A Working Relationship

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The broad analysis before last year’s draft -- from potent throwing arm and upside to ego-driven, coach-killer, selfish team cancer -- was staggering goo for Geno Smith. He did not step in it. He did not accept it.

But if you said stubborn then and now, well, that sticks.

“It’s there,” said Smith recently, a year after he was the second quarterback drafted, the 39th player selected. A year after he started all 16 games for the New York Jets as a rookie and finished 8-8 and after an offseason full of rugged mental and physical toil toward football growth.

“It’s worked for me,” he continued. “It’s hurt me in some ways. But you’ve got to be confident in this game. It helps to be humble and cocky. I’m pretty even-keeled. But everybody that knows me knows how stubborn I am. I don’t let anybody tell me just anything. Some things I want to find out for myself.

“Yeah, I’m stubborn,” he persisted. “I love football. I work extra hard at it. I will make subtle changes. But I won’t change one bit my mindset. I’m not going to be something I’m not. [Head coach] Rex [Ryan], [owner] Woody [Johnson], [general manager John] Idzik, they allow you to be yourself here, to be a football player. And for me, that’s not a struggle.”

The broad analysis before and after Michael Vick’s signing with the Jets in March -- from ferocious competitor to too content, from glitzy playmaker to too diminished, from a clear, sincere makeover to still not worthy of forgiveness -- helps cement Vick as NFL legend, pop culture fixture and now, as Smith’s mentor, muse and backup.

In all things, Vick views himself as an instrument of change.

“I am a living example of what you can do, what not to do and how to do it right,” Vick said, acknowledging his voyage from the 2001 NFL Draft’s No. 1 overall pick to a nearly two-year prison sentence for involvement in an illegal dog-fighting ring to his NFL return first with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009 and now with the Jets.

“There is so much temptation out there in everything for players,” Vick said. “There is a fine line finding the right way to think and to stay firm. It is hard to know how it will all work out for Geno. But I do know that help is going to be needed. Help in the game and everything that comes along with it. You never know what will come. It’s scary sometimes. It’s what we sign up for.”

Eugene Cyril Smith III is 23. Michael Dwayne Vick is 34. Smith is from Miami. Vick is from Newport News, Va. Smith played college football at West Virginia. Vick at Virginia Tech.

Smith comes from a generation whose earliest and current football feats have been chronicled instantly, nationally and incessantly and where social media has helped make their careers and lives a continuing, trending reel with emphasis on now. Vick comes from a harder crust, a different edge, a don’t-think-I’m-not-paying-attention ultra-real view. Vick is a husband, a father of children ages 12, 9 and 6.

Though different, Smith and Vick are spicily similar.

Both yearn for quarterback greatness. Both crave to start. Both are like lions of prides, yet both have set aside some of their most intense, natural traits and instincts to develop the art of give and take.

Smith and Vick provide a compelling case in the dynamics of football relationships and a historical one in the NFL narrative -- there has never been such a distinguished, veteran, black quarterback who is the top backup and mentor to a young, highly drafted, black NFL starting quarterback.

* * *

Vick signed with the Jets on March 21.

But it took the Jets until Aug. 22 to officially name Smith their starter for the opener at home on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.

“In Philadelphia, I could have handled things a lot differently,” Vick said about losing his starting job last season to injury and to Nick Foles. “I could have been a problem. That didn’t go the way I felt it could have or should have. But I moved on. With everything I’ve been through, that helped me move on.

“Rex, [offensive coordinator] Marty [Mornhinweg] and John all told me the situation,” Vick said. “From day one, the goal was to get Geno better. Help him lead this team. Be the backup but be ready if needed. I was cool with it. After everything I’ve been through, especially the last two or three years, I realized this is not a bad thing for me. Start another chapter. Appreciate playing at age 34. Compete with Geno and help make him a better quarterback.”

The Jets never said any of that publicly.

They tried to create the illusion that an authentic quarterback competition was ongoing. They had already decided early in the offseason, however, that Smith would be the starter and get 80 percent or more of the first-team reps in training camp -- as long as he continued to bloom.

