Gut check.

Though the Bucs didn’t win in New Orleans last week, one cannot say Evan Smith didn’t leave it all on the field.

Quite literally.

Prior to the loss to the Saints, Smith caught a bug floating around One Buc Palace that dinged both suits and players alike.

But Joe has newfound respect for Smith, who sucked it up and let it all hang out while starting at left guard for Kevin Pamphile, who had moved to right tackle in place of swinging saloon doors hurt Gosder Cherilus and concussed Demar Dotson.

Three plays in a row, Smith hurled his cookies and other pieces of his breakfast and lunch on the turf of the Superdome. For the first two, Smith hung in there but admitted to Joe yesterday that after the third ralphing, he was so out of it that he lost his breath.

Noticing this, officials called a timeout to help. Bucs trainers raced onto the field, ever so careful where to step.

Smith recounted the series of yukes to Joe.

“It was something man, it was one of those things that we were in the middle of a series and duty called,” Smith said. “I had to throw up. I was hoping it was a one-and-done shot. Turned out it was a four-play shot.

“After the third [blowing of chunks], I couldn’t breathe any more. I was throwing up so hard I was way out of breath.”

That is when the trainers came out to assist Smith and hose down his socks and shoes from his puke.

“At that point it was, I can’t breathe,” Smith said.

Since trainers attended to him on the field, Smith left the game but was back out there for the next series and was good to go.

“For that part of the game [during the puking], the struggle was real,” Smith said.

Smith admitted he has vomited due to nerves prior to a game but not during live action. He had never hurled once, much less three times, on the middle of the field.

Smith said he also threw up due to his illness prior to the game. He thought he had projected his sickness away at the time and got it out of his system. He was wrong.

“It was an eventful thing,” Smith said. “It was funny. Here I am throwing up and everyone else is going about their business in the huddle. I’m up to the line, sucked it up, did my thing and as soon as the play got over, I was right back to [barfing].

“After the third play, I was so wasted from doing it I couldn’t breathe.”

Rather than Saints defenders freaking out with puke all around them, Smith said the Saints were actually worried about him.

“They were wondering if I was going to be OK,” Smith said, laughing. “I know a few of the guys over there [on the Saints defense]. They were concerned. Some of the guys were giving me a few chuckles about it.

“It’s a good story people can tell their friends.”

Bucs right guard Ali Marpet was impressed Smith almost didn’t have to immediately leave the game.

“He wanted to fight through it,” Marpet said. “Sometimes, it happens. Caleb [Benenoch] came in for a play and then [Smith] was back out there. At no point did he want to come out. He was trying to power through it.”

Marpet admitted he has never had to puke during a game but wanted to.

“It is something you do,” Donovan Smith said about Evan Smith fighting through the puking episodes. “I don’t think anyone who was hurling would want to come out in the heat of the battle, so that is just who we are as men and football players. So you have to keep fighting.”

While Smith admitted he has never had to yack on a field, to see the puddles of puke on the field was rather gross.

“It was pretty disgusting but there is nothing to do about it.”