Spurs & Feathers • 11
July 22, 2015
Smith proves hard work pays off by kyle heck Reporter
49 tackles and a sack; 38 of those tackles and the sack came in Smith’s senior season in 2002. Smith wasn’t drafted by any NFL teams after his senior Shaun Smith is the epitome of the saying hard year, but he wasn’t ready to give up football. work pays off. He signed a free-agent deal with the Dallas Born in Brooklyn, New York, Smith made Cowboys in 2003 and spent the year on the team’s quite the change in high school. He moved from practice squad. One year later, Smith made the one of the biggest metropolises in the world to active roster with the New Orleans Saints. He the agriculturally-focused Midwest in Wichita, started one game for the Saints in 2004 and made Kansas, where he played his last two years of high nine tackles. That was the first of 10 straight years school football. that Smith spent in the NFL playing for five difInstead of going straight to a four-year school ferent teams. upon graduation, Smith had to take the junior colHis best season came in 2007 with the Clevelege route. He played at JUCO powerhouse Butler land Browns. Smith started a career-high 11 County Community College in Hutchinson, Kan- games, making a career-high 62 tackles to go sas for two years, where he racked up 128 tackles, along with three pass deflections, two sacks and 33 for loss and had 20 sacks as a defensive linea forced fumble. In 2010, Smith recorded his first man. He was named an All-American in 2000. and only rushing touchdown of his career when At former Gamecock Langston Moore’s thirdthe 325-pound tackle barreled into the end zone annual Eat2Win camp, Smith admitted that from a yard out against the Seattle Seahawks taking the JUCO route was a lot of extra work, while with the Kansas City Chiefs. something that he is more than used to. He finished his NFL career with 244 tackles, “Man, it’s a grind all the time,” Smith said. four sacks, four pass deflections and two forced “You’re always grinding and you’re like, ‘I’ve got fumbles. to keep proving myself, keep proving myself.’” It was quite a career for a player that wasn’t able After those outstanding two years, Smith’s to go to a major program out of high school and dreams of playing at a major college came true went undrafted after college football. when he signed with South Carolina in 2001. In “Not getting drafted in the NFL and still being two years with the Gamecocks, Smith recorded able to go on and play 10 years, I had to grind,”
his. He came back to South Carolina and finished his African-American Studies degree. “I walked across the stage and showed my kids what you can get if you work hard for it,” said Smith, who hopes to someday coach at South Carolina. “I promised my mom I was going to do it.” Smith is trying to pass on the information he learned in his long football career, saying it’s something that he wished he had when he was growing up. “You’ve got a guy telling you everything, how to make it, so why not?” Smith said. “I’ve got the blueprint. I’m going to tell you. I’m living the dream and giving back to these kids.” associated press Smith is a great example of what can happen if you don’t let obstacles get in your way. There were countless times when Smith could have decided Smith said. “I know what hard work is.” Nowadays, Smith, who currently lives in Frisco, it was too much traveling around and too much uncertainty. Texas, is spending most of his time tutoring But he didn’t give up and went on to have a young kids about how important it is to work as decade long pro career, something that not many hard as he did at everything in life. He’s a part people can claim. of Moore’s You Only Block Yourself (YOBY) Hard work pays off no matter who you are. program that trains lineman for a future in college “You can come in college and be a five-star and pro football. YOBY operates in South Caroathlete or a one-star athlete, it doesn’t matter,” lina and Dallas, Texas and Smith said they are hoping to expand it to Charlotte with the help of a Smith said. “As long as you finish and get your degree and do everything you need to do, you’ll few more former NFL players. In 2013, Smith accomplished another life goal of be alright.”
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