NP grad hasn't let lack of size keep him from playing college football
|
|
(click the phrases to see a list)
Recent NP graduate Dakota Smith, who plans to play football at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology this fall, landed an internship with Rolls-Royce. Last fall, Smith recorded three interceptions to help the Dragons win back-to-back Hoosier Heritage Conference titles and earn a No. 1 state ranking in 4A. (Photo provided).
NEW PALESTINE — At 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, he’ll never be the biggest football player on the field.
That hasn’t stopped recent New Palestine High School graduate Dakota Smith from making the decision to play the sport he loves in college.
“You’ve just got to play bigger than what you actually are,” he said.
A key defensive player on the highly ranked Dragon football team the past several years, Smith will be attending Rose Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute in the fall and plans to play football for the Fighting Engineers.
“Guys are going to be bigger and stronger, but you’ve just got to go up and hit them and they will go down,” he said.
Smith speaks from experience. Despite his size, he intercepted three passes this past season and was a part of winning two consecutive Hoosier Heritage Conference championships in high school.
This story appears in the print edition of Daily Reporter. Subscribers can read the entire story online by signing in here or in our e-Edition by clicking here.
