FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Geno Smith is unfazed by it all. The presence of Michael Vick doesnt shake his confidence. Neither does his not-so-solid hold on the New York Jets quarterback job. Not even his uncertain status as the future of the franchise. Its all talk, as far as Smith is concerned. More like white noise he can easily tune out. Smith believes in himself. Always has. And now, his teammates are also starting to buy in as well. "Hes taken a quarterback role, hes taken a leadership role and hes always growing," wide receiver Eric Decker said after the Jets first minicamp practice Tuesday. "Hes always maturing, hes always getting better at what he does and hes got a future in the NFL." Smith has transformed from wide-eyed rookie to respected leader in a span of a few months. The second-year quarterback entered minicamp as the starter, ahead of Vick, and Smith intends to keep his spot on the Jets depth chart. "Really, Im a sponge," Smith said. "Im learning as much as I can. Im learning on the fly. Im learning every single day. I just soak it up and continue to work hard." An up-and-down rookie season ended on a positive note for Smith, with three wins in the final four games and the Jets finishing a respectable 8-8. "Really, for me, its just about continuing to stay grounded," he said. "This team has a long way to go and were still working extremely hard to try to reach our ultimate goal." Even as some Jets players have acknowledged being a bit star-struck by Vick, Smith has managed to gain the trust of his teammates -- in the huddle and outside of it. No, there havent been any games. And, no, Smiths body of work doesnt compare to Vicks career. But Smith has taken charge of his situation this off-season, pulling teammates aside on the field to go over plays and studying more film than ever before. When the Jets signed Decker in April, Smith sought out general manager John Idzik to get his new wide receivers phone number so he could welcome him to the team. "I always see myself as a leader and thats in life, in any aspect of my life," Smith said. "Being in this locker room, Ive just continued to be myself and guys gravitate to me because I have just a natural leadership ability, leadership qualities, and thats a part of the reason why Im here in the first place. I just try to continue to push the guys." And make no mistake about it: Smith is pushing himself, too. He knows that last seasons 21 interceptions against 12 touchdowns is no good. He has been working with offensive co-ordinator Marty Mornhinweg and quarterbacks coach David Lee to improve on his footwork, and going over the playbook in his mind constantly. He is also noticeably bigger physically, the result of increased work in the weight room. "When it comes to being on the field, I just want perfection," Smith said. "I try and chase perfection. I try and be the best I can be at every single practice, every single rep. I think thats what guys are seeing the most." That includes coach Rex Ryan, who was encouraged by Smiths finish last season and has liked what he has seen from him as he tries to build off that. "He knows this offence forward and backward," Ryan said. "And, I think were going to see some great things from him." The Jets have acknowledged that both Smith and Vick are competing for the starting job, but Smith clearly has an edge going in. That could certainly change, especially if Smith falters and Vick thrives in Mornhinwegs system as he did in Philadelphia. Smith isnt planning on that, of course. He also doesnt believe he needed Vick with New York to push him, calling himself a "self-starter." But having Vick around could play an important role in Smith taking that next step as an NFL quarterback -- and a leader of a franchise. "I think G is a great listener, first and foremost," Vick said. "I think any key to success in this sport at our position, you have to have the ability to listen. "I think Geno wants to learn. He wants to be better." NOTES: RB Chris Johnson, rehabilitating a surgically repaired left knee, participated in individual drills, but will not take part in 11-on-11 team periods during minicamp. The Jets are being cautious with Johnson, who signed with New York in April. ... G Willie Colon, recovering from off-season knee surgery, said hes feeling good and fully intends to be ready for training camp. ... The Jets had six players in for tryouts: Punters Drew Butler and Jacob Schum, kickers Andrew Furney and Carson Wiggs, and offensive linemen Bruce Campbell and Ray Dominguez. Butler is the son of former Bears kicker Kevin Butler and spent two seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jerry Rice Jersey . 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UCI President Brian Cookson said Wednesday the commission will investigate allegations "that the UCI has been involved in wrongdoing in the past -- allegations which have done so much to hurt the credibility of the UCI and our sport.SALT LAKE CITY -- James Harden ran into what felt like a brick wall and rolled his ankle before crumpling to the floor. He didnt let that stop him. After getting fouled hard by Enes Kanter on a fast break in the third quarter and twisting his ankle, Harden shook it off --the same way his Houston Rockets shook off a 19-point deficit and rolled to 104-93 victory over Utah on Saturday night that kept the Jazz winless and the Rockets undefeated. "I had to block out the pain. We had momentum, especially there in the third quarter. We came out with our defensive intensity at such a high level that I didnt want to let anything slow me down," said Harden, who had 16 of his 23 points in the second half. Despite his swollen ankle, Harden saved his best for last. "It was time for me to step up and take over the game. Its that simple," he said. Chandler Parsons scored 24 points, Jeremy Lin added 20 and the Rockets (3-0) outscored the Jazz 64-37 in the second half. After John Lucas made a jumper to beat the shot clock and pull the Jazz within 95-90 with 3:27 left, the Rockets allowed just one field goal the rest of the way and Harden ran the pick-and-roll repeatedly down the stretch. "We got stops and rebounds so we could get out and run," Lin said. "And then a couple guys got hot, and that just becomes contagious." Kanter made an inside jumper to give Utah its final lead, 85-83 with 7:11 remaining. Harden drove for a layup, Lin hit a 3-pointer and Parsons followed with another basket to start the game-ending run. Richard Jefferson led Utah with 18 points and Kanter added 16 for the Jazz, who looked disjointed once the Rockets increased their defensive pressure in the second half. "They came out in the third and played with a lot more energy than we had. They made shots and executed their offence and those guys really took it to us," Utah coach Tyrone Corbin said. The loss marked the first time the Jazz have started a season with three consecutive defeats since they began 0-4 in the 1979-800 season, the year the franchise moved to Utah.dddddddddddd Harden made two free throws to cap a 15-2 run in the third quarter that knotted the game at 60-60. Dwight Howard had 10 and Harden had nine in the quarter in helping Houston outscore Utah 33-17. "We put ourselves to the test. Being down 16 at halftime, we might have just caved in and gave up last year but this year we fought back. Thats the difference," Harden said. Parsons, who also grabbed 12 rebounds, kept the Rockets in the game with 20 points in the first half, when the Jazz outrebounded Houston 27-12 and dominated the paint. "I was struggling the first two games, especially with my shot," Parsons said. "And then in this one, the other guys were struggling and I finally had it going. My teammates believed in me and I was shooting with confidence." The Jazz led 56-37 just before the half, following a stretch that featured a dunk by Gordon Hayward and a layup by Derrick Favours that brought the crowd to its feet. "In the first half, we were just letting them score, letting them make their cuts, and doing whatever they wanted. They were outhustling us," Harden said. Howard finished with 15 points playing against Utahs young frontcourt of Kanter and Favours most of the game. But Utah had no answer for the Rockets defensive pressure and Hardens playmaking in the second half. "We have the potential to be a very good defensive team. With those two big guys (Howard, Omer Asik) behind us, it makes us want to be more aggressive and we were out in passing lanes, disrupting their offence and making them uncomfortable," Parsons said. The Jazz began missing shots and Houston was able to unleash its fast break and went 23 for 36 in final two quarters. Once Harden started breaking down Utahs defence, the Rockets began finding open shots all over the court. "In the second half, it was vice versa. We got every loose ball, rebounded the ball and got out in transition. We played our basketball," Harden said. 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