Are Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith Brothers?
Are Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith Brothers?
Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith relation:
The Green Bay Packers boast two of the best Smiths in the NFL. Linebacker Za’Darius Smith and defensive lineman Preston Smith have been the cornerstones of Green Bay’s defense for the past three years, and the team would not be where it is now without them.
Because of their common last name, Za’Darius and Preston have always been mistaken for brothers, but are they related?
Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith have played together for three seasons:
Za’Darius and Preston were both in the same draft class when they graduated from college in 2015. Preston was chosen by the Washington Redskins in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft, while Za’Darius was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round.
After four years with the clubs that picked them, the Smiths joined the Packers as a married couple in 2019. Since then, they’ve played an important role in Green Bay’s defense.
Preston had 16 total sacks in his first two seasons with the Pаckers, and Zа’Dаrius was named to the Pro Bowl both seasons. Zа’Dаrius has only played in one game this season as a result of a long-term back issue. Preston, on the other hand, played in 16 games and racked up nine sacks throughout the regular season.
Preston Smith and Zа’Dаrius Smith of the Green Bay Packers celebrate their win over the Minnesota Vikings | Quinn Harris/Getty Images
Preston and Zа’Dаrius are mоrе than NFL teаmmаtes:
They’re great buddies on and off the field, but not in any way. They met for the first time on a campus visit to Mississippi State University. Preston went on to play football for Mississippi State University, while Zа’Dаrius attended East Mississippi Community College. They kept in touch throughout their undergraduate careers, and a few years later, they joined the Pаckers as teаmmаtes.
“We’re like brothers,” the Smiths said.
Despite the fact that Zа’Dаrius and Preston aren’t related, they have a unique affinity that goes beyond football.
“Me and Zа’Dаrius are like brothers,” Preston explained in 2019. “We talk about a lot of subjects besides football.” In general, we speak about life. Of course, we discuss football and anything else that comes to mind. We talk about how we can help this team better, for example. What can we do to help each other get better? How can we increase our communication on the field to support each other and this defense? How can I help you make this defense great, so that we can reach our maximum potential and be the greatest we can be? We simply talk about a wide variety of subjects.
“Zа’Dаrius and I were friends before we joined the NFL.” It’s great to be on the same team as someone you can relate to, someone you’ve known for a long time; it’s easy for us to communicate and not be afraid to talk about a variety of topics.”