San Francisco 49ers

Aldon Smith feels like he 'can't be stopped'

Published Jun. 12, 2015 4:25 p.m. ET

foxsports

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith has had a rough couple of season. His off-the-field actions have kept him from performing how he knows he's capable of on the field.

This offseason has been a quiet one for Smith and that has put him in position to regain his spot as one of the top defensive players in the NFL.

“I feel fast now,” Smith said, via 49ers.com. “I’ve lost some weight, slimmed up, gotten stronger and it’s shown on the field.”

Smith knows he did not play at the level he is accustomed to the last couple of seasons. But now that he is back in good shape, he feels like there is no one that can slow him down.

“I don’t think I played to my level, and I want to do everything it takes to play consistently at my level,” Smith said. “I know that when I’m playing consistently and I’m on my game, I can’t be stopped.”

Smith is also taking on a leadership role for this first time in his career. He said he learned a lot from recently retired Patrick Willis and Justin Smith. He hopes to take what he learned and pass it on to the younger guys.

“With those guys leaving, they were here when I got here and showed me the ropes,” Smith said. “I learned a lot from them on how to lead and how to be a professional, how to come in here and do your job and then go out there on gameday and perform.

“I’m going to use everything they taught me and things that I’ve learned and show the other guys the ropes to make sure we keep this thing going in the right direction.”

(h/t San Francisco 49ers)