Jaxson De Ville
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- Mar 19, 2019
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Jaguars coach Doug Marrone still hasn’t talked to linebacker Telvin Smith, but he had a message for him anyway.
Marrone said he hopes Smith knows the team is there to support him, after he announced Thursday he was taking a year off from football to “get my world in order.”
“For me, I kind of put football to the side,” Marrone said. “That, to me, is an afterthought right now in concern with Telvin.”
Smith hadn’t shown up at any of the team’s voluntary workouts this year, and Marrone said he hasn’t spoken to Smith this offseason, and was dealing with the same amount of information that reporters saw in Smith’s Instagram statement.
“I really believe in my heart that Telvin knows that we’re here to support him in any which way,” Marrone said. “Not just myself, but the coaches, the organization, his teammates. I’m sure he’s aware of that. All we can do is make sure we pray. He knows that if he needs some support, obviously we’re here for him.”
Marrone also said he saw no evidence last year that Smith was struggling with anything.
“No,” Marrone said. “Telvin’s a strong man. He feels like a lot of the guys on this team – that can handle their situations. We just want to make sure that everyone knows we’re there to support them. If they reach out—and hopefully each player does; not just Telvin – to know they don’t have to do anything alone. We’re here for them.
“You’ve got to take football and put it to the side. It’s not about football. It’s making sure he’s OK. That’s the part we want to be able to help him with.
“Obviously, we respect his decision. I know in my heart that he knows not only us as coaches but his teammates and the organization, . . .we’re here to support him in any way we can.”
And until he hears from Smith, that’s all he can really do.