Cowboys first-rounder Tyler Smith describes on-field 'alter ego'

New Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Tyler Smith is letting his future opponents know early that he’s not the same guy on the field that he is off the field. The former Tulsa tackle described an on-field alter ego that is all business at his first press conference with the media after the NFL Draft.

“I wouldn’t almost call it an alter ego, but maybe that’s what it is kind of,” Smith said. “When I get on the field, it’s us versus them, that’s just what it has to be. My job as an offensive lineman is to set the tone and protect the quarterback. The dude across from me, his job is to hit the quarterback and basically try to blow up what we’re doing, so every time I line up across from somebody, I play with a mindset that they think they’re better than me.

“They’re trying to take food out of my mouth, they’re trying to take food out of my teammates’ mouths. At the end of the day, I’ve got guys in this building who are trying to feed their families and it takes all 11 of us to do that. When I line up across from them, I want to set the tone and I want them to think twice about getting up when they go against me, for sure.”

The 6-foot-4, 314-pound lineman’s new protection assignment is dual-threat star Dak Prescott. Prescott took 30 sacks in the 2021 season, which tied for fourth-fewest in the league.

Tyler Smith honored to wear No. 73

The Dallas Cowboys revealed that first-round draft pick Tyler Smith will don No. 73 as he starts his career in DFW. The former Tulsa star shared that he feels a connection to former Cowboys legend Larry Allen, who wore the number from 1994-2005 while earning 11 Pro Bowl nominations.

“I took a picture of my jersey and it’s an honor to wear that number, Larry Allen wore that number,” Smith said at his introductory press conference in Dallas. “I’ve seen a lot of the adversity he went through like young in his life, I feel like I resonate with a lot of that so it means a lot to be able to wear that and carry on that lineage.”

Allen beat all odds to make a name for himself at Butte College and Sonoma State before going in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He is a member of the Cowboys Ring of Honor along with Jimmy Johnson, Michael Irvin, Emmitt Smith and more.

An under-the-radar prospect coming out of North Crowley (Fort Worth) High School in 2019, Smith quickly developed into an anchor for the Tulsa offensive line. This past season as a starter at left tackle, he helped the Golden Hurricane pass protection rank 39th in the FBS in sack rate (5.4%).