Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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to disappear. The 6-3, the line always seemed backer Manti Te'o. Since 225-pound linebacker to snake back to the door then, he's been locked causes a stir when he on Sunday afternoons. in a battle to not let the visits the mall with Word got out that Smith weight of enormous friends or stops for worked the cash regis- expectations keep him breakfast at a local diner. ter on Sunday, and soon from soaring past them. He rarely leaves home after customers poured "I want to be better without a Sharpie in his in to get their napkins than Manti," he said. pocket. It's easier than signed and chat with the "He's a legend, but the having to track down a next big thing. ultimate goal is to be pen when someone rec"He's just a man try- better." ognizes him. ing to live in a kid's *** When Bishop Luers world," Woods said. Smith wages his war beat Andrean, a simiSmith's athleticism — on complacency on the lar school from the second floor of a opposite side of the sports warehouse in "I want to be better state, in the Class 2A than Manti [Te'o]. He's Fort Wayne's north state semifinal round end. The new Aththis November, a a legend, but the ultimate letes With Purpose goal is to be better." crowd of students headquarters, which Smith wearing Andrean opened in January, letterman's jackets still smells like a waited for Smith out- a brow-raising first step freshly cracked tube of side the stadium. They and remarkable clos- tennis balls. The open wanted to snap pictures ing speed on a frame floor is carpeted with arwith the man who had built to house the type tificial turf. It eventually just ended their class- of impact edge player gives way to the conmates' championship that is changing the way crete of a state-of-thehopes with 146 rushing colleges play defense art weight room in the yards. — won him acclaim as corner where Smith now Last March, Smith the country's best high spends at least four days took a job at Burger King school linebacker. each week. to try to escape his fame When he chose nearby AWP founder and and indulge in a normal Notre Dame from a long president Michael Ledo teenage experience. He list of scholarship offers has trained northern Inmans the front coun- in June, his profile made diana's top football proster and drops baskets another quantum leap. pects, including Notre of fries into bubbling Smith was cast as the Dame's Tyler Eifert and grease. Eddie Woods leader of a second wave Tony Springmann, for started as the restau- of the defensive renais- the past decade. Smith rant's assistant man- sance in South Bend, is the closest thing to ager six months ago and the heir to outgoing, the total package he has couldn't figure out why program-changing line- seen.