The Prep Rally: Best in the West series will highlight the all-time best players in western Arkansas as selected by the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Chris Smith had a tough decision to make when it came time to select a college.
The former Springdale star could have followed in his brother Alan’s footsteps and several Bulldogs’ teammates and accept a scholarship offer from Arkansas Tech, or he could join an already championship-level program at the University of Central Arkansas.
“The thing I really remember, we were recruiting Chris and there were about three or four other kids off that Springdale team who were being recruited by Arkansas Tech, including Chris,” said Harold Horton, who was the coach at UCA at the time. “Well, we didn’t offer the other kids, only Chris. So we were scared that he was going to go with his buddies to Arkansas Tech, and we didn’t want that.”
Smith said he was really torn because of the relationship his family had with the coach at Tech, Brooks Hollingsworth, who is now ironically the assistant head coach at UCA.
“My brother played at Arkansas Tech and we got to know Coach Hollingsworth while he was there,” Smith recalled. “So it was tough trying to decide to go to Arkansas Tech to help build a program, then Coach Horton sold me on how much more fun it was to win championships. And we did. I have 5 conference championship rings, and one of those is a national championship ring as well.”
Smith was a star athlete in every sense of the word at Springdale. His football exploits are well documented. His crushing tackle on future NFL running back Kenyon Rasheed against Kansas City Rockhurst in 1987 is legendary in Bulldog football history. Former Springdale coach Kerry Winberry called it “the hardest tackle I ever saw in my coaching career.”
Smith was a champion in the decathlon, played basketball and American Legion baseball and even competed in a gymnastics meet to impress a girl he had a crush on.
But football is where he stood out most, and he produced a stellar career at UCA, helping the Bears with the NAIA national championship in 1991. Smith was named the defensive Most Valuable Player in the win against Central Ohio State.
“Very seldom do you get a player like that to come to an NAIA school because he definitely could have played on a level above that,” Horton said. “We were pleased that Chris ended up coming to UCA because, from the outset, we felt like Chris was a very good player and he proved out to be that.”
Smith played virtually every skill position at Springdale under legendary coach Jarrell Williams, where he was named to the all-state team and the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star football game in 1988.
At UCA, he was able to focus just on defense, and he blossomed into one of the best safeties in the country.
“I think it Coach Horton saw what my natural abilities were,” Smith said. “I was willing to play wherever, I think he just knew that running the football, that I would not have been as effective on the college level. In high school, I just pretty much ran straight forward. I wasn’t that great of a running back. I was most effective at safety and that’s what Coach Horton recognized and he was right. It was a great spot for me.”
At a glance
CHRIS SMITH
SCHOOL Springdale
SPORT Football
CREDENTIALS Smith was a three-time all-conference selection in football and was named to the all-state team in 1987 along with the Associated Press Super Team and the Arkansas Democrat Super Team. … Selected to the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star team in 1988. … Signed with the University of Central Arkansas and led the team to the 1991 national championship, earning Defensive Most Valuable Player honors. … Compiled more than 150 career tackles as a safety/linebacker at Springdale. … Was named All-AIC three times at UCA and was named to the NAIA All-American team.
THAT’S WHAT HE SAID “I think Coach Horton saw what my natural abilities were. I was willing to play wherever, I think he just knew that running the football, that I would not have been as effective on the college level.”