Whenever Darryl Smith steps onto a football field, he knows the stakes.
No, not winning and losing. Not championships. None of that. His stakes run much deeper.
His loyalty lies with the woman who gave him life. It was Shanna who nicknamed him Tank because he was a big ol’ baby who smashed into things around the house and Smith wants to pay her back for raising him.
“I want to get my mom out of Niagara Falls.”
Those who are born and bred in the Falls take pride in it. There’s a grittiness that provides character, it shapes who they are and how they think.
But there are some who know that a successful life might mean leaving the city, getting away and starting fresh. And there’s no shortage of kids who feel the easiest way to do that is through sports.
The difference is that Smith has a better chance than most to turn a rarity into a reality.
The wide receiver and cornerback is also closing in on a chance to make it reality, possessing an offer to play for Temple University in Philadelphia, the first Wolverine with an FBS scholarship offer since James Starks 20 years ago.
“We use what we got and every kid that plays on this team has probably came from something bad and we’re all pushing through it,” Smith said. “Everybody’s seen a death. Everybody’s seen something bad here. … We’re hungry. We just all want to go to school for free, that’s the goal.”
Smith knows there’s not much help for families like his, so he went and found some. Since his freshman year, Smith has worked with former Niagara Wheatfield standout and Louisville defensive back Justin Gilmore.
Gilmore helped show Smith that earning a scholarship today didn’t just come from showing up to training sessions, practices and games and performing well. So Gilmore,
Smith and his parents and the family of former Bennett standout Demari Clemons began working together.
Since then, Smith has visited or attended camps at 10 schools around the country, testing his skills against Division I competition every step of the way. He even spent his sophomore season at Canisius High School in an attempt for more exposure.
“It’s everything,” Gilmore said. “It doesn’t matter how good you are, if people don’t see you or don’t know you exist it doesn’t matter. So you gotta go out and do that. That’s been something that has been great.”
In his first season back last year, Smith tallied 38 receptions, 814 yards and four touchdowns for the Wolverines. He’s already off to another hot start, ranking fifth in Section VI with 344 yards receiving and six touchdowns on 14 receptions.
But the area Niagara Falls coach Don Bass has been most impressed is Smith’s football acumen. His instincts allow him to stay a step ahead of everyone else on the field and he knows what to look for on every play.
“He continues to work hard. He studies the game. He knows the game,” Bass said. “He knows the pockets of things he can and can not do. … I’m having an extra set of eyes when we’re doing certain things. So it’s been a huge asset in that area.”
Smith is focused on Niagara Falls’ next three games against Orchard Park, Lancaster and Jamestown. It’s a series of opponents that will determine whether the Wolverines are ready to contend with the heavyweights in Class AA or not.
But Smith is also planning ahead. He’s contemplating what to study in college, knowing he has a desire to stay in football once he’s done playing.
Smith has considered sports management, marketing and even a potential career in the media. All of it not only comes while knowing eyes are always watching him.
Whether it’s younger players on the team or his seven-year-old brother, RJ.
“I got to show my little brother something that most kids don’t get to show their siblings,” Smith said. “It’s like being able to watch a college game for free and being able to watch (Ohio State wide receiver) Jeremiah Smith play. It’s an inspiration … it’s a blessing and I just thank god for it.”