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If you’ve tuned into a Green Bay Packers game this season, chances are you’ve heard the announcers toss out the “Smith Brothers” mantra to describe the defense’s dynamic duo of pass rushers, Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith.
The nickname has led many non-cheese heads and Wisconsin natives to ask the simple, yet glaring question, are the two defenders actually related?
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The Smith Brothers Are Not Related, But They Might as Well Be
Believe it or not, Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith are not blood-related. However, if you’ve wandered the Packers facility this season, and caught a glimpse of the two together, you’d never know that duo doesn’t share the same parents.
The Smiths do everything together, from wreaking havoc on opposing quarterbacks to holding joint media interviews at their lockers.
It may be hard to fathom the fact that this is the first season the two have played football on the same team, however, their history goes well beyond the pair’s NFL careers.
Per Packers.com, the duo first met when Za’Darius Smith, at the time a junior college prospect, was taking an official visit to Mississippi State. Smith’s host for his visit? You guessed it, Preston Smith. Za’Darius would eventually go on to commit to Kentucky, while Preston continued out his storied career with the Bulldogs.
However, the two stayed connected, reuniting along their journey to the pros, and the name Smith had lots to do with it. Due to their names, The Smiths were grouped together at pre-NFL Draft events such as the Senior Bowl and Scouting Combine.
The two stayed connected after Washington drafted Preston in the second round and Baltimore took Za’Darius in the fourth. From Za’Darius’ viewpoint, it’s not hard to figure out why he and Preston became such fast friends.
Za’Darius told Packers.com earlier this season the secret to their incredible bond, “he’s a Georgia guy and I’m an Alabama guy,” Smith said, “Two country guys, man.”
Preston added to his teammate’s comments by stating, “Me and Za’Darius are like brothers…just being on the same team with somebody you can relate to, somebody you’ve known for a long time, is great. Because it’s easy for us to communicate and not shy away from talking about a lot of things with each other.”
The Smith Brothers Have Made the Packers Super Bowl Contenders
The Smith Brothers signed their free-agent contracts on the same day this past offseason, each inking massive deals in their own right. However, it’s hard to believe that even the Packers had the foresight to predict how much of an impact they would have on the team’s defense.
For years the Packers were built on offense, namely Aaron Rodgers. However, the Smiths have transformed Green Bay from a fun National Televised game to tune in to, into legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
Za’Darius finished the 2019 regular season sixth in the NFL with 13.5 sacks. Preston was not far behind, notching 12 of his own. The Smiths continued their dominance into the playoffs a week ago, each recording two sacks apiece and helping the Packers advance to the NFC Conference Championship game.
Now with just one game between Green Bay and a Super Bowl berth, the Smith Brothers will be ready to do what they do best, peel their ears back and meet at the quarterback in the opponent’s backfield. Simply put, good luck Jimmy Garoppolo, you’ll likely need it.
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