"I feel like me. I look like me. I am me," Smith told USA TODAY's Tom Pelissero. "I'm
Jaylon Smith. Ready to play some ball."
...Smith also displayed a "slight limp" and occasionally needed to "take a beat ... to change direction and accelerate," but the hope is that the former Notre Dame star will regain full health and play a role this September -- a role that would grow over time.
"The nerve's regenerating, so I'm doing great," Smith said. "It's all God's timing."
There were concerns at one stage that Smith might never play again. Instead, the team is seeing progress, only furthering hopes that their second-round investment will someday become a
Cowboys fixture.
"He's starting to show that quickness and instincts," Dallas linebackers coach Matt Eberflus said. "And then when we get the pads on him, we'll get to see his striking ability. We're excited about him."
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