UPDATE: Team denies Mike Smith has ‘persistent chest’ discomfort
FLOWERY BRANCH – The Falcons denied a report that coach Mike Smith has had “persistent chest
Falcons coach Mike Smith addressing the local media on Monday after going to the hospital with chest pains in Charlotte. (D. Orlando Ledbetter/DLedbetter@ajc.com)
related discomfort” on Thursday.
“He feels fine,” said Reggie Roberts, the team’s vice president of communications.
Following Sunday’s Falcons-Carolina game, Smith, 52, had chest pains and was taken to a hospital before the team’s charter flight left for Atlanta.
Smith had undisclosed tests and arrived back in Atlanta at 3 a.m. He was at the team’s facilities around 3:30 p.m. and held a team meeting at 4 p.m.
“He spent the week preparing his team for the nationally-televised game against Jacksonville,” Roberts said. “Smith had a previously scheduled appointment. It was made after he left the hospital in Charlotte.”
The Falcons (8-5) are set to play the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-9) at 8:20 p.m. tonight at the Georgia Dome.
On Monday, Smith said he has had to make some lifestyle changes, but doesn’t plan to change his coaching style.
On Thursday, a walk-through practice, Smith completed the team’s tentative schedule for next week. He’s prepared to give the players off until Tuesday. They are set to have Wednesday off and will practice again on Thursday and Friday, have a walk-through on Saturday and leave for New Orleans on Christmas for their Monday game against the Saints.
Smith, like most coaches around the NFL, has been known to spend a few nights at the facilities. He has his own room in the team’s dormitories.
After last season, Smith signed a three-year contract extension in February.
With three games to play, the Falcons are 8-5 and fighting for their third playoff berth in four seasons under Smith. The team is 41-20 under Smith.
Smith originally signed a four-year contract that was worth between $8 million to $10 million. Terms of the contract extension were not disclosed.
–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
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104 comments Add your comment
PlanB
December 15th, 2011
11:32 pm
Wanted to see Redmon shake the rust off but MS’s conservatism took over. Run that clock out. Redmon threw some nice passes to Julio with no help from the coaching staff. Quizz also could have done a little bit better if we didn’t tell the Jags we were going to run on 1st & 2nd and throw on 3rd and long. Why not give these guys some real game experience. We may have to depend on them at some point. Great game but the end was spoiled for me.
Falcons > Everyone
December 16th, 2011
11:44 am
When a team wins 41-14, there should be no “yeah, but…”. And please don’t say we’re beating only weak teams. Everyone in the NFC South has the exact same opponents every year except for two games.
WhoDat4Eva
December 17th, 2011
7:20 pm
Here’s the latest report on Smith:
He neva had any trouble til he had to coach against Sean Payton’s Saints. Hahahahaha
Rumor has it he will quit the team after this session since he cannot and will NOT get anywhere as long as he’s in the NFC South.
HAHAHAHA
BEST OF LUCK SMITTY….. AND please take good care of yourself, your family needs you.
HAHAHAHAHA
Leeman Bennett
December 18th, 2011
4:11 pm
Coach Smith obviously has some health issue. If he did not then he would say so, but he has really made no substantial comment on the topic. He should say something and let all the fans know what is really going on. With the playoffs as a potential, he owes it us all to say something.