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FRISCO, Texas – Devin Smith has a long history of success.
If you knew the train Jets second-round draft pick, who tore the ACL in his right knee twice in a span of 16 months from 2015 to 2017, was on the Cowboys' roster and ready to contribute, beginning with Sunday's season opener against Giants, raise your hand.
Smith, the speedy receiver out of Ohio State of the Jets drafted in 2015, was released for 2017 after his second ACL training camp.
But, after two years of the NFL while toiling on his own to rebuild his knee and his confidence, Smith has been given a new life by the Cowboys, who signed it in January. He's the fifth receiver in Dallas, behind Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, Randall Cobb and Tavon Austin, and is playing on special teams.
"I'm just glad to be back in it," Smith told The Post after practice Friday. "I love this game. I've been playing since I was 5 years old. It's a part of me. "
Smith led all Cowboys receivers in preseason with 14 receptions for 188 yards and a TD.
"I felt good, so I feel like I got past the hard part," Smith said. "My knee is stable. I'm not really too worried about it. I do not think anything can break me now. I've been through a lot. ''
The worst part of what he was going to be playing for all of 2017 and 2018.
"That scarred me a little bit, not being able to provide for my family," Smith said. "During that time, I'm just going to get to where I'm going to be, something good is going to come out of it."
Nothing good happened for a while, though. Smith said he was getting started from teams around mid-season last year to come out for them. He said he worked out for "six or seven" teams, including the Colts, Packers, Redskins and Texans, but no one signed him.
"That's when I'm really starting out, doing more football-like stuff with a trainer in New Jersey, and I kind of gained my confidence back," he said.
When the call came from the Cowboys, it felt like a rebirth of sorts for Smith.
"There were times when I just did not get over the fact that it happened, and I just had a lot of bad energy," Smith said.
"Finally, one day after the second surgery, I just told myself to just do all the little things and just try to get better at whatever it is. Once I was able to start running and cutting, eventually I started seeing myself getting better and it all came into place. "
"It's a blessing to be back into it. I'm just trying to do anything I can to help this team win ball games. Whenever my number is called, I'll be ready. ''
Cowboys coach Jason Garrett told reporters last month his team "liked" Smith "in our evaluation coming out of school."
"You follow guys like that and wonder what happened," Garrett said. "I know it's a lot of injuries, so maybe a fresh start, a new environment, maybe just being healthy and learning the system, maybe that helps him."
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