Drafted by the Falcons in 1992, Chuck Smith became one of the best pass-rushers in franchise history and helped lead Atlanta to an NFC Championship during the 1998 campaign. Today, he coaches and consults with young defensive linemen and linebackers, many of whom go on to enjoy successful NFL careers.
Among those Smith has worked with is Falcons rookie De'Vondre Campbell. Leading up to the NFL Scouting Combine, Smith sought out the former Minnesota Gopher, along with seven other prospects, and trained together for two months.
Earlier this week, AtlantaFalcons.com and Smith discussed the intriguing linebacker and what he can bring to Dan Quinn's team.
Andrew Hirsh: Thanks for taking the time to chat. Now that you've been able to evaluate De'Vondre Campbell up close, what would you say is your general impression of him?
Chuck Smith: He's a very mature, very positive person to be around. He's the kind of guy that helps build championships. He comes to work every day. He's a good man. I was always hoping that Atlanta would select him because they needed him. He brings a lot on the field and a hell of a lot off the field.
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Atlanta Falcons Minicamp, built by The Home Depot, came to a close on Thursday after three days of workouts in the Georgia heat. Fans came to Flowery Branch for one more look at the team.
AH:** Why, specifically, do you think the Falcons needed him?
CS: Well, I think because he brings a mindset, a workmanlike mindset. I think the reason why they needed him is because they needed playmakers. He can play any one of those linebacker positions. And as he continues to develop and grow, he can one day be a pass rusher who can put his hand down (in the dirt). So when you really look at him, he's a guy who puts in hard work, can rush and has grit, and I just think his versatility makes him the kind of player they were looking for. He also has the build. I know what Thomas (Dimitroff) was looking for—he was looking for length. And De'Vondre has that.
AH: I want to go back to what you said about pass-rushing. Campbell told us during rookie minicamp that you two spent a lot of time practicing how to get after the quarterback. How did you see him develop in that regard?
CS: First we had to teach him a philosophy, an understanding. We gave him a system of what works and what doesn't work. There are certain rules to the pass-rush. Some things you can do, some things you can't depending on protection, depending on who you're going against. There's a difference between rushing against offensive linemen and rushing a back. There are different situations in the National Football League. We just introduced him to the art of pass-rushing. It's a learned knowledge; it's not something you can just jump out there and do.
De'Vondre is still learning, he's still growing and he still has a lot to learn. But he's quick. And one of the things that helps as a pass-rusher, in addition to speed, is being able to use your hands. I think that's one of the things that he learned from me. For every pass-rush move, there are techniques for different hand movements and different things you have to do to have success. That's the first step in developing the pass rusher: understanding it's more than just being an athlete, which he's always been.
AH: Looking ahead to September, what kind of impact do you think he can make during his first professional season?
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The Falcons hosted the Rookie Club Olympics on Wednesday where soldiers from Fort Benning were paired with a rookie to compete against each other in military and football themed activities.
AMB Group CEO Steve Cannon, a West Point graduate, addressed the group before the activities began
Head coach Dan Quinn taking in the activities
Falcons owner and chairman Arthur Blank spoke to the group
CS:** Well, I think he has a ways to go as a pass-rusher, and I'm sure he'll recognize that. In the time that we trained, we put a lot of focus on coverage; that was one of the best things we worked with him on. I think he can become a great cover guy — he can absolutely cover.
Overall, I think he'll have an impact, and I think a lot of that can be on special teams. He can be a great special teams player. I think he'll be able to cover off the ball right now. Is he ready to go out and get 10 sacks like John Abraham or the great Claude Humphrey? I don't know. But he can make an impact on special teams, base defense and even in the nickel defense.
AH: It sounds like you're a big fan of De'Vondre the person, not just De'Vondre the player.
CS: There's a lot of value in teaching him. He's a raw athlete who can be molded, because he has a humble attitude. That's a big deal, man: being humble in the National Football League as a great athlete. De'Vondre is willing to learn. I think I taught him everything he needs to know about being a mature, young guy. That's the big thing with De'Vondre — he's so mature. We got to be really close.
AH: Given his physical abilities and that mindset, what kind of ceiling do you think Campbell has in the NFL?
CS: I'm going to tell you this now: For the kind of guy he can become, there is no ceiling, in my opinion. I think the sky's the limit for De'Vondre. I really do. Ultimately, I come back to that humble, learning attitude that makes the great ones great. They listen to what people tell them. Then he also has what we call that dog in him. That's something you can't draft. That's something you can't instill in people. De'Vondre is the kind of player who's going to give 100 percent whether the Falcons are up by 25 and closing out a game, or down by 45 and playing for pride. Those are the kinds of players that win you championships. They never turn it down. The sky is the limit for him.
