The Super Bowl is an important occasion for E.J. Smith and his family.
In the 1990s, E.J.’s father Emmitt played in and won three Super Bowls as a member of the Dallas Cowboys. E.J., currently a junior running back at Stanford, attended last year’s Super Bowl with his father and this year, he’s back as part of his own partnership with Bounty.
We spoke with E.J. from Radio Row in Glendale this week and touched on his NIL opportunities, the future of Stanford football, bouncing back from injury and more. We even got a prediction for tonight’s game if you scroll all the way to the end.
Let’s get started:
The Spun: Tell us a little bit more about your partnership with Bounty and how that came about.
E.J. Smith: I’m missing my wingman right now, my Pops (laughs). We love eating wings during the game. We use Bounty once our fingers get dirty. We don’t have to worry about that with Bounty.
The Spun: You said you and your dad are big wing guys. What is your go-to flavor for wings?
ES: I like BBQ or mild Buffalo. I’m a flats person. I love flats.
The Spun: So you’re not a big heat guy, someone who tries the 911 sauce at places?
ES: Nah, that’s not me (laughs). If someone challenges me to do it, then I’ll do it. But I like to just enjoy my food.
The Spun: What about your dad? What does he like?
ES: He likes a variety of stuff. He likes mustard. He also likes BBQ as well. He loves to dip in Ranch too.
The Spun: Your work with Bounty is part of the new NIL world for college athletes these days. How has the NIL experience been for you?
ES: It’s different. I would say, Stanford’s not a big NIL school, so the opportunities do come at a minimum. But at the same time, it’s a great chance to understand the industry. Having the opportunity to do things like this just opens doors for so much in the future. Being able to see everybody I’ve been able to see this weekend has been awesome.
The Spun: You mentioned being at Stanford. Obviously, you guys are stepping into a new era after a lot of continuity under David Shaw and Jim Harbaugh before him. Troy Taylor, your new head coach, is a Cal guy too (laughs). What have things been like under him the last couple of months?
ES: Coach Taylor is awesome. Great guy. It’s been an interesting transition. Obviously, when you’re going through the recruiting process, you don’t envision yourself being in this position (changing coaches). But Coach Taylor has been great. The whole staff, in addition to him, has made the transition easy, even though I know it hasn’t been for them. All the guys are ready to ride for Coach Taylor. I’m just excited for what he brings to this offense as well.
The Spun: Coming off an injury, what has been your personal focus this offseason? What are you looking to build on in spring ball and then going into the summer?
ES: Me right now, I’m starting from the ground and working my way back up again. I’m just making sure I’m focusing on the little things more than I was before getting injured. Also, in my down time, just to hone in on the playbook and focus on some of the things outside of just lifting weights and working on the field. Things like working on my flexibility, making sure I eat better and making sure that I get the right treatment to be able to come back quicker.
The Spun: Before you got hurt last year you got off to a hot start through the first two games. How did you have to shift your mindset after your injury?
ES: The biggest thing for me during that time was that I was really upset that I wasn’t able to play and help my teammates. We were really close. We had high expectations for the season and we weren’t able to accomplish those things.
When it comes to my injury, when you play a contact sport like football, injuries happen. It’s not about what happens to you in the moment; it’s how you respond to it. This process has really taught me that.
The Spun: Being at the Super Bowl, what does this mean for you coming from a football family and your dad having played in and won three of them?
ES: It’s been a great experience. I had the chance to be here with him last year a little bit too. Not really in terms of NIL or doing interviews but just seeing the work that he was doing. It was awesome. Having the chance to be around all of the great athletes as well out here and some of the all-time greats as well has been awesome.
The Spun: Obviously, growing up I’m sure your dad was a big role model for you as a running back. I was curious, what other backs did you study or enjoy watching and model your game after?
ES: So many. I can go back to Marshall Faulk, LT [LaDainian Tomlinson]. Now, Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, Ezekiel Elliott, Saquon Barkley. Even going to receivers, Julio Jones is my favorite receiver. When I was in middle school, I really wanted to be like Julio Jones. There’s just so many athletes I look at and just try to figure out how I can emulate them.
The Spun: Looking ahead to next year, what are your goals individually and as a team?
ES: Obviously, we want to make it to the Pac-12 Championship and the Rose Bowl. In terms of myself, just being able to stay healthy and be consistent throughout the whole season. I’m not trying to look too far into the future right now. I’m just really trying to focus on the things I have to focus on right now. But once I get to that point, I’ll definitely have some goals in mind and definitely some goals that I wasn’t able to achieve last year that I want to achieve this year.
The Spun: Last question. What’s your prediction for this weekend?
ES: I have 35-21 Eagles. The Eagles offense is dominant on all cylinders. They’re about to run the ball, they’re able to pass, they have a versatile quarterback. Also, their front seven on defense is pretty dominant. They’re really good at stopping the run and if they’re able to keep Mahomes in the pocket, I think it’s going to be hard for the Chiefs to win.
You can read more of our interviews with athletes and media stars here.