Trey Smith - Offensive Lineman, chiefs Event: Press Conference | Date: 2026-09-03 | Full transcript (primary source).
Trey Smith addressed the media during a press conference for the Kansas City Chiefs on September 3, 2026. The event focused on his recent experiences and preparations as the team approaches the upcoming NFL season.
Transcript
Smith: Yeah, that was a surprise. Didn't see it coming. Tremendously honored and humbled to be a part of it. Obviously, they think that highlighted me, and it's cool to be recognized in that way, but just love this community so much, so just going to continue to keep pouring as much as I can and giving back as much as I can.
Reporter: Correct, Cam, what hindered you with the hip and how are you feeling now?
Smith: Ah, nothing man, you know what I mean, we're just getting after it. We'll be back, it's no problem.
Reporter: You feel 100%?
Smith: Yeah, it's fine. It's football, you never feel 100%.
Reporter: Do you feel like you should feel the start of the season? I know it gets harder as the season goes, but you feel healthy enough on that front?
Smith: Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
Reporter: You work next to Kaleelina this week, you're working next to Moore, I guess. How do you stay the constant as these guys are kind of shifting in and out?
Smith: Yeah, they both do a phenomenal job, and you know, Coach Heck and Corey Mate do a fabulous job of teaching each and every one that goes out there. So it's always been a next up mentality. Even when I go out, you know, the next man has to step up and do a great job. So I have a great chemistry with both those players and other guys that we've assembled here as well and continue to just keep building, man, and have a final faith and confidence in them and the job our coaches do, getting them prepared and ready to go.
Smith: Yeah, I just don't like putting my teammates out in a position where now they're having to take extra reps or, you know, for me to leave my team hanging and not being at my best. A lot of times I'm a little hard-headed in that regard because, you know, if I'm not at my best, it's not the best thing for the team. You know, the other guys are willing and able to do it, but just been always sort of been a guy. It's like if I'm able to go, I'm going to try to go and give as much as I have regardless. And, you know, once again, you're never going to feel 100% playing football. So it's just part of the job and part of the responsibility. And, you know, like E.B. says, hell, we signed up for it. So the day I signed the contract, so it's my job to be out there. So a lot of times I'm not out there. I feel like I'm not doing my job and letting my team down. And for me, you know, my coaches and that's just something I don't really, you know, I don't like that feeling whatsoever.
Smith: Yeah, I mean, hell, my family keeps talking about it every day. Like 20 people coming. But now it's definitely exciting to have football back. You know, my balls are opening up in Neland Stadium. I'm fired up about that. We beat the hell out of Furman. But, you know, it's good to have football back, man. It's the balance of the world. We had enough time off of it and just really excited about embarking on a new season. You know, obviously a lot of things I need to work on and prepare for. But, you know, it's a challenge every single year in this league. And, you know, the exciting part is the challenge is a new opportunity if that makes sense.
Reporter: Trey, there's a bunch of new running backs. Big change. How did you guys come along with the new backs and what's your excitement level for that part of the offense?
Smith: Yeah, man. Really, not just running back. I'm just excited for all of my teammates. Pass current and former, man. Just really excited to watch them keep continuing to grow. Even guys who left this building still be in communication with them. But, you know, obviously we have a really talented running back room. The guys are hungry. Coach Murray, also, I coach E.B. You know, they do a phenomenal job and coaching those guys up and getting them prepped and going as we build our run game and continue to get that going. Just like we always talk about when we're hitting on all cylinders as offense when we're at our best. So, just really excited to go work with those guys and, you know, just going to war with them and battle every single day.
Reporter: Trey, how much of last season in Sao Paulo still resonates with you and a lot of the guys about the importance of starting the season off well, particularly the first half as so many things, you know, can change in the course of the game. How much of that will still be, I don't know if it will be motivating, but it's a lesson to sort of apply next Monday?
Smith: Yeah, I wouldn't regard it more so as a lesson for game one. I mean, at the end of the day, we have so many opportunities and so many games that you can't really pinpoint always back to one. You know, we talked about the Super Bowl season, how there was a game that sort of the turning point for us mentally shifting. I would just say, man, obviously you want to start the season off well. You want to start the season off strong. And you want to carry the momentum, but at the end of the day, just in this league and this profession, no one really cares what you did last. You know, we won two Super Bowls in a row, went to a third one. And I'll be honest with you, the first opponent didn't give a damn every single time. So you just have to bring it, man. You just have to have that consistency. You have to treat every single moment, treat the present and every single play like it's the most important play, like it's a game-winning play. And you just keep building on and on that. So I think it's important just to come out with your best foot forward. I think from a confidence standpoint what you were trying to get at. But for us, I think we just have to stay more focused on like, what do we need to do to beat our first opponent? If that makes sense.
Reporter: Three more. Let's start in the back, Nick.
Reporter: Yeah, Trey, what did you learn from this offensive line from training camp in those years?
Smith: Yeah. It can be tough. It can be a really tough, strong athletic unit. You know, we put our mind to it. And, you know, we have a lot of young guys in there and a lot of guys who are hungry to compete. And, you know, I'm really looking forward to this year, man. I really am.
Reporter: For the guys that have been here and had all the success and having to go through last year, like the veterans of three years in the building, I guess, how passionate are you to just make sure you get this s--- righted and it's a quick bounce back?
Smith: Yeah, no, it definitely is. It's of the utmost importance, man. You know, ever since I've been here, we always win. And, you know, obviously with our struggles last season, that's not the norm. It's not the norm that the fans or this community or really anyone's used to. So, you know, as a player, the fear is always losing the standard or being part of the reason why the standard drops off. So for us, it's of most importance to pick up the standard and get back on track and being the football team and playing winning football and being exactly who we know we can be.
Reporter: It seems like from what we've seen during training camp, that there's going to be more involvement in the running game, more involvement in the screen game. Those are two aspects that really lie. The offensive line, I mean, how excited are you going into a season where it looks like you're going to be in those roles a lot?
Smith: Yeah, no, it's definitely exciting. And like you said, you know, a lot of it can fall into our shoulders, if you will. But, you know, it's 11 guys in the field at one time, you know, especially offensively. So it's like 11 guys have to do their job cohesively at that time and that moment to make that play really go. So I think it's just more so the excitement of all of us coming together and working towards a common goal and being consistent. And like you said, man, like whenever our screen game is going, our pass game is going, you know, our run game is going, that's when our offense is best, that's when we're flowing perfectly. So getting all those things together into a nice melding point, that's just the goal this season. Just really excited to get out there.
Smith: I'm glad you're not playing on stroke.
Smith: Yeah, hard up. I want to go on a show, but I'm glad I can do it.