Defensive end has room left to grow

The 10th in a series profiling newcomers on the 2015 Arkansas Razorbacks football roster.

When T.J. Smith informed his family he was going to sign a football scholarship with Vanderbilt last November, they scoffed at that thought and shook their heads in disbelief.

“They all knew I’d eventually sign with Arkansas,” Smith said. “They knew before I knew.”

His family’s feeling proved to be correct. Smith’s commitment to Vanderbilt was short-lived as the 6-4, 255-pound defensive end from Moultrie, Ga., ditched the Commodores and turned to the Razorbacks in January.

Smith took trips to other schools even though he was orally committed to Vanderbilt, and his visit to Fayetteville proved to be a game changer.

“Even before I got my first [recruiting] letter, I decided I wasn’t going to be an average player,” Smith said. “Coach [Bret] Bielema was talking about ‘Be uncommon.’ That hit home with me. I never knew I was striving to be a Razorback until I got there.”

Rush Propst, Smith’s coach at Colquitt County High School, said he believes the Razorbacks picked up an uncommon up-and-comer in Smith.

“I’ve been in this business for 35 years, and as far as character goes T.J. would be in my top 10 players of all time that I’ve coached,” said Propst, who said he’s had 65 players sign college letters of intent since 2009. “What T.J. stands for and what he means, he’s just an outstanding young man with high character and a bright future.”

Smith’s football career is only in its infancy.

In only his second year of organized football, Smith enjoyed plenty of success with the south Georgia high school. Smith recorded 32 tackles — 16 for losses — and 4 sacks during his senior season as Colquitt County finished 15-0 and won a state title. Twelve of Colquitt County’s victories were by two touchdowns or more.

“That was an amazing season,” said Smith, whose team outscored opponents 925-260. “I’ve never known a feeling like that, but I want it to continue.”

Smith’s statistics are even more impressive considering he didn’t start until more than a month into the season.

“I’d say at least 80 percent and maybe 90 percent of his statistics came from the sixth game on,” Propst said. “The night that we played Valdosta — our biggest rival — in the eighth week, he could have played for anyone. He only got better as the season progressed.”

Smith played his first year of high school football in North Carolina, but he and his parents moved to Moultrie in June 2014. Propst said Smith was a little shocked at the caliber of football he encountered.

“In Georgia, especially south Georgia, football is year-round,” Propst said. “He was used to working out three days a week for a couple of hours a day. He comes here and it’s five days a week, five hours a day.

“It also took him some time to adjust to the heat. Once the weather started to get a little cooler, he began to rise. … He had trouble with his stamina at first, but his attention span was good and he wanted to learn. The biggest thing he had to learn was how to play low. Once he learned that, his game took leaps and bounds.”

Before arriving at Colquitt County, Propst said Smith’s only scholarship offer was from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, which will begin playing football this fall. Within three months, that list had grown to almost a dozen.

Smith said he isn’t content to just learn the Razorbacks’ system and be a role player. He wants to be a leader from the first day of practice.

“My best asset is my leadership,” Smith said. “I’m not going to settle to be an average football player. I want to make my teammates better, and I want my play to complement what they do. That’s what wins championships.”

Smith played mainly on the defensive line at Colquitt County because Propst said the team was in need of big men in the middle. Arkansas recruited Smith as a defensive end, but Propst said he would not be surprised if Smith eventually played on the interior for the Razorbacks.

“He’s more athletic than most offensive linemen,” Propst said. “He played nose tackle for us, but I could see him playing the three technique [a lineman who typically lines up on the outside shoulder of a guard] in college.”

Smith admits he still has plenty to learn when it comes to playing football.

“Two years ago, I could barely lift 100 pounds,” Smith said. “I didn’t know how to tackle. I didn’t even know how to get in the proper stance. I’ve learned a lot in the last two years. You just don’t wake up one morning and know how to play Division I football.”

“Each day I want to get better. I want to be better than I was the day before. If I don’t get better every day, then I’ve failed myself and my teammates on that day. Thinking like that only makes me go harder every day.”

Regardless of how his freshman season goes, Smith said he promises to be a positive example.

“Whether I get maximum playing time or I’m struggling to find time to play, I’m going to take the right attitude,” Smith said. “I’m going to do things the right way. I’m humble, and I plan to stay humble.”

Propst has no problem believing that.

“No one comes into our program and doesn’t struggle at least a little, but T.J. isn’t an average kid,” Propst said. “He has a great family, and they were a great crutch to him when he needed them. As it turned out, coming to our program was the perfect storm for him. And, to be honest, it was the perfect storm for us as well.”