Never stating that fact gave the Jets options to maneuver. It filled Idzik’s edict that competition within the team be built and enforced. It helped them manage outside expectations for their young quarterback. And -- by design or happenstance -- it also dealt with Smith’s stubborn nature, helping to keep him open and his growing curve on track.

Smith, shortly before being named the starter, seemed more amused than annoyed by it all.

“What is understood doesn’t need to be explained,” Smith had said. “It’s not a concern.”

Smith did his part by building his understanding and command of the offense during the offseason, by getting physically stronger and by showing more poise and command during camp and in preseason games. Vick did his part by doing what the Jets asked him to do -- compete but tutor, lead but follow.

Be a rock for Smith.

Vick calls Mornhinweg, who coached him in Philadelphia, “a man I love dearly first as a man and second as a coach.” He said Mornhinweg trusted him with Smith “to do it the right way.”

Smith said that he and Vick share natural chemistry.

“We talk every day,” Smith said. “We have similar backgrounds. We have golfed, done lunch. We talk about film. We talk about girls. We talk about life. He’s perfect for me. We like a lot of the same things. He wants to be a great quarterback and I do, too. We compete hard. We compete with each other. I try to be an open sponge. I also know it’s not my way, it’s not his way, but it’s Marty’s way that matters. Marty wants it all a certain way.”

The Jets coaches insist that Smith has listened and responded to their instruction. Vick sees it. Vick said time will reveal more in their give-and-take connection.

* * *

Vick said of Smith’s stubbornness: “If it’s something that gets to be a problem, we’ll get it out of him. But I haven’t seen any flossing from Geno. He has been respectful the way he is supposed to be in his role as the starting quarterback for this team. It takes attitude to play quarterback. It takes a different mindset from living your basic human life. You have to be a sponge, not rebellious. There is a time and place to question coaches. But you have to temper that by knowing they don’t want to see you fail. You have to be trustworthy there. I hope stubbornness does not get in the way of his learning curve. And I can honestly say that I have not seen that, but it’s only been three months of us together. And in that time I have a lot of respect for what he stands for. He is not just a brother but a real friend.

“I find myself gravitating toward him,” Vick said. “If I walk into a room and there is a crowd over there and a crowd over there and another one right here and Geno is in one of those, I go to the circle he is in. There is a friendship and a bond. He has a great sense of humor. He can be extremely funny. We can always turn the page, flip a switch. We can be laughing one minute. And then be talking about something serious in the next. But again, it’s only been three months. We are going to be experiencing some different things in this relationship as things come up.”

The give. The take.

Smith is 6’3, Vick is 6’1, though Smith looks much taller, much bigger than his 221 pounds compared with Vick’s 215. Both can dial it, zip a football deep and strong. Vick is faster but Smith can run more proficiently than the average NFL starter.

Ryan has always preached that you can always slow players down, but you can never speed them up enough. That is also his handle for his quarterbacks’ relationship and play. He wants it quick and he wants it swift.

Ryan knows he has a starting quarterback in Smith, who in his rookie season matched the total number of interceptions (21) that he threw in four seasons at West Virginia, but who also ran for more yards (366) than he did in four seasons there (342). He wants his quarterback to be a gym rat and says Smith has answered that call.

“These guys look, they notice Geno is different this year,” Ryan said. “He built his body up. He studied his playbook. He studied defensive coordinators. Maybe down the road you might be hearing about Geno being known for that as much as for his play. His presence and confidence extends through this football team. Mike is an outstanding teammate. And Mike has pushed him. It’s a phenomena that helps a quarterback. These guys are phenomenal for each other.”

A sampling from the Jets players reveals the impact of Smith and Vick and their give and take.

No. 3 quarterback Matt Simms: “I grew up being Michael Vick on the school ground. I wanted to be on Madden like him. In pop culture, he is a legend. You think Jordan and LeBron and Magic, and you can throw Michael Vick in there with those names. But I have found him to be a normal guy, and in the locker room respect and honesty is everything. He has it. Geno and I have watched this offense on film from the past when Marty ran it with the Eagles and watched Vick run it there. And now he is here. Football is a small world.”

Running back Chris Johnson: “You’ve got a veteran guy. You’ve got a young guy. They want to win. A lot of people support Geno. I think Geno will show them this year. He is more mature than last year. Everybody, including Mike, has to trust the situation, know their roles. There are always going to be certain players a team leans on more. You have to accept that, know your role, whether you think it is good or bad. Things tend to work out better than you think when you do that.”

