ANTONIO SMITH ARTICLE
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 11:56 am
By MAUREEN FULTON
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
BOWLING GREEN - As Antonio Smith's "big brother" in training camp, the best thing Jelani Jordan could do for him was pretend Smith wasn't a freshman.
Acting can go a long way. Smith hasn't looked like one since the first week of camp. And Jordan couldn't be more proud.
Jordan and Smith, Bowling Green State University's starting cornerbacks, are an interesting contrast, one that Boise State (0-2) has surely noticed in preparing for Wedneday's meeting with the Falcons (1-1).
Smith is the flashy freshman - oops, wasn't supposed to say that - who in the Falcons' first two games has already made big plays yet gotten burned big. Jordan, BGSU's only returning backfield starter playing the same position, is the steady senior, with 13 tackles and a toughness his coaches notice.
The two very well could be brothers: they are the same height (5-10), the roster lists Jordan as weighing 176, one pound more than Smith, and they have the same hairdo. Big bro Jelani knows exactly what to tell Antonio about playing the position because he's been through it all before.
BGSU AT BOISE STATE
• When: Wednesday, 8
• Records: BG is 1-1; Boise St. is 0-2
• Favorite: Boise St. by 9
• Series: First meeting
• TV: ESPN2
• Radio: 1230
Jordan played in every game and had one start the year he came from Atlanta out of high school in 2002.
Smith, a Miami, Fla., native who was recruited by Florida and Minnesota but took his only official visit to BGSU, arrived, and impressed, at once.
"He came up early during the summer. We didn't have any pads on so we didn't really know what to say about him yet, but he didn't look like a freshman out there, covering older guys," Jordan said. "When we got on the practice field he practiced like a veteran, played hard. There's nothing bad I can say about him."
Smith won a starting job midway through camp. In the first quarter of his first start on national television, Smith made an open-field hit on Wisconsin quarterback John Stocco that temporarily knocked Stocco out of the game and ended up No. 2 on SportsCenter's plays of the day that night. His aunt was so happy she cried. His high school friends who had gathered in a dorm room to watch him ran through the hallways cheering.
"I was not even nervous," Smith said about his first start. "I was just so excited to play."
Wisconsin barely used a passing game in its win, but that wasn't the case at Ball State. The Cardinals threw the ball 31 times, mostly at Smith. Ball State scored two touchdowns on Smith's watch, one on a coverage mistake and one because Smith was watching the quarterback too long.
Before the game ended, though, Smith redeemed himself. With six minutes left and BGSU up by three points Smith snagged a Joey Lynch pass and ran it 47 yards down the sideline to seal the Falcons' win.
"Once he threw it, I already knew I was going to get it," Smith said. "I was so glad he threw it to me."
BGSU coach Gregg Brandon said getting Smith was a "steal" for the Falcons.
"He has great instincts, ball skills - you can tell he has been well coached - and he's just a good young player," Brandon said.
Smith said his teammates' attitude toward him has helped him adjust quickly to the college game.
"They don't really treat me like a freshman, they treat me like a regular player," Smith said.
The Falcons' defensive backfield was much maligned at the end of 2004 when the defense gave up 119 points in the final three games. During training camp it was hard to tell how the group would compete. Terrill Mayberry, last season's starter across from Jordan at cornerback, was learning a new position at safety, and Jordan missed time for his grandmother's funeral and was hampered by a broken pinky.
Despite the defense's tall task to improve, Jordan still took time to help Smith: not "lecture" him, Jordan says, but answer questions about coverages or give tips how to cover senior stud receivers Steve Sanders and Charles Sharon in practice. Coaches say Jordan's however-subtle help to Smith is just part of what he offers as a player.
"He's a tough, hard-nosed, focused young man and the more I'm around him the more I appreciate the things that he does and the style that he plays," secondary coach John Bowers said about Jordan. "He's not very big, but he plays big when he tackles and hits.
"His awareness on the field has really been a calming force for the secondary."
Jordan had a cyst drained on his foot the Thursday before Ball State and didn't mention it once during the game. He was awarded player-of-the-game honors by the coaches for six tackles, several in the open field to prevent big gains, Brandon said.
"He's a veteran kid who just quietly does his job back there," Brandon said.
Smith and Jordan probably envy each other's position - Smith wants teams to stop targeting him, Jordan wishes he had his whole college career ahead of him. But the duo's differences are one of the Falcon defense's biggest strengths.
