MICHAEL ATCHISON

Treasure Him

Michael Atchison

It’s true whether you’re the lone safety standing between him and the end zone, or you’re a Missouri Tiger fan who has watched him in wonder for two years. Brad Smith will be gone before you know it. So, while he’s here, treasure him.

You don’t always see stardom coming in college football. Sometimes you don’t see it until it’s almost gone. Carson Palmer and Jason White, the last two Heisman winners, went largely unappreciated until each had been on campus for nearly five years. Brad Smith is different. When he woke up on August 31, 2002, he was an anonymous freshman. By dinner time, he was a star, at least to every Mizzou fan who saw him play his first game.

That day, inside the TransJonesDome, he was all arm-and-legs, as he ran and threw the Tigers past Illinois. He inspired one “didjaseethat?” after another. “I mean . . . did . . . you . . . SEE . . . that?!?” From day one, he aroused hope in fans accustomed to checking their hope at the gate.

That first season, Smith racked up more yards from scrimmage than any Tiger in history. The next season, Smith racked up more yards than in his first. Brad Smith has accounted for more offense than any Tiger, ever. And he has two more years to play. He has passed for more yards than Corby Jones. And he has half a career left. He has rushed for more yards than James Wilder. And he has miles to go before he is through.

The numbers hit you from every direction. Smith is the only Tiger ever to rush for 1,000+ yards in two seasons. He’s the only Tiger to score five touchdowns in one game. He has rushed for 100+ yards in more games than anyone in Mizzou history. Barring disaster, he’ll pass Zack Abron to become Missouri’s all-time rushing leader before the end of this season. He’ll overtake Jeff Handy to become Mizzou’s all-time passer before the end of next. He’s on pace to score more points than Devin West and James Wilder combined. He will own Missouri’s record book like no player ever has. He’ll own it like few players have ever owned any record book anywhere. And while hotshot future quarterbacks start to line up behind him like jets at LaGuardia, it’s unlikely that any of them will match Smith’s raw numbers. Four-year starters will be few and far between, and while some will be fabulous passers and some will be terrific runners, few can hope to match Smith on the ground and in the air. Before Brad Smith, only one college quarterback had ever passed for 2000 yards and rushed for 1000 yards in a season. That’s Brad’s average. He’s history in a helmet.

But it’s more than just numbers. It’s moments. On a rainy night in October, he scored four touchdowns and led Missouri to its first win over Nebraska since the Bee Gees ruled the earth. And then in the impromptu block party the followed, he was the first responder when a cold-blooded Cornhusker cold-cocked an unsuspecting reveler. Two weeks later, he cold-cocked Texas Tech. While the nation’s top offense watched from the visitors’ bench, Smith calmly, deftly and ruthlessly destroyed the Red Raiders, and made Missouri eligible for its first bowl game in five years.

Still, maybe the best reason to treasure Brad Smith is that he is, quite simply, too good to be true. He’s the kid who came out of the mist, the full-fledged star who arrived without warning. There are no unknown recruits anymore, not in the Internet age. There are no anonymous star quarterbacks from Ohio, the buckle on America’s football belt. When Brad Smith signed with Missouri, you’d never heard of him. When he was tabbed to start over the senior incumbent, you didn’t believe it. And when he ran wild against Illinois in that first game, you didn’t believe that, either. But week after week, he made you believe. And he did it with grace. Every once in a while, he’d score and celebrate by throwing his index finger in the air. More often, he’d just casually toss the ball to an official. He’d been there before, and he knew he’d be there again. No need to make a big deal of it.

Maybe the lack of too much too soon accounts for the humility. Often, blue chippers come to campus with big reputations and bigger senses of entitlement. Not Brad Smith. He’s all soft talk and hard work. The only demands he makes are on himself, the only noise he makes is on the field.

Sometime this season, maybe many times, Brad Smith will do something amazing. He will do something you’ll never forget. When it happens, savor the moment. When he slips six tackles on a 60-yard sprint to daylight, treasure it. When he dodges two defensive ends and throws a touchdown pass, remember it. Every time the P.A. announcer tells you that he has broken yet another record, celebrate it. You’ll not see the likes of him again.