Jan. 06--Jaylon Smith found himself awkwardly on bended knee during the first quarter of the Fiesta Bowl on Friday, the recipient of a shove that ended with the Notre Dame All-America linebacker's left knee buckling on the grass at University of Phoenix Stadium.
Bended left knee quickly turned out to be severely wounded left knee for the Butkus Award winner, an injury Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly described that day as "significant."
ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported the significance of that injury Tuesday on Twitter, saying Smith, a projected top-10 pick in the NFL draft would undergo reconstructive surgery Thursday to repair a torn ACL and MCL.
The junior has not yet announced his whether he will stay in school or opt for the draft. He said last week that he'd received a first-round grade back from the NFL Draft Advisory Board. The deadline for underclassmen to apply for early entry is Jan. 15.
"It's something that sticks out," Smith said of his evaluation. "I want to be great in everything I do. I definitely wanted it to all be first round. If one came back second round that would push me even more."
Smith's injury occurred when Ohio State lineman Taylor Decker shoved him toward the end of a play with eight minutes left in the first quarter of the Irish's 44-28 loss to the Buckeyes.
Decker said his intent wasn't malicious and that he felt for Smith, who led the Irish in tackles (113) for the second consecutive season.
ESPN's Darren Rovell reported that Smith has a $5 million loss-of-value insurance policy that would kick in should he fall out of the first round of the draft.
pskrbina@tribpub.com
