This weeks YSU Football Profile Player is Kevin Smith.  Smith knows pressure, he replaced Reggie Bush at Helix High School in California.  Coming off of a 2008 injury in which he was redshirted, Smith wants to prove he is the playmaker everyone thinks he can be.  He is one of only 12 seniors this season and believes in this years Penguins squad.

Paneech: How tough was it to try to fill the shoes of Reggie Bush at Helix High School?

Smith: It was an uphill battle.  When Reggie played, he packed the stands and then when I played it wasn’t as full (laughs).  It was fun though, it gave me something to work for.  It was alot to live up to, but it was also a welcome challenge.

Paneech:  Why were you redshirted for 2008, and describe what the injury was.

Smith: I got injured.  I pulled, slash, tore my hamstring.  It looked pretty ugly when you seen it.  I kept trying to come back but couldn’t, so the coaches chose to redshirt me, so here I am.

Paneech:  As one of only 12 seniors, how much of a leadership role have you taken on?

Smith: I definitely tried to step it up.  I’m usually a pretty quiet dude and normally don’t say too much but rather let my playing do the talking.  Coach told us [the seniors] to step it up so I am trying to rally the troops.

When asked if it could be a breakout year, Smith said, “Man, I hope so.  I have worked real hard and will not allow myself not to be the best that I can”.  The September 5 opener at Pitt is something that keeps Kevin awake at night, “It’s all I think about, I dream about that at night, I think we have got the team to do it”.  It will be an opportunity to play on a bigger stage, and Smith thinks he and his mates are going to be ready to surprise some people in Pittsburgh on September 5. 

Part of communications as a major would be to speak or perform in front of large groups.  Smith is a communications major and is minoring in history at YSU.  Never wanting to hog the spotlight or be a distraction, if Smith has the kind of year on the field that he is capable of, he will surely have to deal with being pictured on the scoreboard with some prerecorded short dialogue (pictured).

Paneech: Who is your position coach and how do you like his style?

Smith: (laughing) Sam Eddy.  When I first got here, he was hard on me.  My JUCO (Junior College) coach was easy.  When I got here, Coach Eddy was rough, but then it got easier, I think he had to take some time to get to know me.  He’s just funny, I will watch late in the season when he starts falling asleep in meetings”.

Paneech:  How bad do you miss the beaches of California, or have you taken a new liking to the snow here in Youngstown?

Smith: You can never like this weather.  I think about that [California] all of the time.  I wanted to get home for a week before camp, and I’m thinking, man, I wanna go home so bad.  I don’t like snow.

Paneech:  Who is your favorite NFL team and player?

Smith:  All-time favorite player would probably be Barry Sanders.  My favorite team?  I gotta go with the hometown team, San Diego.  I love LT [LaDanian Tomlinson], I love so many different backs that bring something to the game.  Reggie Bush is up there, that’s my boy, but he needs to get back on the field, I ain’t gonna hype him up for no reason (laighing).

Paneech:  Talk with me about Michael Vick.

Smith:  Unless you know what it is like to do time in jail then you can’t judge.  As far as I know, two years in jail isn’t a joke.  He made a mistake, everyone makes mistake and nobody is perfect.  Presidents make mistakes, so why should he be treated any different.

Paneech:  What is it like to have a birthday (November 25th) that sometimes falls on Thanksgiving?

Smith:  I love it!  You sit down and get all this food and then on top of that you get presents.  I think that’s a better birthday than Christmas because your parents would try to play you like, okay, here are two presents, one is for your birthday, and one is for Christmas.  I get that early Christmas gift, and then I get Christmas gifts too. 

Paneech:  What other schools recruited you?

Smith:  The biggest school to recruit me was probably Utah.  There were alot of schools looking at me, some Big Sky, and alot of 1-AA schools.  I thought I was headed to Utah, but it was the same year that Urban Meyer left and went to Florida, and the man who recruited me also left, so that hurt my chances of playing there, so I decided on Junior College.

One Word Answers

Favorite College Basketball Team?   North Carolina

Favorite Fruit?  Bananas

Favorite Vegetable? Carrots

After a loss, I feel…  Mad

After a big win, I feel…  Let’s party

Favorite Musician:  Michael Jackson

Favorite Boxer:  Mike Tyson

Favorite Flavor of Ice Cream:  Chocolate

Kim Kardashian or Beyonce:  Beyonce

Favorite Play To Run:  Zone

Favorite Animal: Tiger

Favorite Holiday:  Thanksgiving

Other Than Myself, The Biggest Difference Maker On This Team Is…  Donald Jones

 

Kevin Smith is an asset to this team in more ways than one.  Not only is he providing leadership by doing rather than saying, but he knows his role and has put the team first.  He has a great personality and was very easy to speak with.  I have a feeling I will be speaking to him after he has a big game at some point in 2009, the question is not which one, but rather, how many.