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DB Antonio "Yao" Smith (official thread)

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I would love to see him get to the NFL. It would be a great success story. We haven't had very many guys from my HS go to the NFL.

Curtis Keaton is the only player from Beechcroft, that I can remember making it to the NFL.

Mike Alston, another Beechcroft grad and LB at Toledo, will probably make it to the NFL. He was candidate for the Lombardi this year.
 
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Congrats Yao!!!

Smith, Smith Earn Big Ten Player of the Week Recognition
Via Press Release

The Big Ten has announced that the Smith boys, OSU quarterback Troy and OSU cornerback Antonio, have been honored as Big Ten players of the week.

A former walkon at OSU who has earned both a scholarship and now a starting position, Antonio Smith racked up a career-high 12 tackles and four tackles for loss while adding a forced fumble as the Ohio State defense limited Indiana to a field goal.

The senior cornerback?s four TFLs, including his first career sack, led to a loss of 22 yards by the Hoosiers offense. Eleven of his 12 defensive stops were solo tackles, the highest total by a Buckeye defender this season.

Indiana was limited to only 165 total yards and seven yards on the ground, the second-best performance by OSU this season(-4 rushing yards for Cincinnati on Sept. 16). Smith picks up his first career weekly laurel.

Antonio Smith shared the defensive player of the week award with Penn State linebacker Paul Posluszny.
Click to expand...

http://www.the-ozone.net/football/2006/minnesota/playersoftheweek.htm
 
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OSU Picture Archive

Antonio Smith sacks Kellen Lewis in the first half. (AP)

061021_asmith_sack-vi.jpg

 
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Smith has obviously been playing well this year (obviously...he won and held on to the starting job in the face of some pretty good competition), but I think Saturday we witnessed Yao in a game where the 'light went on' in a sense. He looked like he was playing with a confidence that I have not seen in him until then. He's been playing solid, and even flying around the field on a play here and there. But he threw off blockers and blew up ball carriers like he was a man among boys.

I have a feeling that his Int. returned for a TD gave Antonio a taste for play making, and instead of being satisfied with his already amazing accomplishments Smith is hungry to get better and better each week.

The story is a great one, but I think it is just beginning as far as what this young man ends up doing in his football career.

Great game, Antonio! Congrats to the Big Ten Def. Player of the week!!! Well deserved.
 
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I haven't had a chance to read all the posts since Saturday's game so I hope this point hasn't already been made. I re-watched the game this afternoon and I couldn't tell if I was watching Antoine Winifield or Antonio Smith. He was making some surehanded tackles out there.
 
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Link


OSU: Keeping up with the Smiths is tough for Ohio foes
By JON SPENCER
For The Marion Star

COLUMBUS - While Troy Smith was "striking the pose" with another Heisman-esque performance, his namesake on the other side of the ball was just plain striking.
Ohio State cornerback Antonio Smith didn't stiff-arm the Indiana Hoosiers so much as strong-arm them. He made 12 tackles, including a sack and three other molar-loosening hits in the backfield. Eleven of his stops were solos - the most by a Buckeye this season.
"I just try to play as fast as I can, as hard as I can, every play," said Smith, a former walk-on who waited five years for his chance to start. "One of our mottos is to swarm the ball, be relentless and attack.

"You like it when as a defensive player the opportunities are there."

A big assist goes to the coaching staff for turning Smith loose on the blitz when he was the nickel back in OSU's five-man secondary. The top-ranked Buckeyes spent most of the afternoon in the nickel.

Blitzing had not been a big part of that package until Saturday. It gives Nov. 18 opponent and No. 2 Michigan something new to ponder for the next three weeks, along with Ted Ginn Jr. throwing option passes two weeks in a row and the Buckeyes rediscovering their tight ends (three TD catches against Indiana).

"We have an attacking mentality," Smith said, after logging only the second sack of the season by a defensive back (safety Jamario O'Neal has the other). "We have to be physical on the corner because we know the ball is going to get out on the perimeter. We're going to get opportunities to make tackles and big plays."

Thanks to his breakout game Saturday, Smith has jumped to second on the team behind linebacker James Laurinaitis in tackles with 43. He also leads all of the defensive backs with 6.5 tackles for loss and has made the most of his one interception, returning it 55 yards for a touchdown against Penn State.

Maybe now his classmates will stop confusing him for running back Maurice Wells, the other dreadlocks-wearing Buckeye.

"Antonio has always been a good player, but I think people haven't really seen it," defensive end Jay Richardson said. "He had the opportunity (Saturday) to make some big plays ... and he made all of them."

Until this season, all of Smith' impactful (a word coined by coach Jim Tressel) moments had come on special teams. He logged all of 11 minutes last season in the secondary, making his emergence this season one of the big surprises on a defense that has been full of surprises.

Smith has come a long way for a guy who grew up in the shadows of Ohio Stadium and attended Beechcroft High School. The mechanical engineering student was finally converted to scholarship this past spring - he was already on an academic ride - and has become a major contributor to a team that has allowed one or few touchdowns in seven of its eight games.

You know you've arrived when you start stealing thunder from the "other" Smith in the lineup.

"Seemed like every time I looked up (Saturday), he was making a hit in the backfield," Tressel said. "He's such a smart player. He's an amazing person. I don't know how many people like him you get to be around in your life, (in terms of) the character and sacrifice he makes.

"Engineering is hours and hours of studying, but he comes dragging into the Woody Hayes (practice facility) about an hour late every day, makes up the film time and knows things inside and out.

"You appreciate it when good things happen to good people."
 
