K.C. Smith

The Game.

It meant a great deal to a great number of people--players, coaches, fans, students.

Hype, excitement and anticipation abounded.

No, it wasn't a Harvard-Yale confrontation, but a prep school showdown between rivals Deerfield and Lawrenceville. For Crimson defensive end K.C. Smith--then a junior at Deerfield--it was definitely The Game.

Going into the fourth quarter, victory--and a 100th career win for Deerfield Coach, Jim Smith--seemed a distant hope. The Big Green had overcome a 13-point deficit to bring the score to 13-9, but time was running out.

With just eight seconds remaining, K.C. Smith made The Play of The Game. He caught The pass and scored The Touchdown that clinched The 100th Victory for his coach--all of which meant a great deal more to Smith than to the other players.

Increasing Morale

The coach just happened to be his father.

And the catch marked the pinnacle of a football career that had started when he was just five, attending his father's practices and tossing the ball around with his older brother.

By the age of 10, the budding star had set his heart on football: the youngster won Massachusetts' punt, pass and kick competition, sponsored by Ford Motors.

"Even at his age, he showed he was a tough guy to beat," Jim Smith says. "He showed that when he sets his mind to something, he will achieve it."

Smith played varsity baseball and basketball at Deerfield, and captained the basketball team his senior year. Football, however, remained his forte--as a sophomore he earned a starting spot on a gridiron squad that boasted 13 straight victories.

The magical moment--that last-second catch--highlighted his junior year. The following season, he was selected the team captain.

Smith led the team in tackles and interceptions, inspiring respect in his teammates and dread in his opponents. "K.C. is probably unique," Jim Smith says. "He loves the game. When the game starts, he is ready. He doesn't need to get psyched."

And that's not just the opinion of a doting father. "K.C.'s approach to football is unique, hard to explain," says Crimson defensive end Bill Ross. "He loves playing, doesn't need to be motivated. He is very intense, but he is also out there smiling after he makes the key plays."

The 6-ft., 2-in., 205-lb. Deerfield native played his first two years for Harvard at adjustor. As a sophomore, he saw plenty of action, registering one interception, five tackles and three tackle assists in six games.

In nine starts his junior year, he notched 61 tackles and 18 tackle assists--and harassed opponents with two interceptions, a knocked-down pass, a forced fumble and three fumble recoveries.

However, just a week before the '85 season opener, the Crimson coaches switched Smith's position because the squad lacked depth at defensive end. From both a physical and mental standpoint, the move was a difficult one.

"He's small and he has to line up against guys that weigh 280," Ross says. "The mental aspect has changed too. He has to look for the run first and the pass second, the reverse of an adjustor."

"It was a tough change," agrees Jim Smith. "K.C. was down about it at first, he had some trouble in the game against Cornell. He played like a whole different player against Penn. He's a versatile athlete."

Smith's numbers entering the Harvard-Yale showdown attest to his versatility, he has wrought havoc on Harvard's foes, sacking opposing quarterbacks eight times for 40 yards, forcing three fumbles, breaking up four passes and recovering two fumbles. Furthermore, Smith has accounted for 51 tackles and has conspired on another 14.

"Hopefully we'll win [the Yale game]," Smith says. "However, Yale is much better than their record."

But if Smith can repeat his exploits of The Game of '80 in The Game of '85, the Bulldogs had better beware.