Geno Smith still must prove that he can master the quarterback position, but he has taken a step forward in mastering the extensive analysis of his play, thanks to agent Jay-Z.
Smith's almost every move has been under the microscope since the New York Jets drafted him in the second round of April's NFL draft. First, his competition with quarterback Mark Sanchez in the offseason was a daily saga.
Then when Sanchez suffered a season-ending shoulder injury and Smith took over the starting quarterback position, he has had more than his share of feedback - from media and Jets fans.
He told the New York Post that Jay-Z offered words of encouragement that Smith took to heart during a recent three-week slump.
"I talk to Jay a lot," Smith told The Post. "He gave me some good advice. He told me to not take (criticism) personally. It's not that people don't like me. It's not at me. It's the position that I'm in. Just realize the position that I'm in comes with a lot of scrutiny. You can't take it personally. You just have to live your daily life."
The budding agent is making more and more noise in the sports world. His client Robinson Cano recently signed a 10-year, $240 million contract with the Seattle Mariners, helping add legitimacy to his Roc Nation agency.
The theory behind athletes turning to the entertainment and rap superstar is that he can help make them more marketable.
That is not true in Smith's case.
"It's not really about him helping me as far as marketing goes," Smith said. "My play on the field gets me the things off the field."
Jets coach Rex Ryan says he thinks Smith has handled all the scrutiny that has come with the territory and has improved on the field as well.
"I think as far as his play, he's come a million miles," Ryan said.
Smith also has sought out advice from others to help him handle the New York market. He said Jets linebacker Demario Davis told him to remember that he still is a rookie, which also has helped his psyche.
"I would say that I was definitely trying way too hard," Smith said. "I was trying to be the Peyton Mannings and the Drew Breeses. That's just my competitive spirit. The best advice I was given was just continue to be a rookie. Even Peyton and Drew had these same ups and downs. They had to learn from it. Those are the things I had to learn from as well."
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