ShareThisBy RON HIGGINS
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Bret Smith is a senior wide receiver for Tennessee who never really says much.
He doesn't talk about what he's going to do. Or blabber on and on when he does something.
He just does it, then moves on.
Take, for instance, the No. 13 Vols' upcoming game Saturday at No. 11 Arkansas. It's the first and last chance that Smith, a native of Warren, Ark., will have to play in his home state.
"I've been waiting to do this. I can't wait to do it," said Smith, sounding so uninspired you expected him to fall asleep before he completed his 11-word thought.
Smith, who has 31 catches for 343 yards and four touchdowns this season, is the third spoke on the Vols' receiving wheel, behind Robert Meachem and Jayson Swain. They were all signed in the same season and all were the best receiver in their respective states _ Meachem in Oklahoma and Swain in Alabama.
But like Meachem, Smith was rated the No. 1 overall high school prospect in his state as a high school senior in 2002. He caught 125 passes in his last two seasons, and he faced enormous pressure to sign with Arkansas.
He stunned everyone, including Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer, when he decided to leave the state and become a Vol.
"I knew there was a lot of pressure. There's a lot of pressure in recruiting," Fulmer said. "The week before signing day, Bret shut everybody out. We thought we had lost the battle."
But Smith made a decision "based on what I wanted to do, what was best for me."
His first three years as a Vol have been a series of good moments interspersed with injuries.
For instance:
_ His first college career catch was a 57-yarder to the Florida 1-yard line. Three games later, he tore a thumb ligament that sidelined him for four games.
_ Smith started his sophomore season coming off toe surgery. He caught just 18 balls all year, but he had five TD catches among his first 10 catches.
_ Last season when the Vol offense struggled in a two-quarterback system, Smith had 21 receptions, including three touchdowns.
"Bret did well as freshman and sophomore, but last year, like a lot of guys, he didn't play very well," Fulmer said. "This year, he has been exceptional, and this is the first time since he has been here that he has stayed healthy, knock on wood."
When Swain sprained his ankle during the 51-33 victory at Georgia this season, Smith jumped into the fire and produced a career game, with seven grabs for 94 yards and a touchdown.
Against Alabama, when the Crimson Tide made it a priority to stop Meachem, Smith again came through with a performance to remember. He had seven catches for 95 yards in Tennessee's 16-13 victory.
Then at South Carolina, he banged off two South Carolina defenders to clutch a 5-yard pass from Erik Ainge that deflected off the hands of two Gamecocks' defenders.
"Just in the right place at the right time," said Smith, who also caught another TD pass later in that game.
Smith, who has caught 23 passes for 258 yards and those four TDs in his last five games, said there are several reasons why he's enjoying his best college season to date.
"I guess I have more want-to," Smith said. "Coach Cut's (offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe) offense has helped me also, and Coach Troop (receivers coach Trooper Taylor) has motivated me in many ways."
Smith's pre-game challenge this week is splitting time looking at Arkansas game film and finding enough tickets to accommodate family members.
"I'm trying to work out the numbers now," he said.
