In the pantheon of college football, it is difficult to be steeped in any more anonymity than an offensive lineman named Smith.
So it is with Nick Smith, a Kansas University junior from Dallas who plays center on the Jayhawks’ football team.
Even while walking on Jayhawk Boulevard, Smith goes virtually unrecognized.
“They can tell by my size I play football, but that’s about it,” Smith said, smiling. “But I don’t mind. I like it that way.”
Smith likes playing offense just fine, even though he was a two-way player at Adams High in Dallas. In fact, he was recruited by Minnesota and Purdue as a defensive lineman. At Kansas, he’s been strictly an offensive lineman.
“I love defense, don’t get me wrong,” Smith said. “It’s just that offense is where I can excel.”
Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 280 pounds, he would have been considered a giant 10 years ago. Five years ago, he would have been programmed as a tackle.
Today he’s the smallest player on the Jayhawks’ offensive line.
“I know I’m the lightest,” Smith said, “and I’m probably the shortest, too.”
He is the shortest, but that’s deceptive because he isn’t the only one. A couple of other KU offensive linemen also stand 6-4. The remainder are in the 6-5 to 6-7 range.
Smith began the 2000 season as the Jayhawks’ No. 3 center, but came on strong and wound up starting five of the last six games.
“I played a little last year, but I still have a lot of prove,” Smith said. “I’m still new at it.”
To tell the truth, all of the Jayhawks’ offensive lineman are new at it because they have a first-year position coach in Sam Pittman, and Pittman brought new nomenclature and new techniques with him.
“Technique is everything. Coach Pittman is all about technique,” Smith said. “I’m not the biggest, strongest or fastest (offensive lineman) so I have to work on my technique.”
One of Smith’s strengths is the ability to maintain a low center of gravity while pass blocking, and if Smith and his friends can’t pass block the Jayhawks’ offense will stagnate.
“We’ll pass 70 percent of the time,” he said, “and I really like that because I think pass blocking is what I do best.”
Smith also likes that the center won’t be making the line calls before the snaps.
“Last year the center made the majority of the calls,” Smith said. “This year it’s the tackles. Justin Hartwig will be making most of them. That’s going to help me concentrate on the snap count.”
Meanwhile, Kansas football fans will have to concentrate or they’ll probably confuse their Smiths. Playing right next to Nick Smith will be guard Bob Smith, a 6-4, 290-pound senior from St. Louis.
“Me and Bob we’re roommates on the road,” Smith said, grinning, “so that makes it even more confusing.”
In the pantheon of college football, it is difficult to be steeped in any more anonymity than an offensive lineman named Smith.
So it is with Nick Smith, a Kansas University junior from Dallas who plays center on the Jayhawks’ football team.
Even while walking on Jayhawk Boulevard, Smith goes virtually unrecognized.
“They can tell by my size I play football, but that’s about it,” Smith said, smiling. “But I don’t mind. I like it that way.”
Smith likes playing offense just fine, even though he was a two-way player at Adams High in Dallas. In fact, he was recruited by Minnesota and Purdue as a defensive lineman. At Kansas, he’s been strictly an offensive lineman.
“I love defense, don’t get me wrong,” Smith said. “It’s just that offense is where I can excel.”
Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 280 pounds, he would have been considered a giant 10 years ago. Five years ago, he would have been programmed as a tackle.
Today he’s the smallest player on the Jayhawks’ offensive line.
“I know I’m the lightest,” Smith said, “and I’m probably the shortest, too.”
He is the shortest, but that’s deceptive because he isn’t the only one. A couple of other KU offensive linemen also stand 6-4. The remainder are in the 6-5 to 6-7 range.
Smith began the 2000 season as the Jayhawks’ No. 3 center, but came on strong and wound up starting five of the last six games.
“I played a little last year, but I still have a lot of prove,” Smith said. “I’m still new at it.”
To tell the truth, all of the Jayhawks’ offensive lineman are new at it because they have a first-year position coach in Sam Pittman, and Pittman brought new nomenclature and new techniques with him.
“Technique is everything. Coach Pittman is all about technique,” Smith said. “I’m not the biggest, strongest or fastest (offensive lineman) so I have to work on my technique.”
One of Smith’s strengths is the ability to maintain a low center of gravity while pass blocking, and if Smith and his friends can’t pass block the Jayhawks’ offense will stagnate.
“We’ll pass 70 percent of the time,” he said, “and I really like that because I think pass blocking is what I do best.”
Smith also likes that the center won’t be making the line calls before the snaps.
“Last year the center made the majority of the calls,” Smith said. “This year it’s the tackles. Justin Hartwig will be making most of them. That’s going to help me concentrate on the snap count.”
Meanwhile, Kansas football fans will have to concentrate or they’ll probably confuse their Smiths. Playing right next to Nick Smith will be guard Bob Smith, a 6-4, 290-pound senior from St. Louis.
“Me and Bob we’re roommates on the road,” Smith said, grinning, “so that makes it even more confusing.”
