Prospect Limelight: Strength in Tragedy

Darius Smith has always been a fighter. Born on the South Side of Chicago, he didn't have much growing up among seven other siblings. But what he did have was a sense of determination, which in turn would become leadership...and that became apparent the first time he stepped onto a Pup Warner field when he was 10, running for a 60 yard TD his first time touching a football.

Earning the role as starting QB his freshman year at Robertson High School, Darius quickly showed that he was a natural not only in the way he performed on the field but also in the way he took control of the team. His junior year would prove to be his coming out as he led the Knights to the Chicago City championship and made a lot of noise in the state tournament before losing in the semifinals.

And then, tragedy would strike...

During the offseason Darius and his older brother Donnell were visiting a friend's house and were just about to leave when a confrontation broke out in the driveway between a friend and an unknown party. The brothers went out to check on their friend when the attacker pulled out a handgun and shot Donnell twice in the chest before taking off. The paramedics were quick, but not quick enough as Donnell died at the hospital from his injuries. The loss of his brother devastated Darius and almost led him to give up football entirely as it was Donnell who first persuaded him to play.

However, he played on in the memory of his brother and after a strong senior year, Darius earned a scholarship to attend Forest Park University. He was redshirted his first year, then sat on the bench as a redshirt freshman before taking the reins of the Foxes his sophomore season. He struggled at first in a Midwestern Conference full of great defenses, but with a little bit of coaching, Darius was able to utilize his abilities to his full potential. In 2012 he became the first Midwestern Conference QB in conference history to throw for over 4,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 yards in the same season (4,257 and 1,016 respectively). He was responsible for 39 touchdowns (27 pass, 12 rush), and helped lead the Foxes to their first ever conference championship, winning the Manning Award for being the nation's best quarterback. Darius dwelt on whether or not to go pro, but decided to stick it out for his senior year. He is a fearless leader that can rip defenses apart with his legs and his arm, and is one of the best dual-threat QB prospects entering the UFFL Draft.

But above all, Darius still owes a lot to his mother and his slain brother. On the field, he wears a black wristband on his right throwing wrist and he taps his chest twice before looking and pointing to the sky after every touchdown as a tribute to Donnell. Graduating with a degree in Political Science, Darius now looks to rule a new territory in the realm of the United Furry Football League ...perhaps even with his hometown Outlaws.