Safety Dawan Landry: “There is no split in the locker room over who should be starting at quarterback. We put our trust in the people who make those decisions. Geno is more assertive now. It is good to see how he is growing up. Mike is always ready.”

Offensive tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson: “Experience. Learn from it. Geno can do that with Mike. You learn what success looks like and how to handle it. No matter who is back there, we all have a job to do. In this game you have to learn to adapt pretty quickly. The locker room and the game are in continual change. Get the mix. Let’s go.”

Receiver Eric Decker: “Geno did some checks [in the Jets preseason game against the Giants Aug. 22] that impressed me. For where he is, he showed some confidence in the system. We have a very good quarterback situation here.”

And finally this from 12th-year linebacker Calvin Pace: “Geno comes in even-keeled, no matter how good or bad his game was. That is a good characteristic to have as a football player and especially as a quarterback. I think it is totally wrong that the quarterback is the face of everything. He has 10 other guys out there. He has a defense and special teams. It’s kind of silly. But that being said, even with Geno’s best years maybe ahead of him, right or wrong, I think he understands that this season is on him. Our guys believe we have two solid quarterbacks. You want that. You need that. Very rarely do you have this situation where both guys can play. Usually it’s clearly one guy can and the other guy, if he gets in there, you are in trouble.”

Expect the Jets to employ a package of plays for Vick this season and look for spots to toss him in, stir things up, utilize his skills while keeping Smith their prime guy. Expect it all from the Jets, a team and franchise yearning to matter again, to get back to the playoffs and save some jobs, Ryan’s included, while seeking to entrench Idzik’s still green general manager leadership and touch as valuable and correct.

* * *

The Jets are antsy. Squirming.

As is every NFL team approaching this fresh season.

The Jets, though, are squarely there.

“I know it’s about winning,” Smith said. “I made that clear from the moment I was drafted. I know it’s always on the quarterback. Guys have to see that. And winning solves that. We’ll see as time goes. There are a lot of ifs. I’ll keep working hard. I won’t look at yards and numbers. I’m going to be one of the quarterbacks in this league known for working hard. I want to play a long time. I want success. It’s about being aware. Arriving grounded. Understanding the culture and influence. Be myself. I can help set the stage for all of that.”

Vick hears Smith. Vick said it all has to be applied.

“There is a lot going on around here,” Vick said. “There is a lot of ground to cover this season. I see a lot of confidence and poise in Geno. He wants to get it right. Geno needs a good start to this season. People want him to get us deep into the playoffs. That is his end game. That is his job. We are trying to raise the standard. We’ve got to win. We know the way it can go up or go down. We are at a point where we have to win. Our team talks about this a lot. And we are in a position to accept that challenge. We have that chip on our shoulders and we want to come out of this with smiles on our faces. And the way I see it, if you don’t feel that way, get out of here!

“I still want to play this game. I’ll be ready if I am asked to play. As long as I stay on top of my game, I can help this team win. I prepare like a starter. I act like a starter. And if called on, I’ll play like a starter.”

* * *

Fritz Pollard with the 1920 Akron Pros became pro football’s first black quarterback. Marlon Briscoe with the 1968 Denver Broncos became the first black quarterback to start an NFL game. James “Shack” Harris with the 1974 Los Angeles Rams gained the first real chance for a black quarterback to become a season-long starter. Doug Williams with Washington in Super Bowl XXII in 1988 became the first black quarterback to start a Super Bowl, win a Super Bowl and be named the game’s most valuable player. Russell Wilson seven months ago became the second black quarterback to win the Super Bowl, and many people barely noticed or blinked.

The evolution of the black quarterback in pro football has reached a point, Ryan says, where few in the game even say the words “black quarterback,” but say simply “quarterback.”

“I guess I always looked at it differently,” Ryan said. “I don’t see African-American men as players, even though I know they are. To me all of my players are green and white. Everybody is different. Not one of us is perfect. My dad [Buddy Ryan] coached Randall Cunningham at quarterback way before a lot of what we see today. He just taught me never to be about that.”

