BRAD SMITH : switch a welcomed challenge . . .

Chaney's Smith ready for switch

The standout quarterback at Missouri will be a wide receiver with the Jets.
By BILL SULLIVAN / VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

BOARDMAN ? With a smile bright enough to light up a vacant NFL stadium, Brad Smith addressed a gathering of local news media representatives Sunday evening.Amid a crush of family, friends and several fellow church members, Smith spoke about his upcoming professional football career in the National Football League.Smith was drafted by the New York Jets with the sixth pick of the fourth round and was the 103rd overall selection.

His was the sixth name called when the draft resumed Sunday.While he completed a remarkable career as a quarterback at the University of Missouri, the Jets could switch Smith to play receiver. That switch would be accepted as a welcomed challenge to the Chaney High graduate."God always had a plan for me," Smith said of the selection by the Jets."I'm going to go out and step up and make plays. They like me as a person and want the ball in my hands."

New Jets fan

Smith admitted he just became a Jets fan Sunday afternoon, right before his selection was posted on the televisions across America.The Jets phoned Smith to tell him of their decision and the magnitude of the call began to set in immediately."It's really the big city; I'm excited," Smith said."I realized somebody really wanted me."Smith set a boatload of records at Missouri ? he broke or equaled 69 school, league and NCAA standards.

Most notably, he's the only college player in Division I-A history to throw for 8,000 career yards and run for 4,000 yards.But, over his notable career at Chaney and at Missouri, he's only caught one pass in that spell ? a throw-back aerial this season.So, would the possible position switch be too daunting an assignment?

"You knew he was a special player the first time he walked on the field," said Chaney football coach Ron Berdis who was among the warm embrace present to receive Smith."He really deserved this," Berdis said. "Brad has such a great work effort. This is the culmination of a brilliant career."

No favorites

Smith never was a fan of one certain NFL team before Sunday.

"I enjoy everyone," he said of the league.Asked if there was one NFL player he admired most, Smith thought for a second and said no."I'm an unique person. I'm myself," he answered.He has nearly completed a Masters degree in Economics after earning an undergraduate degree in Finance.Still, he never dreamed of playing football as a career until last fall."I never thought of it, not until this year."Now, he has to quickly prepare for a rookie camp that's set in about a week.

"It feels pretty good," Smith said.

"I have the opportunity to play and compete. It's for my family."

sullivan@vindy.com

 

If you were tuned in on Saturday to see which NFL team was going to select former MU quarterback Brad Smith, Day One was more excruciatingly painful than being forced to watch a Lifetime movie with your middle-aged mother. After three rounds in which 97 players were chosen, Smith had yet to be taken.

Despite the disappointments of not getting picked on Saturday, all doubts and uncertainties about Smith?s future would quickly be erased early Sunday afternoon when the New York Jets selected Smith in the fourth round. He was the 103rd overall pick in the draft.

Goodbye, Columbia. Hello, New York City.

At first glance, it would appear that Smith ? a humble, soft-spoken, down-to-earth guy ? would be like a deer caught in headlights adjusting to the fast-paced city life in the nation?s No. 1 media market. But after looking at the Jets? depth chart and reading how excited the Jets? front office is to have him, this just might be the perfect place for Smith to showcase his talents.

And though the Jets aren?t exactly sure how Smith fits into the grand scheme of things yet, they know they got one of the best athletes in the draft.

?He?s an outstanding football player,? Jets coach Eric Mangini said on the Jets? official Web site. ?He can catch the ball, he can throw the ball, he can do a lot of things. I wouldn?t rule anything out of the realm of possibility.?

The ?realm of possibility? Mangini is referring to is the chance of Smith getting a shot to play quarterback, which is the position Smith has constantly stressed he would like to continue playing in the NFL. As has been his approach throughout his career, Smith?s first priority is to help his new team win games, regardless of where he?s lined up.

?I?m coming in as a team athlete, so wherever I need to go,? Smith said on the Jets? Web site. ?It?s just being able to compete and get better at what I?m doing. I?m a quarterback at heart, and it?s going to work out the way it?s supposed to. I?m a team player, and I?m excited to make plays for the Jets.?

If history is any indication of the future, it?ll be much sooner than later before Smith is on the field, breaking tackles and sprinting to the end zone, just as he did as a Tiger.

> http://www.themaneater.com/article.php?id=24269

 

"Brad Smith: NFL prospect with a catch"
By Bill Coats / ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
05/03/2006

Antwaan Randle El (left) has made good in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl with the Steelers. He recently signed a multi-million dollar deal with the Redskins. After winning the Heisman Trophy, Eric Crouch's (right) short career - including a stint as a receiver with the Rams - was a resounding flop.
(File Photos/P-D)

In eight days, Brad Smith will trot onto the field at the New York Jets' training complex in Hempstead, N.Y., and peer into his future. He's not sure whether he'll like the view."I'm interested in seeing how they're going to approach the whole thing" at minicamp, Smith said. "Hopefully we'll get a chance to ... work it out."At issue is not only if Smith, a record-breaking quarterback at Missouri, can play in the NFL, but at what position. Most pro scouts rated his passing skills as subpar; the Jets intend to audition him first at wide receiver.

