Jonnu Smith Joins the Chorus of Mac Jones Veteran Teammates Singing His Praises as a QB and Leader

Boston Globe. Getty Images.

If I've learned anything from almost 20 years of plying my trade on Barstool (a dubious proposition, but stay with me), it is this. Becoming a success that changes people's perception of the world happens in three phases. First your work goes unnoticed. Then the public at large starts to take notice of you. Then they start to tear you down and obsessively make it their mission to decry everything about you and find ever new ways to remind you how and why you suck. 

That's when you know you're making it. They don't bother saying this stuff about nobodies. When you become a threat to the established order, that's when they come after you. That stage is a crucial step in order to achieve true success. They did it to us. They did it to the Beatles. They did it to Jesus. And the internet has been working overtime to do it to Mac Jones. 

You can't spend any amount of time praising or being grateful for Jones on the socials medias (and I probably spend more hours on this work than anyone), without someone telling you how wrongfully wrong wrong you are about him and how he's actually garbage. A noodle-armed, dad-bodded loser who, when he's not dinking, is dunking. Even when you ReTweet simple data points such as this:

And while dismissive, unfounded hatred is the sort of thing that used to baffle me when it was directed at us around, say, 2006, I'm more mature than that now. I respect that it is all part of the process in growing from nobody into somebody. In Jones' case, in going from a backup at Alabama to starter to considered just the fifth best prospect at your position to leading your team back to the playoffs to truly great quarterback. He's in that middle ground between obscurity and success where doubting him is all the fashion.

But fortunately for Jones aficionados such as myself, the locker room he's becoming the leader of doesn't follow fashion, they make it.  

Jakobi Meyers, Nelson Agholor, Tre Nixon, Kendric Bourne, Damien Harris, DeVante Parker, even Cam Newton have all talked about the man's elite traits and unquestioned leadership qualities. And today, that heavenly host making joyful noise about Jones' exploits added yet another voice:

Source - Joining NFL Network's Good Morning Football on Monday, tight end Jonnu Smith joined the chorus praising the young quarterback's mental approach.

"Honestly, man, just the way he can turn it on," Smith said of the QB. "Mac is definitely one of the most goofiest guys in the locker room, to be honest, man. But when he steps on that field, he's a different character. He's just got so much ability and so much dog in him. Once he flips that switch, he's a whole different character. Some guys don't know how to cut that on and cut that off when it's time to do it. He's so young. He's poised. He's got a little swagger to him, man. I'm glad he's throwing us passes. That's my guy."

Bear in mind, this is coming from Jonnu Smith, who was the runaway winner in the 2021 Disappointing Patriots Sweepstakes. One of the splashiest signings they made in a blood orgy of free agent spending, Smith finished with just 28 catches and less than 300 yards, and was pretty much written out of the game plans by the end of October as Jones looked elsewhere. As Jones lost confidence in Smith and most veterans would semi-understandably hold a grudge against a rookie for such insolence, Smith has only gained confidence in Jones. And, it should be added, his whole team:

"We just got so many talented guys in the locker room, even guys that are better outside of the locker room, outside of the gridiron," Smith said. "A group of great guys all coming together for one common goal. I'm just confident, man, in every goal that we have set out to reach. It's going to be something amazing to look forward to."

Annnd … I'm finished. Oh yeah, that's what daddy likes. Give us more of that. A roster full of guys who believe they're poised to take the next step, ready to be led by a young guy who might be goofy in the locker room, but once he steps on the field, becomes a "dog." He's they're guy. And they are ready to follow him anywhere.

A British officer in WWI is credited with the idea that an army of donkeys led by a lion will defeat an army of lions led by a donkey. Around here, we've become accustomed to a lion leading an army of lions, and nothing else. As the training camp of this particular young cub's second season is exactly one month away, it sounds more every day like he's exactly the right lion for the job.

Also, don't be at all surprised when Smith's production triples, at the very least. He missed too much time last offseason, but that's a mistake he will not repeat.