Jaylon Smith and the Dallas Cowboys have come to terms on a longterm contract extension, Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones announced during a press conference Tuesday afternoon. 

Smith, a middle linebacker who started all 16 games as the Cowboys last season, received a five-year extension worth $64 million that includes $35.5 million guaranteed. He was in the final deal of his rookie contract prior to signing his extension. 

"I want to be a Cowboy for the rest of my life," Smith recently said, per David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. "Understanding what they've done for me, taking a chance, taking a risk and now they're getting a return on investment."

"He does everything you want your linebackers to do," head coach Jason Garrett recently said of Smith, per the team's official website. "When you watched him as a college player it was like, wow. It leaped off the tape like, 'Who is this guy? That's the guy who hurt his knee? We've got to investigate that whole thing.' And we did and we're really happy that we made the decision that we did.

"I just think as much as anything else it's a great story how far he's come to come back and play, and I think that shows up every day in how he approaches it. I think he really appreciates this opportunity to be a pro football player for the Dallas Cowboys. And he brings it. He brings it every day."

A second-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the 6-foot-2, 245-pound Smith enjoyed a standout collegiate career at Notre Dame before suffering tears in both his ACL and LCL during in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl, his final game with the Irish. 

Despite knowing that he would not play in 2016, the Cowboys still made Smith the 34th overall pick in that year's draft. Dallas' faith in Smith was rewarded in 2017, when Smith played in all 16 games while becoming a starter by season's end. Last season, Smith tallied 121 tackles that included 82 solo stops. He also recorded four sacks, and two forced fumbles. He returned one of his two fumble recoveries last season for a touchdown while helping the Cowboys win their third playoff game since winning Super Bowl XXX at the end of the 1995 season. 

Smith's contract is the first of three players from the Cowboys' 2016  NFL Draft that may receive a new contract sometime soon. Quarterback Dak Prescott is also hoping for a new deal, with running back Ezekiel Elliott remains in Cabo as he looks to land a new contract before the start of the regular season. The last of the new-age triplets -- Amari Cooper -- is also seeking a new contract.