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official.site

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Antonio Smith meeting with the media during the weekly football press luncheon.

Antonio Smith, senior defensive back

On BCS rankings and Michigan's record

"We definitely do not consider our standings or what Michigan's record is. We have to focus week in and week out. This week is Minnesota and we are focusing on them. In the Big Ten anything can happen on any given Saturday."

On past opponents inability to throw deep on the defense

"You have to give credit to the defensive line. They have been putting extreme pressure on the quarterback, getting him to scramble. We have been swarming to the ball as a defensive unit, creating turnovers and preventing big plays."

On Minnesota having a lot of Columbus natives

"Minnesota did a lot of recruiting in this area. It is good to see a lot of city guys getting the opportunity to go up there and play in the Big Ten."

On being awarded Big Ten co-defensive player of the week

"Coming in I never thought I would be receiving an award like this. I was just happy to be on the team, do whatever I could do to help out and be part of the tradition. It is great to have earned a starting defensive spot."

On Minnesota wide receiver Ernie Wheelwright

"His size definitely stands out. Minnesota has a lot of big wide receivers. He has good size, good hands and the ability to catch the ball and run. We have to prepare with our scout team and be ready for him."

On being more concerned with QB Bryan Cupito or RB Amir Pinnix having a big game

"I am concerned with both of them having a big game. As a defensive back you want to be able to stop the pass but we want to stop the rush and create turnovers, as well. We just want to do our job as a defensive unit."

On playing at the next level

"I am just trying to get better each day as a player and as a person. I consider that a success. At the end of the season we will evaluate the situation and go from there. Right now, I just want to win a few more ball games."
 
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MorningJournal

Antonio Smith has engineered starting spot with Buckeyes

JASON LLOYD, Morning Journal Writer

10/28/2006

The perfect illustration for Antonio Smith's career appeared in the second quarter last week against Indiana. Smith came on a cornerback blitz, grabbed Hoosiers quarterback Kellen Lewis and began spinning and twisting him into the ground.


After two or three full circles, Lewis finally succumbed and Smith had his sack.

It might take him awhile, but Smith ultimately gets what he wants.

He began his Ohio State career five years ago as a walk-on. Most of his football offers were coming in Division II, with a smattering of Mid-American Conference interest. But Smith was bright enough to land an academic scholarship to Ohio State to study engineering. Being a local kid who grew up in Columbus and graduated from Beechcroft High School, Smith ignored the Division II schools and took his shot with the Buckeyes.

Five years later, he's the starting cornerback and second-leading tackler on the No. 1 team in the country.

''He's an amazing person,'' coach Jim Tressel said. ''I don't know how many people quite like him you get to be around in your life, just the character and the sacrifice he makes.''

Smith took that academic scholarship and became a mechanical engineering major. It's one of the more difficult majors to choose and requires more study time than business or health or sociology. And since one of his classes conflicts with team workouts, Smith shows up an hour late to the practice facility once a week and makes up the film time he misses on his own.

''I can't help it,'' he said. ''It's one of those classes I had to take this quarter and it ends a little late.''

Fitting, since Smith's career at Ohio State began late. But coming from where he started, it's incredible he has a career at all.

Through his first three years, including a redshirt year, he had a total of nine tackles. Eight of them came on special teams as a sophomore. For most walk-ons, that's a pretty good career.

But Smith climbed a little higher last year, seeing his first time on defense in limited minutes against Miami and Northwestern. Very limited minutes.

He played six minutes at safety in the opener against the RedHawks and five minutes at cornerback against the Wildcats.

Then out of nowhere, Smith took those five minutes of experience at cornerback and became perhaps the most pleasant surprise this year on a defense filled with players who have exceeded expectations.

He had an interception return for a touchdown against Penn State, he's forced a fumble, he had a game-high 12 tackles last week against the Hoosiers and now he's second on the team in tackles with 43. Only James Laurinaitis (64) has more.

Last week against Indiana, a number of his tackles came at the line of scrimmage when screen passes broke down because Smith kept getting in the way.

''I think he's playing at an All-Big Ten level,'' right tackle Kirk Barton said. ''I'm really happy for him because he stuck it out, he was a scout teamer for a while and how he's playing at a high level in the Big Ten.''

Still, Smith is about as recognizable as any other mechanical engineering student. Some of the other students in his class know who he is and some don't. He said he's often mistaken for Maurice Wells, the third-string running back, likely because of the long flowing dreadlocks.

''I'm not a star or anything,'' Smith said. ''I'm just an average guy in mechanical engineering trying to fulfill my responsibilities as best I can.''

That attitude is part of the reason that brought him here. Getting beat up on scout team and during the practice week year after year, with no payoff on Saturdays, is enough to make anyone rethink his decision. But Smith chose Ohio State for the engineering department, so he wasn't about to leave.

''Self discipline, hard work and dedication are some characteristics that have been instilled in me by my grandmother and parents,'' Smith said. ''You just have to stay with it. I'm not a guy to give up or quit. I knew it would pay off eventually, regardless if I ever stepped on the field. Hard work makes you a better person. When you come here and play at Ohio State, you're going to leave a better person.''

As the Buckeyes head into the final quarter of the regular season, beginning today against Minnesota, Smith has staved off redshirt freshman Donald Washington and any other defensive back who thought they could supplant a former walk-on.

Once his academic scholarship expired, Smith was given an athletic scholarship for this year, his fifth at Ohio State. He's on target to graduate in the spring with his degree in mechanical engineering.

''He's just a special human being,'' Tressel said, ''and you appreciate it when good things happen to good people.''

[email protected]
Click to expand...
 
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