"We viewed him as an athlete," said Jets coach Eric Mangini. "This guy is an outstanding football player; he can catch the ball and he can run with the ball. ... We're excited about him."And Smith, a fourth-round draft choice (No. 103 overall), stressed that he's excited about his opportunity. "I'm just glad to be a part of the Jets team," he said. "It's going to be a lot of fun."But Smith also made it clear that he'd prefer to remain at the position he has played all his life, first as a youngster in Youngstown, Ohio, and then for four years at Mizzou. Smith, 6-foot-2 and 213 pounds, owns 59 school, Big 12 and national records - including being the only player in NCAA Division I-A history to rush for more than 4,000 yards and pass for more than 8,000 yards.

"I believe I can definitely play quarterback," he said firmly.

That attitude, while an admirable reflection of Smith's faith in himself, could cause problems, suggested another former Missouri quarterback. The challenge of switching positions is stiff enough without resisting the notion, Corby Jones noted."I think the key is Brad making up his mind that he's going to do that," Jones said. "If your heart's not in it at that level, then you're never going to be successful at it."Jones, a 3 1/2-year starter for the Tigers in the late 1990s, speaks from experience. NFL scouts also didn't feel his quarterback skills were good enough. Because of that, Jones signed with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League before the NFL draft.

After two seasons in Montreal, Jones relented and was signed by the Baltimore Ravens, who tried him at safety and running back. Neither experiment succeeded, and Jones was released in 2000.Gil Brandt of ESPN.com, who spent three decades as the Dallas Cowboys' player personnel chief, said Jones' case isn't unusual. "When you take a quarterback and switch them to another position, they're usually unhappy," he said. "With few exceptions, it doesn't work."An obvious example is Eric Crouch. Rams fans will remember his failed attempt to morph from a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at Nebraska into an NFL wide receiver.

Success stories

Still, there are success stories. Bert Emanuel, a quarterback at Rice, put in nine seasons in the NFL as a wideout, gathering 352 receptions for 4,852 yards before retiring in 2002.Former Michigan quarterback Jay Riemersma, converted to a tight end, retired in 2004 with 221 catches for 2,524 yards in nine NFL seasons. Mike Tice, the former Vikings coach, was a quarterback at Maryland who played tight end for 14 seasons in the NFL (107 catches, 894 yards).Recently, ex-Indiana quarterback Antwaan Randle El signed a reported six-year, $30 million free-agent contract with Washington after four productive seasons in Pittsburgh. Randle El is a true hybrid: He has 162 receptions for 2,012 yards and 54 carries for 316 yards, and has completed 14 of 16 passes for 128 yards. Plus, he has returned kicks and punts.

It's that kind of role that Rams coach Scott Linehan envisions for fifth-round draftee Marques Hagans, who filled several roles at Virginia, including quarterback the past two seasons. Hagans is projected as a return specialist, but he'll get looks at receiver and running back, too, Linehan said."It gives you one of those toys on offense," Linehan said. "You can put him in there and he plays something one play and something else another play ... maybe throws a ball once in a while."Several ex-QBs flourished as pro running backs, among them Dan Reeves, Ed Podolak and Brian Mitchell. A number of college quarterbacks wound up as defensive backs, too. Some were successful, such as Charlie Waters and Nolan Cromwell. Others had mixed results, such as Tony Dungy, Rex Kern, Jack Mildren and Scott Frost.

The transition

The Jets have four quarterbacks, including former first-round draft choice Chad Pennington. Plus, they drafted Oregon's Kellen Clemens in the second round.But Mangini needs help at wideout, where only Laveranues Coles and Justin McCareins chalked up more than 325 yards in 2005. Among the 10 players drafted by the Jets, only Smith is a prospect at receiver.The technical challenges of making the move are numerous, and the competition will be steep, Jones said."You're competing against people who have been playing this position forever," he pointed out. "So understanding how to prepare and understanding the intricacies of that position is key."

Smith, 22, acknowledged that he'll be starting from scratch at wideout and that he doesn't know what to expect. "I haven't done it before. So I'll just see," he said.MU coach Gary Pinkel is confident Smith can make the move successfully. "I'll be very surprised if he doesn't have a very good NFL career," Pinkel said.Brandt likes Smith's chances, too. "All you have to do is look at his speed and ability to run with the ball," he said.

Jones agrees - but with a proviso.

"Brad has all of the physical attributes and tools to be able to play almost anywhere on the field," Jones said. "It's going to be all mental for him, making the decision that that's what he really wants to do."

> http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sp...48C4E948B3914189862571640018AD33?OpenDocument