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Posted on by Phil Callihan

Michigan Football Camp Report – Team Captain DL Mazi Smith

8/25/22 Availability

2022 Michigan Football Captains were named as this event began.

QB Cade McNamara
WR Ronnie Bell|
DB Mike Sainristil
DL Mazi Smith
TE Erick All

Q:
How does it feel to be honored by your teammates to be named team captain?

Smith:
Great, you know, I’ve been having to deal a little bit more with people having the eyes on me. And you know, being somebody who’s noticeable, you know, I just appreciate that people see what I’m trying to do and appreciate it, you know, respected and it. It just feels good to be appreciated and respected.

Q:
Is this something that you had envisioned or hoped for when you first came to campus?

Smith:
Not at all? Not at all, like I did, I didn’t start thinking about being a captain until people brought it up to me. You know, which was like, two weeks ago. So, like wow. That’d be cool.

Q:
Does feel like go time for you? We’re a week out from season, you’re named captain, is the only thing left to do at this point is play?

Smith:
That always the only thing left to do- like, I kind of feel like people get it twisted. When it’s time to go on it ain’t, it’s always time to go, always.

That’s the approach we take to the season, like no matter what we do, until we get a national championship it’s not going to be enough.

Mazi Smith

Q:
What was your reaction, and the team’s reaction when your name was announced?

Smith:
You know, I heard a lot of claps and excitement- Big Maz, you know, your t-shirt is too small! For me, personally, I didn’t know, you know, going into it. I was like, you know, if I’m a captain, that’d be great. But if I’m not gonna just keep doing me keep doing the same thing. And I talked to Coach Harbaugh about just being yourself and forever, not changing for nothing. And that’s what they got in a captain…

Q:
That was that today when it was announced? Can you take us inside the room? Like who said it?

Smith:
Coach Harbaugh, they have everybody vote, then they go out to another room with some of the freshmen have them count it all up. You know, we goof around, you know, and then when they get back in and we get our serious again, and he announces it.

Q:
You have a shirt that says Michigan captain?

Smith:
No, they were talking about this shirt.

Q:
Have you talked to your parents yet? What was their reaction?

Cade is one of the hardest working guys I’ve seen, one of the biggest competitors and he’s been that way since he got here…You appreciate having a guy like that who wants to win all the time.

Mazi Smith on fellow captain QB Cade McNamara

Smith:
I haven’t yet, it was like 10 minutes ago, they told us, I know my mom’s gonna be like, “My baby is a captain”, it’s gonna be all over Facebook.

Q:
Mazi, you’ve had a pretty enriching last few weeks, you went to Selma, you were at the jail in Genesee, you talked about how moving that was for you, is this sort of another layer of that kind of experience for you?

Smith:
Oh, for sure. You know the opportunities God has given me, you know, throughout my time here, they’re tremendous, things I never would have imagined you know, experiences I never would have or could have dreamed up and always say to myself, you know, God I has never steered me wrong. So why will he now? I always put my trust and faith in him.

Q:
After the announcement that you were a captain were you given a chance to speak to the team if so- what was your message?

Smith:
We put in a lot of work but just because the season here all that means is there’s more work to be put in, more opportunities to get better. I told them there’s no other group of people I want to go to war with, that I want by my side, I love everybody in that room. You know, I could get emotional about it…

Q
Considering the nature of the position, how important do you think it is to have a quarterback be a captain?

Smith:
The quarterback makes a lot of big decisions that impact the game and you always want the guy making those decisions to be respected by the guys he’s making the decisions for. You always want to look at your quarterback and see somebody who embodies the team and can bring the team together when he needs to and and keep keep the team going.

Q:
Why do you think Cade has done that, how does he demonstrate that?

Smith:
Just by coming up and being the same guy every day, competing and always trying to get that edge. You know, Cade is one of the hardest working guys I’ve seen and one of the biggest competitors and he’s been that way since he got here. You know, lately he’s just allowed- now that he’s the starter and the eyes are on him- people to see it. No, he’s always been the way he is, you appreciate having a guy like that who wants to win all the time.

Cade McNamara (2021)

Q:
We may or may not get to talk to you before kickoff…You said you feel ready. How do you think this defense is in terms of being where they need to be 10 days from now?

Smith:
I always tell the guys individually on defense, no matter how perfect practice was or how, good you play, there’s always more to be done. You know, no matter how good your pad level is, you can always get lower. No matter how good your hand placement is, you can always get it better.

I think that’s the approach we take to the season, like no matter what we do you know until we get a national championship it’s not going to be enough.

Q:
With game week quickly approaching to do the emotions change for you at all heading into the first game week?

Smith:
The emotions? Nah. I kind of gotta contain that excitement you know and now let it flow on game day. Don’t like getting ahead of yourself, you know that’s how you make yourself trip up.

Q:
Who were some of the other guys who have been playing either one rotation with you or next to you that have impressed me with?

Smith:
Cam Goode for sure, you know, he do a good job, Mason Graham. They’re playing a real good ball especially for how young he is. I think Kenneth Grant is gonna be a force…Basically the whole interior of the defense has made big strides and I said we were gonna have too, as long as we keep getting better anybody can play. You know anybody and everybody. I told the room that we’re gonna need that whole room if you want to win games. Everybody in there can play winning football.

Edits made for clarity.

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