It is impossible for Ryan or anyone to ignore, however, that what the Jets have done in connecting Smith with Vick helps scuttle another barrier for black quarterbacks.

NFL acceptance and inclusion of black quarterbacks has rarely placed them in roles as top backups and as mentors to young, highly drafted quarterback stars. Harris, in 2005 as the Jacksonville Jaguars general manager, was the first to present three black quarterbacks on a roster (Byron Leftwich, David Garrard and Quinn Early) but none was a mentor, with their ages ranging from only 25-27. Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll created a fairly similar mix with his top three quarterbacks during the preseason (Russell Wilson, 25, Tarvaris Jackson, 31, and Terrelle Pryor, 25). Among the handful of noteworthy black, veteran NFL backups in history include Vince Evans (1977-1983 with the Chicago Bears, 1987-1995 with the Raiders), and Charlie Batch (2002-2012 with the Pittsburgh Steelers). Evans and Batch carved distinguished roles as mentors.

“But this is something new,” John Wooten said, referring to Smith and Vick and the Jets. Wooten is president of the Fritz-Pollard Alliance, a group that works with the NFL in minority hiring. “This is something rewarding.”

Doug Williams, now a special adviser in Washington with his old team, explained:

“This is a big change. There was a time if you weren’t a starter as a black quarterback that you weren’t even on the roster. It’s good to see that for people who have long had a stake in this like myself, people like Warren Moon, like ‘Shack’ Harris and Randall Cunningham, that the Jets brought in, first, a black quarterback who could still start in this league, and were not afraid to pair him with a young black quarterback they are grooming. It says a lot that they think of Mike Vick in this role, because when you look around, it just doesn’t happen much for black quarterbacks and never for a black veteran quarterback to groom a young black quarterback in leadership, study habits and the game. I think it is the individuals, the coaches, the administration of the team. It speaks highly of them.”

Harris is an adviser with the Detroit Lions. He, too, acknowledges the Jets.

“These are discussions that are needed, and as long as that is the case, we still have a way to go,” Harris said. “You’ve got to remember that all of us who have shared this experience of trying to play quarterback in the National Football League, all of us who were denied and fought for the opportunities that exist today, all we ever wanted was the opportunity to compete and play. And that is at every level, including this role as the sage, veteran, primary backup, which has been an elusive role for black quarterbacks. When you think about what the Jets have done in not only selecting Vick for this role but pairing him with this young, gifted black quarterback, they are wide open to getting the best players they possibly can for the Jets -- the way they should, the way the game should.”

Smith understands where he and Vick stand in history. He gets the implications and inferences that still often are tied to black quarterbacks. He is being nudged now by Ryan to run more, “for first downs and touchdowns,” Ryan said.

Smith gets it. He said he will incorporate it.

But beyond that tweak, Smith has no qualms being stubborn about what he wants as a quarterback.

“I never wanted to be a running quarterback; I am a passing quarterback,” Smith said. “And that desire has played a role in how much I run. That concept of who black quarterbacks are has always been there. I always have to fight that battle. It’s why I don’t want to be a running quarterback. It’s a stigma. That has been the case throughout history. But more and more teams want a quarterback who is mobile. The game has moved that way.

“We have conversations about race. We all do. All of the quarterbacks. Everybody on the team. It is not something to hide or deflect. Every man has his own heart and mind. I try not to get caught up in that. Even if it is. I know it’s there. Maybe it’s changing.”

The fact the Jets paired Vick with Smith is proof it is changing.

A distinct door has opened.

“I think the administrations in the NFL have a lot of responsibility in this area,” Vick said. “John Idzik, Rex Ryan, they came to me looking far beyond what the past dictates. They were about the present and the future. They put this situation together. They said, ‘We believe in you. We know you can play. We want you to groom this young quarterback.’ I hope this means a lot to kids of all colors and all races and all beyond. A lot of things have changed in this world today. I’m just living it.

“And maybe one day,” Vick said, “this will pave the road for executives to run toward Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick, Cam Newton and RG3, to have the role as a veteran backup, as a mentor to young quarterbacks, including young black quarterbacks. One day this could be a situation that is more common. All everyone needs to do is embrace it. I am.”