Aaron Smith reflects on his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers after induction to Hall of Honor.
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00:00 How does it make you feel?
00:02 It's an unbelievable moment.
00:04 When I got the phone call, it was an unbelievable moment.
00:06 But to be here now and the reality of this, and to celebrate with my family, it's just an unbelievable feeling.
00:12 You can't even really describe it.
00:14 It's almost a little bit embarrassing because everybody's talking about you, and it almost makes you a little uncomfortable.
00:18 Is it surreal to be back in the facility and kind of see how it's changed?
00:22 It's weird. You come back and you're like, "Why didn't we have this? Why didn't we have that?"
00:26 But the Steelers have done an unbelievable job, and this organization is the best organization in the world.
00:32 And to be inducted with this class, these members, what does it mean to see some of them alongside you?
00:37 Well, to see James. Obviously, I played with James for so long, and just to share this moment with him and our relationship and our friendship, I couldn't pick.
00:44 I mean, I'd obviously take the rest of the guys I played with, but to have a guy I played with on a day-to-day basis is just a great feeling, that friendship.
00:51 What did Dick LeMoe do for you earlier?
00:54 He's a game-changer. I mean, when Dick came, he's a great football coach, but he inspires you to be better than you ever were.
01:03 He had unwavering faith and belief in what you could do, and made you believe you could do it.
01:08 What did you do during James' return?
01:12 I was on the back side of that, so you start to block, and then he starts to run, and the cardinal rules don't block behind the ball.
01:20 So I'm just running, just kind of jogging like I don't want him on the hill, because that's the rule.
01:25 And then he just keeps going, and I'm still jogging behind the lane, and I didn't think he was going to get there, to be honest with you.
01:31 If you look at that, I think that is probably the greatest football play I've ever seen.
01:36 I mean, everybody played that hard game, like, for a hundred yards, and it changed the whole game.
01:41 Have you seen the evacuee reception?
01:43 Yeah, I think this... I know I'm going to offend some people who have heard some great films, but the evacuees are great players.
01:49 But you look at that, look at how many guys made that play, created that play.
01:53 Like, James didn't run it, but he walked how many different blocks and stuff, and all of the other players.
01:58 So I think as far as the team play, if you look at that, that sums up who we were.
02:03 And you guys practiced that the day before the game, too, didn't you?
02:07 Wow, we always worked on that stuff.
02:09 Like, any time you got an interception, it was like, take it. We always wanted to score.
02:12 So, yeah, we constantly worked on that stuff.
02:14 Ryan Clarkson, the only person who didn't give any effort at all in that game was Troy.
02:19 Ha! He may be right. I don't know.
02:21 He's on the backside with you.
02:22 I don't go back and look at him, but he probably felt like me.
02:25 Like, this ain't getting all the way. Like, he's got a Heimacker running a hundred yards?
02:28 You know, so, yeah, I'd be proud. I'd have to look. I wouldn't call him out on that one.
02:33 I think he was teasing something, too.
02:35 Hampton, maybe, not got that far down. I don't know about him.
02:37 You talked about how you guys played for each other and with each other.
02:43 Who created that atmosphere? Where did that kind of spirit come from?
02:47 I think it came from Coach LeBow, obviously.
02:50 And that was a big thing he always drove home.
02:53 But also, you go to the defensive staff, Coach Butts, John Mitchell, who I love to death.
02:58 Those guys constantly preach team, team, team.
03:01 It's not about you making the play. It's about making the play that's supposed to.
03:04 And then you take the core group of guys that you're with.
03:09 And they were good guys. And to be honest with you, most of us, a lot of us, played together for almost eight to ten years.
03:14 So you build those relationships and you want to play for each other because you're not just teammates.
03:18 You're friends. I know your hopes and dreams. I know your kids. I know your family.
03:22 I'm more likely to take a double team on for James Frears than I don't know.
03:26 I think that was a big factor for us.