HIT MAN POISED FOR FINAL ASSIGNMENT

Has it really been almost five years since John Smith was laying people out as one of the hardest-hitting defensive backs to ever play high school football in this area?

My, how time flies.

The Jackson High School product has carved out quite a niche for himself as one of the key members of the secondary at Southeast Missouri State University.

But Smith, a fifth-year senior who starts at strong safety for Southeast, finds it hard to believe that so much time has passed since he first started college.

"It's gone real fast," said the soft-spoken Smith with a smile as he tried to cool off following Southeast's morning practice Friday. "It seems like just yesterday when I was coming in here as a freshmen. And now I'm a senior. It's kind of hard to believe.

"I've been playing football for 10 years now. I started in the eighth grade and now it's my last year."

Smith, who barely weighed 175 pounds in high school when he earned all-state honors for Jackson's Indians, is now a robust 195 pounds as he enters his second season as a full-time starter for Southeast's Indians.

The 6-foot-1 Smith is the Indians' top returning tackler from last season, when he was third on the team with 67 total tackles, including 31 unassisted stops.

As a sophomore, when Smith was a part-time starter, he also made solid contributions with 37 tackles. Smith also lettered as a redshirt freshman in 1996 as a key special teams player.

"John has been a real solid player for us," said Southeast secondary coach David Dumars. "He's had a very good career."

But individual statistics are not what matter to Smith, who is extremely humble. He's all about doing whatever he can to help the Indians turn things around after four straight losing seasons.

"Being my last year, I especially want to see the team do well," he said. "And I think we can. If everybody comes together through two-a-days, I think we'll have a great year. We have the talent on offense and defense."

According to Dumars, Smith is one of the leaders of the Southeast secondary, but his leadership comes in the form of actions rather than words.

"I never have been a real talkative person as far as being a real vocal leader," Smith said. "I just try to lead by example."

Said a grinning Dumars, "John is real quiet. He doesn't say much. But when he gets a chance to get a hit, you'll know it. He speaks with his pads on."

People who saw Smith during his prep days will never forget some of his bone-jarring hits that led Jackson coach Carl Gross to call his secondary terror one of the best high school hitter he'd ever seen.

A grin comes across Smith's face when his high school days are mentioned. And, while he's had his share of big hits at Southeast, he said it's a lot harder to put clean shots on college athletes.

"It's a lot more difficult to get a shot because everybody is so much quicker," he said. "But when you get a chance, it's a lot of fun."

Smith will start getting some shots at his teammates today when the Indians put on full pads for the first time as they begin full-contact workouts.

"I'm looking forward to full pads," he said. "That's when we can get a lot more done as a team."

An industrial technology major who expects to graduate next spring, Smith, like all the Indians, has been somewhat frustrated by the lack of team success Southeast has had recently. But, if he had it to do all over again, he said he'd still pick Southeast

"I've really enjoyed my time here," he said. "I wouldn't change a thing."

As what figures to be Smith's final season of competitive football approaches, he was asked if he has set any personal goals to end his college career with.

Smith quickly shook his head and said, "No individual goals, just team goals. I want to do whatever I can to help the team."

And if that means putting some crushing hits on opponents, then all the better.