Harrison Smith: Full-Time Safety, Part-Time… Welder?
Throughout his NFL career, Harrison Smith has become one of the most beloved Minnesota Vikings players of all-time.
The safety has captured the hearts and souls of Minnesotans with his All-Pro level play at the safety position as well as a down-to-earth demeanor. Smith’s personality came to the forefront earlier this week when he discussed his offseason hobbies during his media availability following an OTA practice.
Harrison Smith’s Blue Collar Offseason
Apparently, Smith spent a good chunk of this offseason working as a carpenter and welder for his brother, who was doing work on his house over the spring.
“I always do some weird hobbies in the offseason, so just trying to find new things. My brother was kind of like redoing a lot of my house, outside and in, and I kind of like helped out, worked under him. Got that experience in my life, which is pretty cool,” Smith said.
Smith was selected in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Vikings, and ever since, he has grown into being a focal point of the defense. He has the nickname “Hitman” for his aggressive tackling style and ability to force fumbles at a moment’s notice.
Ultimately, though, particularly off the field, Smith has always been more of a reserved presence without going out of his way to put much attention on himself.
This new offseason hobby was the epitome of Smith simply getting away from the spotlight that is the NFL and diving into a new project. Smith got so caught up in his new work that he nearly forgot when free agency began.
“Almost kind of forgot, like free agency, the date of it. Not like I forgot about it but like just when it exactly was. Saw some things on ESPN, and I was like, ‘I should go ahead and get this going.'”
Of course, Smith’s spring in terms of football involved the soon-to-be 35-year-old safety taking yet another pay cut to remain with the Vikings for the season.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.