Pint-sized Smith brings size large approach to football

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This article was published 26/04/2016 (3434 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Ryan Smith speaks in hushed tones, heavy with humility and respect.

But strap on shoulder pads and a football helmet on the diminutive Winnipeg Blue Bomber receiver — he’s listed at 5-7 — and the man’s game speaks loudly and clearly.

“Football is all about attitude,” began Smith after Day 2 of Bomber mini-camp. “The other guy opposing you is trying to beat you up, toss you around. And you can’t let him do that. You’ve got to be the aggressor. You’ve got to hold your own and bring the fight to them.

“I’ve learned you can’t take shots to the mouth and not give shots back.”

It’s that kind of fight that appealed to the Bombers this winter when looking for candidates in free agency to beef up their passing attack.

The North Dakota State product spent the last two years with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, appearing in 24 games and starting 22. He led the Riders in receiving yards and touchdowns last year, finishing with 59 catches for 991 yards and seven scores.

But it’s his ability to both stretch defences and make the gritty catch in traffic that could make him the little big man of the new Bomber attack — just like another dynamo and ex Rider, Weston Dressler.

“When I walked into the locker room it was different at first,” said Smith of his first days as a Bomber. “You don’t know many of the guys. But as you work through practice you start to get to know some guys.

“Weston is a good friend of mine. I played next to him last year and just to have him out there on the field with me, we try to help each other as much as possible. Weston’s a veteran and if he tells you something he’s going to be right about it.

“You always have to listen to your peers, other players and vets and just try to continue to get better.”

It’s the Bombers hope that with Dressler and Smith’s experience, Rory Kohlert’s reliability and Darvin Adams big-play capability, they can strike more fear into opposition defences.

Smith, for his part, has spent the last couple of days looking at the Bombers’ offensive talent. His first impression?

“We’ve got some dynamic players out here,” he said. “We’re very athletic and have some people with great play-making ability. That’s what you need as an offence. This has been good because we’ve had the chance to work with (quarterback Drew Willy) and get our timing down so that when we come to camp we hit the field running.

“It’s going to be fun this year.”

ed.tait@freepress.mb.caTwitter: WFPEdTait