Dmitri Emmanuel, Maurice Smith explain trash talking on the offensive line
The line of scrimmage is by far the most physical area on the football field. On every single play, offensive and defensive linemen are going to be hitting one another. Things can get a little chippy, with a few words being traded by opposing players.
Florida State is no different, with Dmitri Emmanuel and Maurice Smith being in the middle of it all. On3’s Andy Staples asked where the trash-talking gets more intense — on the interior or outside between EDGEs and offensive tackles.
Emmanuel is a guard while Smith is the Seminoles’ center. Their answer should not come as a surprise.
“It gets bad on the inside,” Emmanuel said during Wednesday’s episode of Andy Staples On3. “It’s crazy. People talk crazy… You can get away with a lot more stuff. Sometimes, the play is going the other way and you say something real quick. Get a little shot.”
As for his personal preference, Emmanuel could be considered a talker. Mainly whenever the opponent begins to come after him. Emmanuel’s main focus is making sure everyone on the Florida State offensive line is on the same page. Then, some fun can be had.
“I’ll talk to you if you want to talk,” Emmanuel said. “We can talk all day but I’m trying to operate out there. I’m trying to talk to my center and my tackle to make sure we’re on the same page.”
Not all talking is done in the moment. Emmanuel admitted to doing a little research before a rivalry game, even if he admitted it was “nothing crazy.”
“Last year, we played a team, and there was a guy,” Emmanuel said. “I watched one of his interviews. He just seemed real immature. Real childish. So, I knew that game — I’m trying to come in and get you out of your game. It actually worked.”
Smith is actually the opposite of Emmanuel. He is not too into the trash-talking, just wanting to go out there and perform well. If an opposing defensive lineman is wanting to jaw back and forth, Smith just lets his play do all of the work.
“Me personally, that’s not me,” Smith said. “I don’t trash talk. I don’t say nothing. They say something to me, I be quiet. I just let my game do the talking.”
Whether Emmanuel and Smith want to admit it, there will likely be some talking between Florida State and LSU on Sunday. A huge matchup between preseason top-10 teams, somebody is going to be making a statement in Week 1.
And if the offensive line has anything to say about it, the Seminoles are going to have their way against an SEC front.