Mike Prisuta: Aaron Smith no ordinary talent

Mike Prisuta
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, December 23, 2006

It's been another quiet season for Steelers defensive end Aaron Smith.

It's also been one like no other.

"I think this is probably one of the better years I've had, if not the best," Smith said. "I personally feel like I'm playing better than I ever have before."

Smith came to the Steelers in 1999 and became a starter at defensive end the following season. He hasn't said much since and rarely if ever has done anything to draw attention to himself.
But all the same, Smith has become an integral part of the Steelers' defense, and a classic leader-by-example for fellow defensive end Brett Keisel, a first-year starter this season.

"I just try to keep up with him," Keisel said. "He is the best example for all of us. To be able to play as hard as he plays every week, he never misses a game. He's always doing his job."

Smith has done that well enough to produce 53 tackles, four-and-a-half sacks and 18 quarterback hurries while playing a position in the Steelers' 3-4 scheme that's about much more than numbers.

Defensive ends in a 3-4 are supposed to do the dirty work and free up the linebackers to get the glory.

Smith has rolled up his sleeves and performed at a level that's allowed him to glean a personal satisfaction from his efforts that transcends the Steelers' 7-7 record.

A series of defeats that piled up in the season's first half and the team's current predicament as far as making the playoffs is concerned -- the Steelers' chances of doing so rank somewhere between a long shot and forget about it -- haven't damped Smith's enthusiasm in the least.

"It's easy for me to stay motivated," he said. "I love this game. It's easy to get up in the morning.

"Obviously, it's tough sometimes late in the season, but it's easy to get up and go to work. The older I get, the more fun this game gets to me. I think I've learned to appreciate it more."

Smith, a fourth-round pick out of Northern Colorado in 1999, has been around long enough to rank fourth among Steelers in seniority, behind guard Alan Faneca, wide receiver Hines Ward and cornerback Deshea Townsend (who all arrived in 1998).

Smith made it to the Pro Bowl following the 2004 season but was overlooked in this year's voting.

At this stage of his career he considers himself a better judge of how he's been performing than a Pro Bowl selection process Smith considers "a funny thing.

"The older you get you learn to start competing with yourself," Smith said.

Smith has also learned enough about Keisel this season to suggest that big things are in store for him down the road.

"Keisel is going to be a great player in this league," Smith said. "He's a good player now, but the more he gets experience, the more he sees stuff, he's going to be a great player."

Smith should know.

Mike Prisuta can be reached at mprisuta@tribweb.com.