Alex Smith Quotes

When I'm out there, you just have to react. That's why you work on those throws. When you're in the moment, you can't think to yourself, 'How do I get this to go 47 yards and be 2 yards inside the sideline?'

Playing quarterback you have to have quick reactions. You've got to be able to know pretty much everything that's going on on the field, lateral quickness, lateral movements in the pocket.

I've said for many, many years, as long as I can ever remember, when I'm asked, 'Hey, what do you look for first in a quarterback?' The first thing I look for is accuracy, because the rest of it doesn't matter.

I just think that's the key to all of the quarterbacks throughout the league. You want to have a consistent drop, a consistent balance in the pocket so that you can really get everything into the throw, so that you are throwing with good velocity.

You can always get better throwing the football.

Over the years, you get better at timing because you've been through the situations thousands of times. The ball goes over your head; he passes you on the right, left. Eventually, you just know what you have to do.

I'm good at extending plays and finding throwing lanes.

A guy like Drew Brees is a guy that knows how to undress a defense. Most of the time he knows where he's gonna go before he even gets the ball. So he's ready to deliver that ball almost as soon as it comes to his hands.

I like my kind of innate and natural ability in the pocket, and ability of anticipation, and all that stuff that's important when it comes to playing quarterback.

Quarterback play starts with your eyes and feet. Those have to be in the right place and have to be on time.

You see Tom Brady, you see Alex Smith, and you see all those guys in the pocket and how quick they are with their footwork and how they get the ball out fast. I have to get like that.

I think I could describe the perfect quarterback. Take a little piece of everybody. Take John Elway's arm, Dan Marino's release, maybe Troy Aikman's drop-back, Brett Favre's scrambling ability, Joe Montana's two-minute poise and, naturally, my speed.

When I throw a softball, there's no time to think about the motion of my arm. I just look at the first baseman's glove and react.

It took me a few years to realize that throwing harder wasn't always better.

I don't believe that you can be too short as a quarterback. It's not about height.

I would start with the most important thing a quarterback has to be: poised. If you panic in that pocket, you are no good. I don't care what else is there; you have to be poised.

As you progress high school, college into the league, you can tell the difference between quarterbacks with their timing and the way the ball comes out of their hand.

Carson Wentz, when you watch him on tape, No. 1, I just like a big guy that has athleticism.

In a sprint you make 100 decisions a second. What if X goes now and Y goes then? Should I take this gap or that one? You have to be sharp. Over time it becomes instinct.

Heading is still a vital part of being a striker, and it isn't about being the biggest player. Heading the ball is about timing, so work on that in training.

If you have an open shot, and you're a shooter, and you've put hours and hours on the practice court shooting the ball, you shoot the ball in the game. It's just that simple.

I try to look up as quickly as possible, try to read the situation, but football is so quick, it's just a split-second, and then you decide.

You have to create a habit of finding the right positions and knowing where the ball's going to bounce to.

I have to make those tight-window throws, and trying to make those plays is the reason I have had success.

Some of the best quarterback play is when you're able to move in the pocket and still make throws down the field because it's not going to be clean every time.