Sept. 19, 2001
By Marianne Stoess – Host Communications
Derek Smith’s college football story began in a fairly normal fashion. He arrived as a freshman at the University of Kentucky in 1999. His outstanding reputation as a high school athlete preceded him, giving Wildcat fans hope of good things to come.
Ranked as one of the top tight end prospects in the nation, Smith was a star athlete at Highlands High School in Fort Thomas, Ky. Smith made an immediate impact as a freshman, playing in all 11 games, learning the ropes from All-American tight end James Whalen. He caught nine passes for 122 yards that season and saw some extensive action against some of the Southeastern Conference’s and the nation’s finest football programs. With a 6-5 regular-season record, the Wildcats earned a bid to the Music City Bowl and turned to Smith when Whalen went down with an injury. He responded by making five catches for 56 yards against Syracuse.
The next season would be quite different for Smith and the Wildcats. Smith would continue to improve and the then-sophomore emerged as the team’s leading receiver, totalling 50 catches for 716 yards and five touchdowns, plus a pair of two-point conversions. He finished the season ranked seventh in the SEC with 4.6 receptions per game and was sixth in the league in receiving yardage, averaging 65.1 yards a game.
For his outstanding play, Smith was a consensus first-team All-SEC selection, an honorable mention All-American by Football News and a semifinalist for the John Mackey Award, given to the nation’s top tight end. But while things were going well for Smith as an individual, things weren’t going well for the Wildcats. Coming off a 6-6 season the Wildcats had high hopes for the 2000 football season. But Kentucky struggled, finishing the season 2-9 and 0-8 in the SEC. The hardest times were still to come.
During the offseason, the Kentucky coaching staff underwent a major facelift, with Guy Morriss taking over as head coach and a line of new assistant coaches coming in. Through it all Smith stayed positive, focusing on football – the game that he loves – and good things to come in the Kentucky football program.
“I never considered leaving Kentucky,” said Smith. “It was definitely a rough time for all of us. But once Coach Morriss got in, everyone stayed positive and was ready to work hard to turn things around. Coach Morriss came in and respected us from the beginning and never looked down on us. And we in turn, respected him and were ready to go out and work hard for him.”
Fast forward to the 2001 football season and Smith’s confidence and enthusiasm for Kentucky football has multiplied. Smith is excited to talk about his new coaches, his teammates and the talent and potential of this Wildcat squad. But what he wants to do more than to talk about the potential, is go out on the field and bring the respect back to Kentucky football.”This season will be a lot of fun,” said Smith. “We have a great team and it is going to be exciting to go out each week and play with the best and to show everyone how good of a team we can really be.”
To hear Smith speak about this season leaves no question as to his optimism and enthusiasm for his team and of the possibilities for the Wildcats this season.”This team has the potential to be the best,” said Smith. “Our enthusiasm and confidence is up. We come out to practice and work hard every day. Last year and in years past, we always knew that we could be good, we just weren’t able to go on the field and do what needed to be done. This year we have a new coaching staff and they are putting guys in the right positions to help us be successful. Our coaches have come in with excitement and encouragement and that is rubbing off on all of us. We are ready to go out and prove to people that we can play with the best teams in the country.”
Smith’s confidence and excitement for the 2001 football season isn’t limited to discussions of winning games and the talent of his teammates. His greatest confidence is shown when he speaks of the Wildcats’ first-year head coach. Without a doubt, Smith feels Kentucky is headed in the right direction under Morriss’ guidance.”He is the best coach for us right now,” said Smith. “Coach Morriss treats every player on this team the same. He never looks down at anyone or looks up at anyone. Everyday he comes to practice and tries to bring the best out of each one of us.
“We all respect his background. He played for 15 years in the NFL. Everyone who plays college football dreams of someday playing professional football, so it is hard not to look up at a guy like that. He has shown us support and encourages us every day and we are ready to play football for him.”
Smith knows that the pressure will be on him this season. After last season’s performance, opposing defenses are aware of his talents and will be looking for him to make big plays. But true to his character, Smith has no intentions of shying away from the added defensive pressure, in fact, he looks forward to the challenge.
“Everyone has me in their sights, especially opposing defenses,” said Smith. “They know that I am coming back as the team’s leading receiver, an All-SEC player. Everyone is going to be looking at me and that is what motivates me to play even harder. It makes me realize that I have earned respect from other players and coaches.”
If Smith needs any more motivation, he can look at what all the critics are saying about Kentucky football and the expectations for this season. While he isn’t too concerned about what others think, he does plan on surprising a few people this season, and earning respect for the Kentucky football program.
“Almost every publication has us rated last in the SEC,” said Smith. “Kentucky has never been seen as one of the top programs in the country. We aren’t worried about all of that. We just want to go out every game and play as hard as we can. We want to gain some respect for this football program and I know that we are more than capable of doing that.”And if Smith still needs something more to motivate him, all he has to do is look to the sidelines and see his head coach.
“Playing for Coach Morriss motivates me,” said Smith. “He has never given up on us and has never gotten down on us. We see every day how hard he works for us and we want to work just as hard for him.
“We want to make him look like he is the greatest first-year head coach in the country. Because we all know what a great coach he is and we want others to see that as well.”
The entire team seems to have adopted the approach of wanting to win for Morriss, giving them confidence in their ability to succeed on the field this season. With a new coaching staff, a new style of play along with several newcomers, the Wildcats are looking for leaders to step up and guide this team in the right direction. Smith knows that as an upperclassman, and as a player who has experienced success on the field, he is responsible for stepping up and helping his team. And, as you would expect, it is not a responsibility he takes lightly, but one he looks forward to.
“By going out every day and giving 110 percent effort, I can help this team,” said Smith. “I am a guy who has been in the spotlight and people will be looking to me for leadership. If I go out and work hard, hopefully they will follow that example and put in their best effort each day. By pushing each other to work hard, we will get better as individuals and as a team.”And now, the long awaited football season that Smith and the Wildcats have been working toward is underway. Now in the hands of Coach Morriss and a new staff, along with a talented team of players, the future for Kentucky football looks bright. But with all of the expectations and excitement for the future, Smith isn’t taking for granted all of the good times ahead.”Remembering what we have been through together makes it all worth it,” said Smith. “We have faced some tough times together and we get stronger every time we come out and work hard together. Coming out and playing on Saturday afternoons is what we have been working for. We have been through some difficult struggles, but now we have finally reached the good times.”
