FRISCO -- Linebacker Jaylon Smith isn't shy about describing himself as a "natural-born leader." He did it before he even played a down for the Cowboys.
Before Smith had even completed his long recovery from a serious knee injury that threatened his football future, the second-round pick had already won over many of his Cowboys teammates.
Smith has a kind of charisma that is magnetic. Always smiling and never doubting, Smith approaches life as if he already knows the outcome no matter the challenge.
When All-Pro linebacker Sean Lee went down with a hamstring injury last month that has forced him to miss the last three games, Smith said the Cowboys would survive without him.