What started out as an opportunity of a lifetime to attend Syracuse University’s one-day football camp earlier this month turned into a life-altering opportunity for Pencader Charter rising senior Jerome Smith.
Smith, a 5-foot-11, 210-pound running back who rushed for 936 yards and scored eight touchdowns as a junior, informed Syracuse coach Doug Marrone he has accepted their scholarship offer and plans to sign a letter of intent in February.
“I was very impressed and excited about the facilities,” Smith, who also received a scholarship offer from Wisconsin, said in a phone interview. “I knew about a week after I got home from the campus after following up with some of the coaches that it was where I wanted to go.”
While going away to college will be a big move in and of itself — he had never even been to the state of New York until his visit to the college campus — Smith says it is the speed of the game which will be the biggest challenge playing at the next level.
“The pace of the game is so much faster,” he said. “Time management during the game is also much more critical in college.”
Pencader coach Rahsaan Matthews believes Smith, who also played outside linebacker and strong safety during Pencader’s 7-3 season in 2008, is the perfect candidate to help Syracuse continue to rebuild its football program. The Orangemen have gone 10-37 the last four years.
“Jerome helped turn our program into a solid program and I really believe he embraces the underdog role, which made Syracuse intriguing,” Matthews said in an e-mail. “As a running back he can truly do it all, which is what the Syracuse coaches are looking for. He is a back that can run you over or make you miss and get in the end zone. Jerome has the ability to do both.”
And it’s not just on the field that Matthews feels Smith will excel, but also in the family atmosphere off the field that Marrone is trying to establish during the rebuilding process.
”Off the field Jerome is a high character individual,” added Matthews, who played quarterback at William Penn High School and Delaware State University. “He's just a really good kid who enjoys being with his family and teammates. And that family atmosphere that the new Syracuse staff is developing is what I think sealed the deal for Jerome.”
With the decision behind him now, Smith can focus on his senior season, when he claims he’ll have just one goal in mind:
“To win the state championship. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen.”
Baseball: Ex-Sallies coach heading to Wilmington University
Doug Nowell, who resigned suddenly as head baseball coach at Salesianum School last week, has landed on his feet as an assistant coach at Wilmington University.
"I'm ecstatic to join Wilmington. I'll do whatever I can to help [coach] Brian [August] and Wilmington University baseball," Nowell told The News Journal. "[College coaching] is something I always thought about, but didn't quite expect it to happen in this time frame. [August is] a very good offensive coach, gets the most from his players and is very demanding. I think we are a lot alike."
Nowell, who played second base at Cecil College, will work with the Wildcats’ infielders and coach base running and bunting.
“We are thrilled to add Doug to our staff,” August replied in an e-mail. “He has a lot of knowledge and passion for the game.”
As was widely speculated, Nowell has now hinted his resignation from Salesianum, where he led the team to four consecutive semifinal appearances and a state championship in 2006, might not have been entirely his decision.
“Obviously, there was more to it, but I don't want to say much about it," Nowell told The News Journal. "To put it short and sweet they told me I had to make some adjustments and do some things different as head coach. I wasn't too keen on that. I thought myself and our coaching staff did a good job. Our kids were well prepared both on the field and off the field. I didn't think there was anything wrong with my coaching style. I wasn't up for the change and felt it was time to step down."
Nowell, who had a 106-82 career record as a head coach at three different schools (A.I. du Pont, Delcastle), will continue in his position as assistant facilities superintendent at the Western YMCA.
Jon Buzby is the Delaware correspondent for MaxPreps.com.