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Packers search to fill void Preston Smith leaves as ‘heartbeat’ of their locker room

GREEN BAY – Before each game, Preston Smith would pull his teammates in the Green Bay Packers locker room into a huddle, not just the defensive line or even the whole defense, but the offense, too.

The oldest player on the Packers roster had a hidden talent. He used it regularly, even as his media interviews decreased the past couple of seasons. When Smith started talking, everyone listened. His eloquence was galvanizing. So Smith started giving the Packers pregame pep talk years ago, and eventually he added postgame speeches to his duties.