Sports > November 20, 2008

By Walker Kalan | Contributing writer

Redshirt senior Alphonso Smith follows a strict pre-game ritual. He listens to gospel music, calls his mom, dad and high school coaches, goes for a stretch, listens to some more gospel music, returns to the locker room for a prayer, throws up and takes the field.

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“It doesn’t matter, we could be playin’ against the church,” he said. “I’m gonna puke.”

Smith, the defensive back with more career interceptions (19) than any active player in Division I college football, still gets the pregame heebie-jeebies.

The moment he and his lunch sever ties, however, Smith enters a realm of confidence.

In addition to his role on defense, Smith has taken over full punt returning duties from Kenny Moore, drafted last year by the Detroit Lions. This is not a job for the weak or anxious.

A punt returner waiting to receive the football is kind of like a sky-diver anticipating the jump. Both are about to do something crazy, something humans probably shouldn’t do.

Both are probably tense and a little shaky, adrenaline pumping hard. A sky-diver, though, is assured of a relatively safe landing.

Smith does not react to punts the way others would. He’s calm and systematic. How does he feel about the 250-pound, vicious-hitting opponents burning down the sidelines while he stands exposed in the open waiting to field the ball?

“I used to get a little nervous when I was younger, but not now,” he said.

Human instinct would lead most to curl up in a ball and brace for impact, or hightail it out-of-bounds. Not Smith. He faces the beasts head-on, veering directly into on-coming traffic. He jukes one way, twists out of a jam, side-steps another would-be tackler, scrapping for every inch.

Smith grew up in Pahokee, a South Florida sugar cane town of about 5,000. He and 13 other boys started playing football together at age seven.

The group stuck together throughout elementary school, junior high and high school, playing on the same football, baseball and basketball teams each season.

By the time they reached the Varsity level, Smith says they were a machine.

Smith’s most outstanding feature is his effervescent smile.

He’s all grown up now, but there’s a youthful radiance in his eyes, colored with a hint of mischief.

“Alphonso is a funny dude,” redshirt senior Antonio Wilson, a Pahokee and Wake Forest teammate, said. “He likes playing jokes on people and pulling pranks all the time.”

Smith was the star of Pahokee’s powerhouse football program, which is an annual contender for the state championships, despite the town’s small size. He played quarterback, defensive back and returned punts and kickoffs. Smith’s last game in a Pahokee uniform was a victory in the 2B state finals, where he was awarded MVP honors.

As National Signing Day approached, Smith was uncertain which college team he wanted to play for. West Virginia and Pittsburgh were hot on his radar.

He also pondered playing for powerhouses Ohio State and Florida State.

A press conference was held at Pahokee High School’s auditorium on National Signing Day. News reporters, classmates, coaches and family gathered to observe the spectacle and find out which colleges Smith and several of his teammates would sign with. Smith sat on stage at a table in between his best friends, D.J. Boldin and Wilson. Their faces lit up with camera flashes.

Boldin pulled out a Wake Forest hat and signed his letter of intent. Wilson did the same. Smith sat sandwiched between two newly-minted Demon Deacons, his mind racing. He was moments from determining the fate of his football career but still unsure of who to sign with.

Smith thought about Pittsburgh, with whom he’d made a non-binding oral commitment. The team had recruited him hard, and one of his coaches, a former player at Pitt, was pushing his alma mater.He was still unsure. He would make a last second decision, but not until his mom arrived.

Several minutes later Mrs. Smith waded through the crowd, cell phone pressed to her ear. She handed it to her son.

It was Wake Forest’s recruiting coordinator, Ray McCartney. Wake wanted him. Bad. Another voice came across the phone. It was Head Coach Jim Grobe.

“Come be a Deamon Deacon,” he said, before passing the phone to athletic director Ron Wellman, who made a similar pitch.

Wellman finally handed the phone over to an unfamiliar voice. It was Wake’s late basketball coach Skip Prosser, who pleaded with Smith to sign with Wake.

