Kevin Smith Aims To Be The “Lead Dog” For The Lions

Earlier this year, Lions running back Kevin Smith raised eyebrows after vowing on his personal blog that the team that went 0-16 a year ago will qualify for the playoffs in 2009. Smith posted another blurb on Monday that offers some of the specifics as to how that will come to fruition. “I feel I have the mentality that I’m the lead dog and I’m going to set the tempo,” Smith writes (via the Detroit News). “It’s a mentality I like to take on and you can do it if you have the killer instinct. When you lead by example, there are always some guys who notice you and want to go in the same direction, which is great as long as it’s a positive direction.” Smith also promises to get himself fully prepared for the season after a minicamp that opens today. “I’m already in pretty good shape but I’m going to train and get on the right diet so I can get my legs strong and condition myself and perform at a high level all through training camp,” Smith said. “Most guys know enough to show up in shape but there’s always a few who just aren’t ready. “For me being in shape and ready to go is a must. It’s not even an issue. I feel I’m a tempo-setter, so I have to be in great shape and looking and feeling good for this training camp.” Appearing in every game in 2008 with 12 starts, Smith rushed for 926 yards on 238 carries, good for an average of 4.1 yards. So a rare bright spot on a bad team a year ago could end up helping to lead a resurgence in 2009. Though we’re still not ready to declare that the Lions will be roaring into January, who would have dreamed a year ago that the Dolphins would improve from 1-15 to 11-5 last season?