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Take Two
By Keith Niebuhr
Published August 31, 2007
Meet Eric Smith, an Armwood running back and major college recruit. Now meet his father, Shawn Smith, who works for Mosaic Fertilizer in Riverview but once was a pretty fair player himself. In fact, two decades ago at Tampa Bay Tech, the elder Smith, who later signed with Louisville, rushed for 501 yards in a win against East Bay, which is still a state record. In this installment of Take Two, we compare the Eric Smith of today against the Shawn Smith of the mid 1980s.
Shawn Smith
Size: 5-11, 195
Nickname: Smitty
Hairstyle: Jheri Curl. "I laugh at it now, but back then I was an Eric Dickerson fan. And that's why I got it."
Transportation: "I drove my mother's car ... other than that, I was on the school bus."
Favorite players: Running backs Eric Dickerson (Rams) and James Wilder (Bucs)
Favorite TV show: The Cosby Show
Favorite musician: R&B group Frankie Beverly and Maze
Favorite flick: "Probably one of those Jason movies."
Superstition: "None, really. I usually just sat alone at halftime and thought about the game."
Postgame: Pizza Hut
Best subject: Printing and graphic arts
Worst subject: Math
Favorite expression: Search and destroy
Eric Smith
Size: 6-0, 225
Nickname: E-32
Hairstyle: Low-cut fade
Transportation: Toyota Camry
Favorite player: Running back Larry Johnson (Chiefs)
Favorite TV show:Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. "I like forensics; that's what I want to do in school."
Favorite musician: Hip-hop artist Lil Wayne
Favorite flick: ATL. "There are a lot of girls in it."
Superstition: At halftime, he sits on a chair in the shower area and prays.
Postgame: Beef O'Brady's. "I always order chicken wings and fries."
Best subject: Forensics
Worst subject: Math
Favorite expression: "I always tell everybody, 'You're so stupid, you really are.' "
BRIAN CASSELLA Times
Armwood RB Eric Smith dissects Jefferson's defense during the 2006 postseason.
[Last modified August 29, 2007, 15:02:14]
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