SANTA CLARA — Justin Smith spoke at his locker Tuesday afternoon. Here is a transcript.
Q: How good is it to have Aldon Smith back?
JUSTIN SMITH: It’s great to see him. He came back, talking to him, he sounds great, looks great. Ready to go. We’re excited to have him back.
Q: He looks ready to go?
JUSTIN SMITH: Yeah. He’s a freak of nature so I think he’ll be ready to go no matter what. But he definitely looks ready to go.
Q: He said he wants to make sure he reaches his potential. As a leader and a teammate and a friend, what responsibility do you and the other players have to make sure he doesn’t do that again?
JUSTIN SMITH: He’s doing the right things now and has been and he continues to do that. Football will take care of itself for him.
Q: I’m not talking football. I’m talking about supporting him as a friend and a teammate. What are the responsibilities of you and the other players?
JUSTIN SMITH: I don’t think anybody is anybody’s babysitter in here. We’re all adults in here and everybody handles their own business and he’s going to handle his own business. It’s going to be good.
Q: From what you’ve seen, do you think he can play on Sunday?
JUSTIN SMITH: I think Aldon will be ready to play no matter what. That’s just the type of guy he is and the athlete he is and the player he is, so we’ll see what happens.
Q: What does it say about this team that you were undefeated without him?
JUSTIN SMITH: I don’t think it says anything. We’ve been playing good team ball. Every time we’re missing a superstar it’s going to hurt and Aldon Smith is a superstar in this league. We’re going to be excited when he’s back out there.
Q: Did you contact him when he was away?
JUSTIN SMITH: Yeah, texted him back and forth a little bit here and there. Let him handle his deal. It’s good to see him back. We’re just excited he’s back.
Q: When you look at the roster moves that already have been made since the game against the Jaguars, can you guys be a better team in the second half of the season?
JUSTIN SMITH: We’ll see. I think the way we always take everything is one week at a time.
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