Maine's Warren Smith: From The Sandlot To Star Quarterback
Maine's Warren Smith: From The Sandlot To Star Quarterback
2011 CAA Football Feature Series
By Zach Burrus
It's not easy being the new guy. This adage is as applicable in sports as it is in any other facet of life. Well, that is unless you're Scotty Smalls, who is quickly acclimated to his new adolescent life in Los Angeles by neighborhood baseball standout, Benny Rodriguez, in the cult classic "The Sandlot." Thanks to Benny's guidance and a good deal of resiliency, Smalls is able to make a largely seamless transition from the new kid to the neighborhood's chosen one.
Maine senior quarterback Warren Smith, who actually formed a sandlot with his friends growing up, has much in common with the popular protagonist in his favorite flick. After Iona disbanded its football program following the 2008 season, Smith was also forced to make a move, in this case to continue playing the game he loves.
The disbandment of the Gaels' program was shocking to the then-freshman, who had just become acclimated to college life and a new group of friends and teammates. Smith knew he wanted to continue playing, so when the fog of confusion cleared he began to search for a new place to call his collegiate home. The Forked River, N.J., native ultimately settled upon UMaine, where he was offered a scholarship. Smith also saw the Black Bears program as an opportunity to join a competitive team in a very competitive league.
Looking back, Smith sees his transition as a smooth one. He says, "The team made me feel welcome right away and we had a lot of great camaraderie. Everyone knew what my situation was."
Smith's move to UMaine also proved successful as a result of his solid work ethic. Smith says that while he was immediately accepted into his new program, he still felt he had something to prove to his coaches and teammates. His doggedness and dedication to the team were quickly conveyed by his willingness to not only attend team practices and workouts, but optional workouts and throw-arounds as well. Smith says his attitude was "if you work hard, before you know it they'll accept you."
Smith swiftly climbed the quarterback ranks and went on to start six games during the 2009 season. He acknowledges that it was a different ballgame playing in the Colonial Athletic Association, explaining, "It was a big learning experience. The game was a lot faster and the opponents were a lot better."
He also credits his team for helping him find his way that fall. Says Smith, "Guys like [graduated seniors] Landis Williams and Mike Brusko were great in the wide receiver corps and [senior] Tyrell Jones and [offensive coordinator and quarterbacks] Coach Bourgoin helped me develop as a quarterback going into my junior year. It was a rollercoaster after beginning my starting career against Syracuse, but it was a great learning experience."
The rollercoaster ride has since settled and Smith has all but found his stride now as a seasoned veteran. As is often naturally the case with quarterbacks, he has also come to be considered the team leader, which is a role Smith readily welcomes.
"As a senior quarterback the ball is in my hands every day, so my role is to lead the offense in every game and in every practice. We have to score points and can't turn the ball over, so I'm putting the burden on myself... The quarterback takes the team as far as it goes, which puts the stress on me. You've got to want the ball in the end and I do. So that's my role, to be the team leader on the field and in the locker room."
This last point is key in looking at the leadership style of Smith, who is as much a leader off the field as he is in the pocket. He is the quintessential natural born leader and understands the end result of strong leadership and a powerful team bond.
"I like to lead by example by my actions on and off the field. I'm talkative and try to get everyone going. I like to know my teammates on and off the field and try to talk about things outside of football. I just want them to trust each other. That is the biggest thing."
Smith hopes that trust will result in wins this fall. In addition to trust, given Smith's stat line from a year ago, Coach Jack Cosgrove and the Black Bears should be in good hands. After turning in a 64.8 completion percentage and throwing for 1,857 yards in 2010, Smith enters the upcoming season as one of the CAA's top returning quarterbacks.
All in all, however, he tends not to dwell on personal stats in favor of fully focusing on the team as a whole. He asserts, "All I want to do is win football games. I want us to win, no matter what it takes."
As anyone familiar with the league knows, winning does not come easily in the CAA. Smith is well aware of the conference's high level of competition and acknowledges that the Black Bears must be the "toughest and most disciplined team" to rise above the rest this season.
The team will also open 2011 with heavy hearts after redshirt freshman Charles Kyeremeh was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident in July. Although Kyeremeh's death has been devastating to the Black Bear nation, Smith and the squad have chosen to turn the loss into motivation for the coming season. He explains, "We've set high expectations and we're doing it for Charles. Its Charles' season and we want to do everything we can to honor him."
Smith will look to lead UMaine to its first winning season since he joined the team two years ago. He is also hopeful that he will have the opportunity to continue his football career after his senior season comes to a close this fall, saying, "I want to pursue my football career as long as I can. My offensive coordinator in high school said play until you can't anymore, so that's my plan... My main goal right now is to play as long as I can whether it is in the NFL, CFL or AFL."
When he does decide to put away the pigskin for good, Smith hopes to obtain his teaching license and potentially coach at the high school level. Given his leadership style and skills, coaching may prove a perfect fit for Smith. Perhaps he'll then have the opportunity to turn a group of sandlot misfits into state champions.