Former FSU DB Smith eager for challenge as new Jefferson Co. head coach
From Charlie Ward at Pensacola-Washington and Kyler Hall at Live Oak-Suwannee to Devin Bush and then Stanford Samuels Jr., at Pembroke Pines-Flanagan, former Florida State Seminoles have been popping up as head football coaches around the state of Florida.
Add one more to the list.
Leroy Smith, who started at cornerback for the Seminoles in 2003 and 2004 before playing in the NFL and other professional leagues, is preparing for his first season as the new head coach at Jefferson County High in nearby Monticello, Fla.
“Mickey Andrews and Bobby Bowden,” Smith said with a laugh, when asked why so many former FSU standouts have gone into coaching. “I’m serious though. I’m glad we had guys like that who pulled us out of the streets. Guys who not only taught us football fundamentals, but also the fundamentals of life.
“You can’t just keep all that knowledge inside of you. It has to come out.”
Smith, who played for the legendary defensive coordinator and head coach during his years at Florida State, will have to tap into all of his skills to succeed in what will be a challenging new position.
Not only did Jefferson County win just one football game last season, but the entire school system is facing a monumental transition after financial and academic struggles forced it to map a new course. The district decided earlier this year to bring in a non-profit charter school company to run its public schools.
So, not only is Smith having to do all of the things required of a new head coach – learning the community, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the football program and gaining the trust of his players – he also is getting a feel for how things will operate in a charter school environment.
His attitude and outlook could not be more positive.
“Everything else is just football,” Smith said. “Jefferson County is just like Gadsden County, where I worked at and where I grew up.”
Before he signed with Florida State in 2000, Smith was a multi-sport standout at the former Shanks High School in Quincy, Fla. It was there that he first saw the positive impact a strong high school athletic program could have in a community.
“Kids went to school because they played sports,” Smith said. “Athletics drive academics in a lot of these communities. If you give them a reason to go to school, they will go to school and do right. When I grew up, I went from football to basketball, and from basketball to track and baseball. I was working out year-round. So, by being involved in all those sports, I was in the streets less.”
Although he was fortunate to have a strong family and support system, Smith said that many of his friends did not. And while he didn’t set out to pursue a career in coaching when he graduated from Florida State with a degree in social science, he felt compelled to give back to his community after his playing days were over.
First, he started a non-profit agency to work with the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Department on providing positive activities for youths. Then he served as the head football coach at Quincy Shanks Middle School.
“I just wanted to help kids,” Smith said. “I knew a lot of kids in country towns lack opportunities. I wanted to give the kids similar opportunities to the ones kids get in cities.”
Along with the challenges, Smith also knows there are great opportunities – on and off the field.
Although it has fallen on hard times, Jefferson County has a proud football tradition, with its most recent state championship coming just six years ago. At the same time, there has been a tremendous lack of consistency; according to the Tallahassee Democrat, Smith is the Tigers’ ninth head coach in 14 years.
“There’s a bed of great athletes,” Smith said. “We’re just trying to change the culture. To get them out there, to play hard, to play sports. Keep them off the streets. Keep their grades up – that’s the main focus. And let them know that they can be successful citizens.”
Smith was proud to have attracted 28 players to go through spring practice, and he sees plenty of potential. The Tigers will be led on offense by senior quarterback Jayshawn Francis, who passed for 2,200 yards last season.
The philosophy on both sides of the ball will be to, “attack, attack, attack,” Smith said.
“We have a great nucleus,” he added. “If we give them that work ethic and discipline, the sky’s the limit for these kids.”
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