Smith was moved that all these men — including one who coached a completely different sport — showed genuine interest in bringing him to Wake.

“I don’t even have the scholarship,” Smith said to his mom.

She reached in her purse and pulled a piece of paper, Wake Forest’s letter of intent, handing it to her son. Wilson tapped Smith’s shoulder and whispered to him.

“Come on man, join us at Wake. It’ll be fun. Let’s continue our careers together, the three of us.”

“One more thing!” Mrs. Smith reached in her purse and handed her son a black and gold hat. He inked the contract, joining his two old friends at Wake Forest.

Grobe redshirts almost every freshman on the football team and Smith was no exception.

“Man, it was hard, sitting on the sidelines watching the team and not being able to go out there,” Smith said. “When you’ve been playing every year since you were seven, every year until you’re 18, and all of the sudden you’ve gotta sit out, it’s hard. I’ll admit it; it was a really frustrating experience.”

Despite a trying freshman year, Smith says that in hindsight, it was good that he didn’t play his first year in college.

“Wake is a hard school. It’s hard to balance the academics with football. Also, there was a lot I learned on the practice field. I thought I was ready, but I probably wasn’t.”

Smith burst onto the scene his redshirt freshman season. He was just one of three Wake Forest defenders to start all 11 games, a remarkable feat for a freshman. ESPN.com, Scout.com and CollegeFootballNews.com all placed Smith on the Freshman All-American lists.

Smith’s production has not slowed since his successful redshirt freshman season. Last year he recorded a nation-leading eight interceptions, returning three for touchdowns — also the highest in the country. He earned First Team All-ACC honors and Third Team AP All-America, leading many publications to place him on their on this year’s preseason First Team All-America list.

Smith’s production this year has not slowed. He has five interceptions through 10 games, bumping his career total to 19. Asked if he thought he could tie or break the ACC career record — 20 interceptions, set by UNC-Chapel Hill’s Dre’ Bly — Alphonso said, “Shut! I’ve already dropped about seven (interceptions) this year! I think I can do it though. That would be clutch.”

Smith the interception machine is sometimes overshadowed by the smack-talker. At 5-feet-9-inches, 190 pounds, Smith is not the biggest guy on the field — in fact he’s usually the smallest — but he is undoubtedly the loudest.

Smith struts the sidelines taunting his opponents even before the first whistle is blown. If the receiver he is covering drops the ball or makes a mistake, Smith will not let him live it down.

“Alphonso tries to defeat his opponent both mentally and physically,” redshirt sophomore receiver Marshall Williams said.

“When a wide receiver is being locked up and being reminded of it by a defensive back it can be a damaging effect.”

Smith recalled a game earlier this season against Clemson, when he faced receiver Aaron Kelly, who was tapped by many in the preseason as the ACC’s best receiver.

“That entire game I was talking to him. Every single play. I didn’t give him a break. His whole body language changed.”

Smith stood up, looking lively and confident, demonstrating Kelly’s appearance at the beginning of the game.

“By the end of it, he was slumping over, completely demoralized.”

Kelly finished the game with three receptions for nine yards.

Smith concedes that his smack talk is sometimes almost as effective a tool as some of his physical skills. However, he says the on-field antics are merely his personality amplified.

“I just like to have fun out there. When people get pissed off at me, it’s to my advantage, because they lose focus.”

ESPN’s top NFL scout, Mel Kiper, has listed Smith as high as the 13th best prospect in the next NFL draft.

“Man, that would be unbelievable to be drafted in the first round, the 13th pick? Unbelievable!”

ESPN listed one defensive back ahead of the Wake Forest standout on their mock-draft list.

“Absolutely! I should be the first corner picked in the draft, for sure. There are a lot of other great players out there, so it will be hard, but it would be a great feeling to be the first DB taken.”

What’s Smith’s dream team?

“The Cowboys! No doubt! It’s not even close. I would love to play for Dallas. Who wouldn’t?”

The question is, when the Cowboys step up to the podium to announce their first pick, how will Smith handle his nerves?

“I always get sick, man.”