Contact Maureen F
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
BOWLING GREEN - As Antonio Smith's "big brother" in training camp, the best thing Jelani Jordan could do for him was pretend Smith wasn't a freshman.
Acting can go a long way. Smith hasn't looked like one since the first week of camp. And Jordan couldn't be more proud.
Jordan and Smith, Bowling Green State University's starting cornerbacks, are an interesting contrast, one that Boise State (0-2) has surely noticed in preparing for Wedneday's meeting with the Falcons (1-1).
Smith is the flashy freshman - oops, wasn't supposed to say that - who in the Falcons' first two games has already made big plays yet gotten burned big. Jordan, BGSU's only returning backfield starter playing the same position, is the steady senior, with 13 tackles and a toughness his coaches notice.
The two very well could be brothers: they are the same height (5-10), the roster lists Jordan as weighing 176, one pound more than Smith, and they have the same hairdo. Big bro Jelani knows exactly what to tell Antonio about playing the position because he's been through it all before.
BGSU AT BOISE STATE
• When: Wednesday, 8
• Records: BG is 1-1; Boise St. is 0-2
• Favorite: Boise St. by 9
• Series: First meeting
• TV: ESPN2
• Radio: 1230
Jordan played in every game and had one start the year he came from Atlanta out of high school in 2002.
Smith, a Miami, Fla., native who was recruited by Florida and Minnesota but took his only official visit to BGSU, arrived, and impressed, at once.
"He came up early during the summer. We didn't have any pads on so we didn't really know what to say about him yet, but he didn't look like a freshman out there, covering older guys," Jordan said. "When we got on the practice field he practiced like a veteran, played hard. There's nothing bad I can say about him."
Smith won a starting job midway through camp. In the first quarter of his first start on national television, Smith made an open-field hit on Wisconsin quarterback John Stocco that temporarily knocked Stocco out of the game and ended up No. 2 on SportsCenter's plays of the day that night. His aunt was so happy she cried. His high school friends who had gathered in a dorm room to watch him ran through the hallways cheering.
"I was not even nervous," Smith said about his first start. "I was just so excited to play."
Wisconsin barely used a passing game in its win, but that wasn't the case at Ball State. The Cardinals threw the ball 31 times, mostly at Smith. Ball State scored two touchdowns on Smith's watch, one on a coverage mistake and one because Smith was watching the quarterback too long.
Before the game ended, though, Smith redeemed himself. With six minutes left and BGSU up by three points Smith snagged a Joey Lynch pass and ran it 47 yards down the sideline to seal the Falcons' win.
"Once he threw it, I already knew I was going to get it," Smith said. "I was so glad he threw it to me."
BGSU coach Gregg Brandon said getting Smith was a "steal" for the Falcons.
"He has great instincts, ball skills - you can tell he has been well coached - and he's just a good young player," Brandon said.
Smith said his teammates' attitude toward him has helped him adjust quickly to the college game.
"They don't really treat me like a freshman, they treat me like a regular player," Smith said.
The Falcons' defensive backfield was much maligned at the end of 2004 when the defense gave up 119 points in the final three games. During training camp it was hard to tell how the group would compete. Terrill Mayberry, last season's starter across from Jordan at cornerback, was learning a new position at safety, and Jordan missed time for his grandmother's funeral and was hampered by a broken pinky.
Despite the defense's tall task to improve, Jordan still took time to help Smith: not "lecture" him, Jordan says, but answer questions about coverages or give tips how to cover senior stud receivers Steve Sanders and Charles Sharon in practice. Coaches say Jordan's however-subtle help to Smith is just part of what he offers as a player.
"He's a tough, hard-nosed, focused young man and the more I'm around him the more I appreciate the things that he does and the style that he plays," secondary coach John Bowers said about Jordan. "He's not very big, but he plays big when he tackles and hits.
"His awareness on the field has really been a calming force for the secondary."
Jordan had a cyst drained on his foot the Thursday before Ball State and didn't mention it once during the game. He was awarded player-of-the-game honors by the coaches for six tackles, several in the open field to prevent big gains, Brandon said.
"He's a veteran kid who just quietly does his job back there," Brandon said.
Smith and Jordan probably envy each other's position - Smith wants teams to stop targeting him, Jordan wishes he had his whole college career ahead of him. But the duo's differences are one of the Falcon defense's biggest strengths.
Contact Maureen F