In the pantheon of college football, it is difficult to be steeped in any more anonymity than an offensive lineman named Smith.
So it is with Nick Smith, a Kansas University junior from Dallas who plays center on the Jayhawks’ football team.
Even while walking on Jayhawk Boulevard, Smith goes virtually unrecognized.
“They can tell by my size I play football, but that’s about it,” Smith said, smiling. “But I don’t mind. I like it that way.”
Smith likes playing offense just fine, even though he was a two-way player at Adams High in Dallas. In fact, he was recruited by Minnesota and Purdue as a defensive lineman. At Kansas, he’s been strictly an offensive lineman.
“I love defense, don’t get me wrong,” Smith said. “It’s just that offense is where I can excel.”
Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 280 pounds, he would have been considered a giant 10 years ago. Five years ago, he would have been programmed as a tackle.
Today he’s the smallest player on the Jayhawks’ offensive line.
“I know I’m the lightest,” Smith said, “and I’m probably the shortest, too.”
He is the shortest, but that’s deceptive because he isn’t the only one. A couple of other KU offensive linemen also stand 6-4. The remainder are in the 6-5 to 6-7 range.
Smith began the 2000 season as the Jayhawks’ No. 3 center, but came on strong and wound up starting five of the last six games.
“I played a little last year, but I still have a lot of prove,” Smith said. “I’m still new at it.”
To tell the truth, all of the Jayhawks’ offensive lineman are new at it because they have a first-year position coach in Sam Pittman, and Pittman brought new nomenclature and new techniques with him.
“Technique is everything. Coach Pittman is all about technique,” Smith said. “I’m not the biggest, strongest or fastest (offensive lineman) so I have to work on my technique.”
One of Smith’s strengths is the ability to maintain a low center of gravity while pass blocking, and if Smith and his friends can’t pass block the Jayhawks’ offense will stagnate.
“We’ll pass 70 percent of the time,” he said, “and I really like that because I think pass blocking is what I do best.”
Smith also likes that the center won’t be making the line calls before the snaps.
“Last year the center made the majority of the calls,” Smith said. “This year it’s the tackles. Justin Hartwig will be making most of them. That’s going to help me concentrate on the snap count.”
Meanwhile, Kansas football fans will have to concentrate or they’ll probably confuse their Smiths. Playing right next to Nick Smith will be guard Bob Smith, a 6-4, 290-pound senior from St. Louis.
“Me and Bob we’re roommates on the road,” Smith said, grinning, “so that makes it even more confusing.”
In the pantheon of college football, it is difficult to be steeped in any more anonymity than an offensive lineman named Smith.
So it is with Nick Smith, a Kansas University junior from Dallas who plays center on the Jayhawks’ football team.
Even while walking on Jayhawk Boulevard, Smith goes virtually unrecognized.
“They can tell by my size I play football, but that’s about it,” Smith said, smiling. “But I don’t mind. I like it that way.”
Smith likes playing offense just fine, even though he was a two-way player at Adams High in Dallas. In fact, he was recruited by Minnesota and Purdue as a defensive lineman. At Kansas, he’s been strictly an offensive lineman.
“I love defense, don’t get me wrong,” Smith said. “It’s just that offense is where I can excel.”
Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 280 pounds, he would have been considered a giant 10 years ago. Five years ago, he would have been programmed as a tackle.
Today he’s the smallest player on the Jayhawks’ offensive line.
“I know I’m the lightest,” Smith said, “and I’m probably the shortest, too.”
He is the shortest, but that’s deceptive because he isn’t the only one. A couple of other KU offensive linemen also stand 6-4. The remainder are in the 6-5 to 6-7 range.
Smith began the 2000 season as the Jayhawks’ No. 3 center, but came on strong and wound up starting five of the last six games.
“I played a little last year, but I still have a lot of prove,” Smith said. “I’m still new at it.”
To tell the truth, all of the Jayhawks’ offensive lineman are new at it because they have a first-year position coach in Sam Pittman, and Pittman brought new nomenclature and new techniques with him.
“Technique is everything. Coach Pittman is all about technique,” Smith said. “I’m not the biggest, strongest or fastest (offensive lineman) so I have to work on my technique.”
One of Smith’s strengths is the ability to maintain a low center of gravity while pass blocking, and if Smith and his friends can’t pass block the Jayhawks’ offense will stagnate.
“We’ll pass 70 percent of the time,” he said, “and I really like that because I think pass blocking is what I do best.”
Smith also likes that the center won’t be making the line calls before the snaps.
“Last year the center made the majority of the calls,” Smith said. “This year it’s the tackles. Justin Hartwig will be making most of them. That’s going to help me concentrate on the snap count.”
Meanwhile, Kansas football fans will have to concentrate or they’ll probably confuse their Smiths. Playing right next to Nick Smith will be guard Bob Smith, a 6-4, 290-pound senior from St. Louis.
“Me and Bob we’re roommates on the road,” Smith said, grinning, “so that makes it even more confusing.”
