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 The 24-year-old played an outstanding game, scoring a crucial
touchdown, recovering a fumble and making five solo tackles as the
Seahawks demolished the Denver Broncos 43-8, but it never crossed
his mind that he might win one of the game's biggest individual
awards.
"I always imagined myself making great plays, but I never thought
about being the MVP," he said.
"I was just happy to be on the field."
Linebackers rarely win the MVP, and Smith was just the third in 48
years to get the nod, which was decided by a panel of 16 NFL
writers.
The others were Chuck Howley of the Dallas Cowboys (1971 Super Bowl)
and Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens (2001 Super Bowl).
Smith's crowning moment came in the second quarter when he
intercepted a pass from Denver quarterback Peyton Manning and raced
69 yards downfield for a touchdown that left MetLife Stadium
rocking.
Seattle was already leading 15-0, but the Broncos were on the charge
and looking to get some points on the board before halftime. When
Smith made it safely to the Broncos' end zone, the game was as good
as over.
"I guess we had good coverage on the back end. Peyton kind of
scanned the opposite side of the field and was working his way
back," Smith explained.
"We had excellent pressure, somebody got the their arm on the ball,
I didn't see who.
"I guess the ball came out high, and I was just fortunate that the
running back was kind of sitting there waiting on it, and I just
attacked it and took off."
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Smith has made a habit of big interceptions. He did not make any in
his first 43 games in the NFL but has now made four in last five
games, including the game winner in the NFC Conference clash with
the San Francisco 49ers.
His road to the top has not been easy. He played for the University
of Southern California under Pete Carroll, who is now the coach of
the Seattle Seahawks.
When he was still at college, Smith was diagnosed with the rare
eating disorder achalasia, which forces him to eat slowly and digest
only small amounts of food.
He lost a lot of weight, and his chances of making into the NFL
started to wane. He was not invited to annual combine, where NFL
hopefuls get to show off their athletic ability to prospective
teams, but drafted by the Seahawks as the 242nd overall pick.
After a solid start to his NFL career, which is now in its third
year, Smith has established himself as a vital cog in a Seattle
defensive that is unmatched as the best in the NFL and credits the
defense for his MVP award.
"It just represent how our defense played. I'm just here to
represent the defense," he said.
"I played well tonight and I had a couple of opportunities. But
you've seen guys make these plays all year and tonight was my turn."
(Reporting by Julian Linden; editing by Gene Cherry)
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