Ohio State verbal Smith overcomes childhood trauma to succeed
Cincinnati’s WXIX-TV (Fox 19) aired a report this week on Ohio State football 2021 verbal commitment Devonta Smith of LaSalle High School.
The 6-foot, 185-pound Smith verbaled to Ohio State on March 16, picking the Buckeyes over Alabama, Boston College, Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa State, Louisville, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State and others.
He helped LaSalle post a 13-2 record and win the Division II state championship as a junior in 2019. On defense, he posted 38 tackles and three interceptions. On offense, he had 11 catches for 271 yards and five touchdowns. He was voted as a team captain prior to his junior year.
Smith is joined on the LaSalle team by his cousin and fellow OSU verbal in safety Jaylen Johnson. Smith, who boasts 4.4 second speed in the 40, is currently ranked No. 395 nationally, No. 30 at the cornerback position and No. 12 overall in Ohio, according to the 247Sports Composite.
The Fox 19 report by reporter Jeremy Rauch shares how Smith saw his father killed by a gunshot when he was either 8 or 9 years old.
“It was just traumatizing to me,” Smith said. “I didn’t understand death at the time.”
Smith said his father’s death continues to trouble him nearly a decade later.
“I go into a shell, but the people I’m around they know when I get into that mode,” he said. “I separate myself from other people, but they understand that because they have been around me for such a long time.
“I just want to take my family and most importantly my mom (Stacy) to a better place.”
Smith also lost a friend recently who he said was like a brother. He hopes he is able to inspire youngsters in his community to make a positive impact with their lives.
“I want to show everybody it is so much bigger than what they see,” Smith said. “What they see here is gun violence and killings and blood spilling everywhere. If football isn’t your way out, then just getting to college and seeing better places and better things and creating better opportunities for you and your family. I just want them to know that.”
Entire article:
https://247sports.com/college/ohio-...mith-deals-with-his-traumatic-past-147919903/