'Art Believed in Me': Falcons TE Jonnu Smith Raves About Coach
"With the 100th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans select Jonnu Smith, tight end, Florida International."
Those words changed Jonnu Smith's life and mean so much to him, and a man named Arthur Smith, tight ends coach for the Titans at the time, now the Atlanta Falcons head coach, had a big part in that selection being made.
Now, almost six years later, the two find themselves crossing paths again and are excited to team up together with the Falcons.
Jonnu was super excited about the trade from the New England Patriots that reunited him with his former tight ends coach.
"(If) I’ve got to answer these questions all day, I’ll keep answering them, man, because you know that guy means so much to me and what he’s done and helped me get to my career," Smith said. "Just a wonderful, wonderful human being. It’s an honor to be playing with him. Art believed in me for all of my NFL career ... it’s a blessing to be reunited with him, a guy who knows how to take advantage of my abilities and talents. I hope this team gets to where we need to go. So, I’m just grateful to be part of this process.”
Jonnu Smith's best years in the NFL came under Arthur Smith's guidance, particularly in 2020. Jonnu caught eight touchdowns for the Titans and signed a four-year, $50 million contract in free agency with the Patriots. Meanwhile, Arthur's success landed him his first head coaching gig with the Falcons.
Now, the two reunite in hopes of creating more magic, something that will kick Jonnu's career into another gear and one that will give Arthur more job security for years to come.
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