Honestly, I would be surprised if the entirety of JJT's article is true and correct. I have no ax to grind with JJT and, to be clear, I have enjoyed his take on the Cowboys. I don't always agree with him, though.
What I do know is that Smith showed more resilience, more determination, more dedication to his recovery, than the vast majority of professional athletes ever imagine. He not only overcame a potential career ending injury, but an injury that most likely would have adversely affected his everyday life away from football.
Did Smith change plays contrary to Richard's wishes? Who knows, but quite possibly. During a year of missed opportunities, failure to play to preceived expectations and, according to recent reports, discord in both the player and coaching ranks, I am not the least bit surprised that players attempted to take control of their destiny. If anything, this tells me more about the coaching than it does the players - my interpretation is that many simply lost faith in the coaching staff.
I, for one, am more than willing to give Smith the benefit of the doubt. Given the choice of a Smith-type player or someone like Zeke that held out for a new contract or DLaw that delayed surgery until he got a new deal, I choose Smith