How the Jaguars' Bye Week Turned Into Massive Honor For Maason Smith

The Jacksonville Jaguars' young defensive tackle received the honor of a lifetime over the bye week.

Sep 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Maason Smith (94) before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- For Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Maason Smith, the bye week meant more than just a chance to reset.

Instead, it gave him a chance to do what so many yearn to do throughout the season: go home.

Smith was honored over the bye week at his high school, Terrebonne High School in Houma, Louisiana. Smith's high school jersey was retired on his former stomping grounds, making him the first Terrebonne player to ever receive that honor.

Smith's Honor

"Just to, you know, be able to leave a legacy, you know, in my high school and everything like that. Man, you know, for me to be the first one in my high school history to have a jersey retired and something like that," Smith told Jaguars On SI in the locker room this week. "Man, it was just definitely, definitely a good experience, having the family around, being back home and being able to see just all my family and we had a good time."

For Smith, the chance to have his jersey retired was a chance to show the next generation of players from his hometown that they can do it. If they work hard and devote themselves, just like he has, then they can reach the same level of success.

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Maason Smith (94) stretches during an NFL training camp seventh session at the Miller Electric Center, Thursday, July 31, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Oh, you know, being from where I'm from, you know, not too many people make it out, not too many people, you know, especially not too many people doing whag I'm doing," Smith said.

"It's good to always give the younger kids an example of, you know, how things need to be done right or that anybody from where I'm from can make it, you know what I'm saying. Like I said, not too many people come from there, you know, playing football, basketball, whatever it is, you know, just kind of showing them that it could happen and you can do whatever you put your mind to."

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Maason Smith (94) sacks Tennessee Titans quarterback Mason Rudolph (11) as Titans center Corey Levin (62) can’t help stop during the fourth quarter Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars held off the Titans 20-13. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While Smith is laser-focused on the Jaguars' improvement after their Week 8 bye, the week off gave him a chance to reconnect with his home and his early days in the sport -- moments that he will always cherish.

"That's where I kind of made a name for myself, and that's where I started," he said.

Dec 29, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Maason Smith (94) sacks Tennessee Titans quarterback Mason Rudolph (11) under pressure from center Corey Levin (62) during the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

"So it was real good to get back on the field, see some older coaches that I had back from in the day, even from on, you know, back to pee wee ball, you know, just seeing some coaches that I had along the journey and along the way, it was definitely a good experience."

Follow us on X (Twitter) @JaguarsOnSI and @_John_Shipley to talk about Maason Smith and his bye week.

Please let us know your thoughts on Maason Smith and his bye week when you like our Facebook page, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.