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Benton Smith was born in Kansas City, Mo., and bounced around in the years that followed, living in Pennsylvania, Iowa and North Carolina, before moving to Lawrence in 2006. Along the way, he lived in Sanford, N.C., for a huge chunk of his life and graduated in 2002 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — an institution, he assures die-hard Kansas fans, which he attended primarily for its in-state tuition and journalism program. Shortly after moving to Lawrence, Smith began working part-time at the Journal-World, initially covering youth sports. Next, he covered Free State High athletics and area sports for the J-W, before taking on the position of sports editor for one of The World Company's weekly newspapers, The Mirror, in Tonganoxie. He worked there from 2008 to 2011, until returning to the Journal-World to lead its high school sports coverage. In 2013, Smith took on a new role with KUsports.com, as a digital editor, blogger and writer and that role changed again in 2016, when Smith was promoted to KU football beat writer.
Recent Stories
Cultivating 'toughness' a must for Jayhawks during spring football
Ask Kansas football coach David Beaty what his team must accomplish this spring in order to make the off-season practice schedule successful and he won’t disclose imminent changes to game plans or schemes. While those alterations won’t become uncloaked any time soon, Beaty repeatedly over the past few weeks made clear his plans to monitor players’ toughness in order to gauge progress. By Benton Smith
David Beaty: KU football 'at least 3, maybe more' years from fielding roster with 85 'true' scholarship players
David Beaty didn’t have to discuss his program’s current scholarship numbers, but the Kansas head coach had his talking points ready to fire while fielding questions during the Big 12’s spring football media teleconference this week. Asked what he thought about his team’s quarterback play during off-season practices, Beaty first said reasons for optimism at many positions exist, because the Jayhawks have a “healthy, mature, developed roster,” before getting to his pitch. By Benton Smith
Jayhawks 'very excited' about James Sosinski's potential at TE
Leading up to the start of spring practices, Kansas football coach David Beaty didn’t know exactly what to expect out of the team’s tight ends. “I was concerned,” the coach bluntly revealed. Those unsettling feelings began to dissipate for Beaty once James Sosinski returned from his foray as a KU basketball walk-on. By Benton Smith
Kansas QBs' spring statistics monitored closely
Every time Kansas quarterbacks arrive at Anderson Family Football Complex for their position group meeting the day following a spring practice, they are greeted with a sheet of paper. While each displayed digit carries significance regarding a QB’s play, the figures that grab head coach David Beaty’s attention quickest deal with completion percentages. By Benton Smith
Notebook: Spring crucial for development of KU's supporting receivers
Two of the Kansas football team’s top three pass-catchers from 2017 won’t be around this fall to invigorate the passing game. While neither produced on the level of the Jayhawks’ returning prime target, receiver Steven Sims Jr. (59 catches, 839 yards, six TDs), the 5-foot-10 senior from Houston could use some support. By Benton Smith
Daniel Wise returned to KU football for his senior season feeling he had 'more to give'
Daniel Wise considered innumerable factors this past winter while scrutinizing the benefits and drawbacks of foregoing his final college football season in order to enter the NFL Draft. “Other than personal growth and to get stronger and wiser and all that stuff,” Wise said, “I felt like something was missing. I didn’t want to go out with my college career the way it went out.” By Benton Smith
Jayhawks looking forward to having indoor football facility to call their own
Kansas football coach David Beaty says he’s parking a little farther away from Anderson Family Football Complex these days. Spots near the program’s home base aren’t nearly as plentiful now that lot No. 59 west of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium is closed, with construction teams mobilizing this week to build KU’s new indoor practice facility. By Benton Smith
David Beaty: Injury situation at O-line made playing spring game too 'difficult'
Kansas football coach David Beaty opened his press conference Wednesday afternoon by offering the program’s fans a further explanation on the decision to replace this year’s spring game with an open practice. Beaty emphasized he would prefer the Jayhawks play a full scrimmage on April 28 at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. By Benton Smith
KU football will have open practice instead of traditional spring game
Don’t show up at the newly christened David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on April 28 expecting to see a football game. By Benton Smith
Lawrence native and former KU catcher Kent Shelley notches 1,000th career coaching win at JCCC
Lawrence native and University of Kansas graduate Kent Shelley left a baseball diamond warmed by victory for the 1,000th time in his 31-season career this past week and feeling grateful he never left JCCC. By Benton Smith