Drafted by the Falcons in 1992, Chuck Smith developed into one of the best pass-rushers in franchise history and helped lead Atlanta to an NFC Championship during the 1998 campaign. Today, he consults with defensive linemen and linebackers, many of whom go on to enjoy successful NFL careers.
Among those Smith has worked with is Falcons rookie De'Vondre Campbell. Leading up to the combine, Smith sought out the former Minnesota Gopher, along with seven other prospects, to help prepare him for the next step in his career. They spent two months training in Orlando, where they
On Thursday, AtlantaFalcons.com and Smith discussed the intriguing linebacker and what he can bring to Dan Quinn's team.
Andrew Hirsh: Thanks for taking the time to chat. Now that you've been able to evaluate De'Vondre Campbell up close, what was your overall impression of him?
Chuck Smith: He's a very mature, very positive person to be around. He's the kind of guy that helps build championships. He comes to work every day. He's a good man. I was always hoping that Atlanta would select him because they needed him. He brings a lot on the field and a hell of a lot off the field.
AH: Why, specifically, do you think the Falcons needed him?
CS: Well I think because he brings a mindset, a workmanlike mindset. I think the reason why they needed him is because they needed playmakers. He can play any one of those linebacker positions. And as he continues to develop and grow, he can one day be a pass rusher who can put his hand down (in the dirt). So when you really look at him, he's a guy who puts in hard work, can rush and has grit. And I just think his versatility makes him the kind of player they were looking for. He also has the build. I know what Thomas (Dimitroff) was looking for—he was looking for length. And De'Vondre has that.
AH: I want to go back to what you said about pass-rushing. Campbell told us during rookie minicamp that you two spent a lot of time practicing how to get after the quarterback. How did you see him develop in that regard?
CS: First we had to teach him a philosophy, an understanding. We gave him a system of what works and what doesn't work. There are certain rules to the pass-rush. Some things you can do, some things you can't depending on protection, depending on who you're going against. There's a difference between rushing against offensive linemen and rushing a back. There are different situations in the National Football League. We just introduced him to the art of pass-rushing. It's a learned knowledge; it's not something you can just jump out there and do.
De'Vondre is still learning, he's still growing and he still has a lot to learn. But he's quick. And one of the things that helps as a pass-rusher, in addition to speed, is being able to use your hands. I think that's one of the things that he learned from me. For every pass-rush move, there are techniques for different hand movements and different things you have to do to have success. That's the first step in developing the pass rusher: understanding it's more than just being an athlete, which he's always been.
AH: Looking ahead to September, what kind of impact do you think he can make during his first professional season?
CS: Well, I think he has a ways to go as a pass-rusher, and I'm sure he'll recognize that. In the time that we trained, we put a lot of focus on coverage; that was one of the best things we worked with him on. I think he can become a great cover guy—he can absolutely cover.
Overall, I think he'll have an impact, and I think a lot of that can be on special teams. He can be a great special teams player. I think he'll be able to cover off the ball right now. Is he ready to go out and get 10 sacks like John Abraham or the great Claude Humphrey? I don't know. But he can make an impact on special teams, base defense and even in the nickel defense.
AH: It sounds like you're a big fan of De'Vondre the person, not just De'Vondre the player.
CS: There's a lot of value in teaching him. He's a raw athlete that can be molded, because he has a humble learning attitude. That's a big deal, man: being humble in the National Football League as a great athlete. De'Vondre is willing to learn. I think I taught him everything he needs to know about being a mature, young guy. That's the big thing with De'Vondre—he's so mature. We got to be really close.
AH: Given his physical abilities and that mindset, what kind of ceiling do you think Campbell has in the NFL?
CS: I'm going to tell you this now: For the kind of guy he can become, there is no ceiling in my opinion. I think the sky's the limit for De'Vondre. I really do. Ultimately, I come back to that humble, learning attitude that makes the great ones great. They listen to what people tell them. Then he also has what we call that dog in him. That's something you can't draft. That's something you can't instill in people. De'Vondre is the kind of player who's going to give 100 percent whether the Falcons are up by 25 and closing out a game, or down by 45 and playing for pride. Those are the kinds of players that win you championships. They never turn it down. The sky is the limit for him.
