Jaylon Smith does not regret decision to play in bowl game: ‘I love it’

After Jaylon Smith missed his entire rookie season with the Dallas Cowboys due to nerve damage in his leg, it is fair to wonder if he ever regrets playing in his final game at Notre Dame. But make no mistake about it — he doesn’t.

In an appearance on the “Doomsday Podcast” with Ed Werder and Matt Mosley, Smith was asked if he would sit out the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State if he could do it all over again.

“Those freak types of accidents, injuries, they happen,” he said, as transcribed by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “But you don’t go in the game thinking, ‘Oh man I’m going to get hurt.’ That was my decision, and I love it. And I wouldn’t change it. If I knew that I was going to get hurt and wasn’t going to be a top-five pick again, I would have literally played in that game again because of my teammates and how much Notre Dame means to me.”

Skipping a bowl game to avoid injury wasn’t really a thought until recently. Just this past year, several star players — the most notable of which were Christian McCaffrey and Leonard Fournette — chose to sit out their teams’ bowl games because their draft stock was already so high. Smith said he respects players choosing to do that, but he would never do it himself.

“Salute to those guys. My experience, what I liked about people making their decisions, whether they’re playing the game or not, it’s your own decision,” he added. “You have to make that decision for you. So for me, I made the decision to play in that game, and I don’t regret it at all. That’s the beauty of any decision I’ve made, it’s been my decision. If I had the decision again, I would have played in that game.”

Smith tore ligaments in his knee during his final game with the Fighting Irish, and the injury was so bad there were questions about whether he would play again. The Cowboys are making a concerted effort to ease him into action this offseason, but the nerve damage he suffered is said to be improving. It would be a major boost for Dallas’ defense if he can return to anywhere close to his college form.