DEDICATION AND DONNY SMITH: A WINNING COMBO FOR JMU

Written by Meghan Sherry

Walking through the scenic James Madison University campus, you often may wonder, "Who drives that massive, bright blue truck, with enormous wheels around campus?" Time and time again, people know the truck before they know the driver! The driver of that truck is an influential part of James Madison University's football program, Donald H. Smith, also known as Donny.

Donny was born in Sterling, Virginia. Living in the same house his entire life, he had a wonderful childhood with his mother and father. His dad really made an impact on his life with his love for sports and quickly became his coach in not only football, but baseball as well. Donny avoided trouble as a child and spent a lot of time with his cousins and his friends.

When he was eight years old, Donny wanted to start playing football but his dad, a former football player, made him wait until he was ten. Although he is currently a Division 1 football player, it was not always written in the stars. Basketball, baseball, wrestling and track were all talents of Donny's as he grew and experienced what each had to offer.

In high school, Donny had two priorities: school and sports. "I had great SAT scores and I was very serious about my schoolwork," said Donny. Solid in the classroom, he kept his priorities in line and started getting serious about what was going to come next in his future. A starting center in high school, a star wrestler and having the title of "Male Athlete of the Year," he had many options when it came down to becoming a college athlete.

"Playing football in college was a great way to get an excellent education," said Donny. In the beginning of his junior year, he started to get serious interests from multiple schools for football including, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, William and Mary, Towson, and Georgetown. A varied array of schools to say the least, but James Madison was not included.

Although WVU was Donny's first choice, William and Mary was the smartest choice because it was a great school and they had recruited him for both football and wrestling. After settling on William and Mary, something came up in the recruiting process and they were unable to take Donny. That same day, he continued to get recruited by WVU and he signed the next day.

Donny redshirted his first year and then played for two years. In addition to previous injuries from high school, like breaking his leg, breaking all his fingers, and getting hit so hard he became paralyzed for a few hours, Donny tore his shoulder at WVU. At that same time, his coach left and went to Florida State, resulting in a bump to the back of the line. He played through the season while hurt and wasn't at his best. Half way through the season, he knew he wasn't going to play like he did before and decided to look for somewhere else to go.

"JMU was an obvious choice for me because my friends were here, it's a challenging school, and they have a great football program," said Donny. Coach Chris Malone gave Donny a tour on his week off during Christmas break and told Donny he'd love to have him play for their team. "It just felt right and that's when I knew I wanted to play for JMU," said Donny. The next day he applied, got accepted, and began playing in the Spring 2008 semester. Donny quickly fit in and became a starter on the offensive line. "The offensive line is like a big family...we call ourselves BOSS (Big Offensive Skilled Specialists) and the Baby Bosses (tight ends Mike Caussin and Charlie Newman). They're my best friends on the team, like my family," said Donny. On top of his friends supporting him, his mom and dad attend every game, which is another great benefit of playing for JMU.

Traditional routines have made players become the player that they are today, but not Donny. His typical game day routine after waking up with a cup of coffee or two, is just listening to relaxing music and keeping to himself. After the pre-game meal, the music gets a little crazier as the game gets closer. Said Donny, "During the pre-game warm-up, my first hit makes me realize that it's time to play."

Donny's biggest accomplishment is playing and starting at multiple Division I colleges. "There were a lot of people that said I wasn't good enough to play. I proved to myself and others that I can do anything," said Donny. Starting against the University of Maryland is one of his favorite memories of playing here at JMU. "Maryland was one of the schools that said I wasn't good enough to play...starting and playing well against them was such a good feeling," Said donny.

"I'm really glad Coach Matthews introduced us and set up our living situation," says Ryan Flanagan, Donny's roommate and teammate previously. Flanagan transferred from the United States Military Academy the same semester as Donny and they met the day they moved in. "Our house is both interesting and fun at the same time. We're both really busy but there's a lot of things we do together like play video games, watch Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, and cook," said Flanagan.

Donny describes his personality as outgoing and energetic. However, that may not be the case in football. "Donny is the quiet leader of the team. He leads through his actions, not through his words. It was really good to play with him because he's so serious about the game that he knows in and out... although saying that hinders my ego when he beats me in Madden. If Madden were real football, Donny would be a professional," Said Flanagan.

Mixed feelings are clear when the subject of a last season of football comes into play. "I feel great about it because I finally got to play, had some great seasons, and am playing well in my last season. On the other hand, there is the realization that I am almost finished with my football career," said Donny. High school was different for Donny, due to the new uncertainty about what was coming next for his career.

"Something that people might not know about me is that I am the strength coach for Bridgewater's JV football program. I start my day at 5 a.m. every day. This is a great experience because it gives me experience for my future careers," said Donny. He plans to attend graduate school and get a GA position as a strength coach. Donny hopes to acquire an assistant or head strength coaching job in the future. "The good thing about attending more than one college is that I made so many contacts throughout the years and have networked myself through the different football programs. I have great relationships with all of my coaches and hope to one day become a coach myself," Said Donny.

In his spare time, although limited, Donny likes to go fishing, hunt, play videogames, lift weights, play with his dog (Lucy, a beautiful American Bulldog), hang out with his friends and listen to music. "Another thing people may not know about Donny is that he likes to read," says Flanagan. One of Flanagan's best memories with Donny is cooking out with their families, teammates, and friends after games.

So, next time you see the big, bright blue truck around campus with the lovely American Bulldog in he front seat, say hello to the silent leader, a friend to many, and a great example of the pride and tradition of which JMU stands for.

*This feature story is part of a series composed by students in JMU's sport communication minor. Meghan Sherry is a junior double majoring in kinesiology and media arts and design with minors in general business and sports communication. Questions or comments can be addressed to Kevin Warner at warnerka@jmu.edu.