Sammie Smith, who was a star running back for Bobby Bowden’s Florida State Seminoles in the late 1980s, has accepted a position to join the Fellowship of Christian Athletes staff at Ole Miss and will serve as the FCA Director of Character Development.
“I am really excited to have Sammie join our FCA staff team at Ole Miss. He adds a wealth of life experiences from which our student-athletes and coaches will greatly benefit,” said FCA Campus Director Todd Johnson in a statement.
According to the release, Smith was convicted on two accounts of possession and distribution of cocaine in 1996 and served seven years in federal prison. This came just a few years after he lost his two-month-old son, Jerrod, to sudden infant death syndrome.
When he reached his lowest point, Smith surrendered his life to Jesus Christ.
“That first night, I sat in the county jail and had a chance to really look at the previous six or seven years,” Smith said. “It was at that point that I trusted Jesus to forgive and change me. I promised Him that when all was said and done, I will get out and do the things I know God would have me to do.”
In four seasons with Florida State (1985-88), Smith rushed for 2,539 yards and 15 touchdowns. His 1,230 yards in 1987 broke the Seminoles’ single-season rushing record (which was later broken again by Warrick Dunn in 1995), and eventually helped him become in the No. 9 overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Sammie to Ole Miss, and I’m grateful that our student-athletes will have his positive guidance available to them,” said coach Hugh Freeze. “With his playing career and life experiences, Sammie will serve as an excellent resource for those players that want help navigating life’s tough decisions.”
Tyler Waddell is a member of the Saturday Down South news team. He brings over five years of professional journalism experience and is closing in on a Bachelor's in sports management. Follow him on Twitter (@Tyler_Waddell).
