EXCLUSIVE: Mike Smith guarantees NFL Hall of Famer's incredible record will tumble due to young star
Former Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith has been in and around the NFL for nearly two decades. In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda's 'The BallFather' podcast, Smith was asked about Minnesota Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Specifically, host Reggie Roberts asked the former Falcons head coach about the Vikings receiver possibly breaking the longtime record of receiving yards in a season.
Mike Smith said:
"But Justin is off to a great start to the first half of the season. And let me tell you, he and Tyreek Hill are both within reach of breaking Calvin Johnson's record of 1,964 yards. We could have our first 2,000-yard receiver. Now it might have an asterisk because of the extra, you know, the extra game, but right now, they're on course to do that."
Smith added:
"Jefferson's averaging 117 yards, just a little bit over 117 yards a game. That's going to be something that's going to be fun to watch. If those guys stay healthy and their quarterback stays healthy, we could have a record that nobody thought would be broken. It's going to be broken."
Currently, Jefferson leads the NFL with 117.8 receiving yards per game and in scrimmage yards per touch at 15.8 yards. The former LSU star has 69 receptions, 1,060 yards, and four touchdowns so far this season. As Smith mentioned earlier, Jefferson is on pace to break the all-time record for receiving yards in a season. That record belongs to Pro Football Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson.
In the 2012-2013 season, Johnson had 1,964 yards to go along with 122 receptions and five touchdowns. Johnson led the NFL that season in receiving yards per game with 122.8 yards. The question is, can Jefferson reach that illustrious 2,000-yard plateau this season?
Is Mike Smith right about Justin Jefferson?
When Mike Smith talks about receivers, he knows a thing or two about the position. He coached seven-time Pro Bowl receiver Julio Jones for four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons (2011 - 2014). Under Smith, Jones had two seasons of over 1,000 yards receiving, including 1,593 yards in the 2014 - 2015 season.
Julio Jones 2014 Stats
104 Receptions
1,593 Yards
6 TDs
15.3 YPC
106.2 YPG
31 20+ Yard Catches http://t.co/BxynBbsQ0k
Justin Jefferson is exactly five yards off Johnson's pace in terms of yards per game. However, with the 17-game season, Jefferson could still reach the mark, going just slightly over 2,000 yards in a season.
Let's see if Mike Smith is right about the Minnesota Vikings wideout getting 2,000 yards. With nine games remaining, it seems likely that the record could fall.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit The BallFather Podcast and H/T Sportskeeda.