Jarrid Smith Shines in First Game for FAU Football Owls

By Felix DoBosz

HONOLULU, HAWAII — Jarrid Smith, Seminole Brighton community member and grandson of the late Fred Smith, played his heart out for the Florida Atlantic University’s (FAU) Owls during the season opener at Aloha Stadium, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The FAU team played a powerful game and rallied in overtime to beat the Warriors football team of the University of Hawaii 35-28 Saturday night, September 4. This exciting game was played at 6:05 p.m. local Honolulu time, which means that the game was on after midnight Sunday morning eastern daylight saving time in Florida.

While Hurricane Frances hammered the State of Florida more than 5,000 miles away, this game was being played out in front of more than 39,000 frenzied fans of the University of Hawaii Warriors football team. No more than 200 FAU alumni, relatives and friends were at the game to support their favorite home team.

Smith, playing left guard, had 26 relatives and friends who jetted all the way from the Brighton reservation to witness history being made with the first Seminole tribal member to be playing at this skill level.

The FAU defense held Timmy Chang, a Heisman Trophy candidate last year and his high-powered offense, a meager 302 yards of offense. Last year, the Warriors often averaged twice that number of yards.

This victory proved to be a huge win for the FAU Owls in their new 1-A division by beating Hawaii at their home in the first game of the new college football season. Schnellenberger and his coaching staff did a remarkable job preparing for this big game. The team prepared relentlessly, even practicing in the middle of the night to get those biorhythms in sync with Hawaii’s six-hour time difference.

Hawaii’s head coach June Jones thought it was a great win for the FAU program.

“ We had our chances to win this game, but they were a very good football team,” Jones said.

Before the game, FAU was chosen by most experts as 22-point underdogs, but that didn’t seem to deter these tough young Florida athletes. While ignoring those enormous odds and playing inspired football, they were slowly able to add points on the board while limiting the Warrior's attempts to get out in front early in the game.

This was the second time the Owls posted a shocking victory with an upset in a season opener. FAU defeated Middle Tennessee State in 2003 in the final play, for the first win over a Division I-A school after only 22 games. This was the quickest that any team had accomplished this feat in NCAA history.

FAU outplayed the Warriors who were coming off a 9-3 season, even though the Warriors had many chances to win this opener for the frenzied home crowd.

“ This was another step up the ladder of greatness I hope,” said Schnellenberger. “We’ve got a long way to go, but this was a big step.”

In one of the most critical moments in the game, FAU trailed Hawaii 28-22 and staring at a forth and 23 with less than a minute left on the clock. Owls senior quarterback Jared Allen threw a Hail Mary pass to junior tight end Anthony Crissinger-Hill who turned quickly around just as the ball spiraled in perfectly into his out stretched hands. The clutch touchdown catch tied the game at 28. However, Hawaii managed to block the ensuing point after attempt to force overtime in regulation play.

In overtime, Crissinger-Hill made another amazing leaping catch over the defenders, followed by running back Doug Parker’s run into the end zone for the winning score. The Warriors had one more chance to tie the game, but the FAU defenders swatted away four futile pass attempts by quarterback Timmy Chang.

The FAU Owls stormed the field in total celebration after the game. Meanwhile, the Warriors and their fans silently emptied the stadium in total shock and disbelief.

About 200 FAU alumni members and friends of FAU cheered and hugged their players shouting out for the team’s thrilling victory. Players and coaches alike jumped and ran up and down the field like little kids, hollering and congratulating each other.

Jarrid Smith was exhausted after the game, he walked off the gridiron with a big grin on his face, looking up the scoreboard in disbelief and seeing a 35-28 FAU victory.

“ This was my very first game and I hope to get even better," he said.

Legendary Coach Howard Schnellenberger, who won a national championship while coaching the University of Miami Hurricanes in 1983, had high praise for Smith, who was making his debut as a starting left guard. "Jarrid is a pillar of salt for our team," said. "He's a quiet young man and very mature for his age." Schnellenberger added that this is the first Native American player he has coached.

He was thrilled with his team’s great victory, as everyone from South Florida was. This young FAU team performed to a higher level than most expected. Smith wanted to change out of his battered uniform and start celebrating with his teammates and spend some quality time with his friends and relatives from Brighton.

“ He got his love of football from his grandfather Fred Smith. When Jarrid was 4 or 5 years old, he started to watch all the football games on TV with his grandfather and uncles at his sides,” said Camellia Osceola, Smith’s mother.

His grandfather, Fred Smith would have been extremely pleased and proud with his grandson’s courageous game performance.

“ He started playing center for one-year at the Driftwood Optimist football club when he was about 10-years-old," said Camellia. He continued to play for Driftwood Optimist throughout seventh and eighth grade, and then graduated to McFatter high school in Davie.”

During his tenth grade year, Smith’s family moved to Brighton where he played football for Okeechobee high school and won an award as the offensive lineman of the year. Although he played baseball and ran track, Smith’s favorite sport remained football. He applied to several colleges but the only school that offered him a football scholarship was Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.

Camellia Osceola remembers the first meeting with Coach Schnellenberger that he and his staff took a lot of time to explain how Smith would benefit from attending FAU’s excellent degree program. Not only did she feel they cared enough about her son’s talents on the gridiron, but also his personal welfare and education.

Smith’s father, Curtis Osceola, made the trip with his family to see his son’s debut in Hawaii too. Smith’s solid performance in the game made him and his family feel so proud. They were all so glad they went on this long trip to witness a thrilling college football game.

The kids all seem to look up to Smith as a fine example of what you can accomplish if you are dedicated and motivated enough to reach out for your goals. He has always had his family there to support his dreams of playing college level football.

Smith comes from a big family; he has five sisters and one brother and they all look up to him. C.J., his 12-year old sister, worships her brother and dreams about him turning pro someday. Tommy Jackson his 10-year-old cousin wants to be a football player too, except he likes being a wide receiver or a running back. He liked the remark he overheard about Jarrid, “he might turn pro, but you never know.”

There are a lot more football games to play this year to showcase Smith’s immense talent. He has vastly increased his football skills; working with his FAU coaches, teammates, and through his own strong work ethic. After all, he is a positive role model for young Seminole kids.

Jarrid Smith's love for football began as a little boy, but he dreamed big, and his dreams of success are being realized everyday he steps onto the football field.