seahawks. Smith will be playing for Pete Carroll in the 2025 NFL season. Carroll detailed his journey with Smith while speaking to Omar Ruiz of NFL Network.

“It's not just friendship, but it's the shared experience,” Carroll said. “I know who I am dealing with, and I know who he is dealing with. He is trying to make me the best I can be, and I am trying to make him the best he can be. We are willing to challenge each other to get that done because we both are competitors, and we battle in that regard. It is such a significant change for us to have him in this new program and new Raiders and the whole thing. He does what Maxx [Crosby] does on the other side, so we have tremendous leadership.”

Carroll is thrilled to have Smith alongside him on this journey. This new opportunity is exciting for both of them, and it’s great to share it with familiar faces.

"Soon after he arrived, he recognized that Russell [Wilson] was the starter and he was the backup,” Carroll said. “It was how he embraced that challenge that changed everything for me about who he is.”

Carroll shared the story of the first time he recognized greatness in Smith. When Smith first arrived in Seattle, he knew he was a backup. The Seahawks had Russell Wilson shredding up the NFL. However, Smith used that challenge to make himself better. Carroll noticed that and respected it.

“Every day he came to practice, to work, knowing that the very next play he could be the starting quarterback,” Carroll said. “That connection never left him, and so it drove him to find his best and to work every single day with sincerity and commitment and the toughness that it takes to do that. I mean, he went four years where he didn’t play at all in four years.”

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