“God works in different ways,” Smith said Monday. “I guess it’s what was best for me.”
Smith, a graduate of Buchtel High School in Akron, is in his fourth season with the Buckeyes and his sixth year of college. He played for Grand Rapids Community College in 2011. When that program was discontinued, he left for East Mississippi Community College in the small town of Scooba, Miss.
“When I was in Mississippi, there was nothing there,” Smith said. “I guess there’s a population of like 730 people or something like that. There’s probably a gas station and a little — I don’t even know what to call it — up the street. It was just straight football and school. Here, I’m close to my family and my teammates, close to my coaches. There’s plenty more to do here even though I’m still focused.”
In 2013, Smith became the first junior college prospect to sign with Ohio State since 2006. He redshirted his first season and had 20 receptions in 2014. He had two catches for 76 yards in the national championship game. Last year, he caught five passes for 62 yards in four games before suffering the season-ending injury.
The NCAA granted Smith a sixth year of eligibility in February. With training camp over and Ohio State preparing for the Sept. 3 season opener against Bowling Green at Ohio Stadium, Smith said he’s healthy. He’s anxious to see the field because he hasn’t played in more than 10 months.
“I’m just going out there, competing with my brothers,” Smith said. “I felt 100 percent probably a week into camp. No pain in my leg, all that.”
Smith and fellow wide receiver Noah Brown, who broke his leg last August, did most of their rehabilitation work together.
“He’s pushing me to be better, and I’m pushing him to be better,” Smith said. “It was a big help for me, seeing him push through it, and seeing him stay motivated kind of helped me.”
Wide receivers coach Zach Smith described the rehab of Smith and Brown as a work in progress.
“Slowly it’s gotten better and better,” he said. “They’ve trusted their legs more. They tried them out a little bit and were able to efficiently get in and out breaks, stop and start, do those things. It’s not done yet. They still have moments where it’s sore or whatever, but they look good. It’s almost there.”
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