Post by MizzouTiger on Nov 27, 2007 12:40:29 GMT -5
www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/story/376619.html
Smith laments one yard he didn’t get in impressive Chiefs debut
By RANDY COVITZ
The Kansas City Star
Chiefs running back Kolby Smith came up 1 yard short.
Smith, making his first NFL start, rushed a rookie-record 31 times for the Chiefs on Sunday, gaining 150 yards and scoring two touchdowns.
But yard No. 151 was the toughest, when Smith was stuffed in the fourth quarter for no gain on a fourth and 1 at the Oakland 23. The Chiefs never got the ball back in a 20-17 loss.
“It’s very hurtful,” Smith lamented afterward. “It was a turning point of the game. To get that first down, you know you have four more plays to get in the end zone or possibly a field goal.
“That’s hanging over my head now, and I won’t be able to get it off my head until next week.”
Smith, a fifth-round draft pick from Louisville, was starting in place of the injured Larry Johnson and retired Priest Holmes. His 150 yards were the most by a Chiefs running back this year, topping the 123 by Johnson at San Diego.
It was the fifth-highest single-game rushing performance by a rookie in franchise history, and he became the first Chiefs rookie to post a 100-yard game since Harvey Williams had 103 against Buffalo in 1991.
“I got an opportunity, and you never know how many times you’ll come across things like this,” Smith said. “I was out there having fun.”
Smith, a compact 5 feet 11, 219 pounds, combined the inside power of Johnson with the patience of Holmes. On several runs, he started up the middle before breaking to the outside, and on more than one occasion, Smith faked out defenders with a wiggle and/or a shake of the hips and picked up added yardage.
“Instincts,” Smith said, smiling. “Coach always tells you to trust your instincts, and that’s what I was doing. The line was blocking, and sometimes you have to be patient, and let the blocking scheme develop. If you do that and read the keys, things open up.”
Smith scored both of the Chiefs’ touchdowns, one on a bruising 10-yard run up the middle, and the other on a 5-yard run up the gut.
“It’s something I’ve been dreaming of all my life, and having it become reality is almost unbelievable,” said Smith, who plans to give the ball from his first touchdown to his father, who was in the stands on Sunday.
“The feeling is nice. I can’t explain how it felt to put up the kind of numbers in my first NFL start. It’s unbelievable.”
Because of the uncertainty of Johnson’s foot injury, Smith will continue to have opportunities to score touchdowns and rush for 100-plus yards.
“He did a fantastic job his first time starting,” Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said. “We didn’t want to wear him out.”
Smith, who picked up some valuable experience carrying the ball eight times for 17 yards in last week’s loss at Indianapolis, believes there is room for him in the backfield if Johnson returns.
“Once Larry comes back, teams will know we have a two-headed monster in the backfield, two different running styles, and the team will know we have two backs capable of playing the position well,” he said.
Smith laments one yard he didn’t get in impressive Chiefs debut
By RANDY COVITZ
The Kansas City Star
Chiefs running back Kolby Smith came up 1 yard short.
Smith, making his first NFL start, rushed a rookie-record 31 times for the Chiefs on Sunday, gaining 150 yards and scoring two touchdowns.
But yard No. 151 was the toughest, when Smith was stuffed in the fourth quarter for no gain on a fourth and 1 at the Oakland 23. The Chiefs never got the ball back in a 20-17 loss.
“It’s very hurtful,” Smith lamented afterward. “It was a turning point of the game. To get that first down, you know you have four more plays to get in the end zone or possibly a field goal.
“That’s hanging over my head now, and I won’t be able to get it off my head until next week.”
Smith, a fifth-round draft pick from Louisville, was starting in place of the injured Larry Johnson and retired Priest Holmes. His 150 yards were the most by a Chiefs running back this year, topping the 123 by Johnson at San Diego.
It was the fifth-highest single-game rushing performance by a rookie in franchise history, and he became the first Chiefs rookie to post a 100-yard game since Harvey Williams had 103 against Buffalo in 1991.
“I got an opportunity, and you never know how many times you’ll come across things like this,” Smith said. “I was out there having fun.”
Smith, a compact 5 feet 11, 219 pounds, combined the inside power of Johnson with the patience of Holmes. On several runs, he started up the middle before breaking to the outside, and on more than one occasion, Smith faked out defenders with a wiggle and/or a shake of the hips and picked up added yardage.
“Instincts,” Smith said, smiling. “Coach always tells you to trust your instincts, and that’s what I was doing. The line was blocking, and sometimes you have to be patient, and let the blocking scheme develop. If you do that and read the keys, things open up.”
Smith scored both of the Chiefs’ touchdowns, one on a bruising 10-yard run up the middle, and the other on a 5-yard run up the gut.
“It’s something I’ve been dreaming of all my life, and having it become reality is almost unbelievable,” said Smith, who plans to give the ball from his first touchdown to his father, who was in the stands on Sunday.
“The feeling is nice. I can’t explain how it felt to put up the kind of numbers in my first NFL start. It’s unbelievable.”
Because of the uncertainty of Johnson’s foot injury, Smith will continue to have opportunities to score touchdowns and rush for 100-plus yards.
“He did a fantastic job his first time starting,” Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said. “We didn’t want to wear him out.”
Smith, who picked up some valuable experience carrying the ball eight times for 17 yards in last week’s loss at Indianapolis, believes there is room for him in the backfield if Johnson returns.
“Once Larry comes back, teams will know we have a two-headed monster in the backfield, two different running styles, and the team will know we have two backs capable of playing the position well,” he said.