In another strange twist that we seriously hope doesn't become a trend, a 22-year-old man has reportedly posed as football player at 14 different Texas high schools the last four years.
The
Dallas Morning News reported this morning that 6-foot-5, 245-pound Markeith Smith - one of many names he goes by - began his journey at
Richardson (Texas) in 2007 when he enrolled as a freshman.
He was 18 at the time.
From there, the story follows the unique trail of Smith - described as a Greek god - in and out of schools throughout the region.
As one of the kids who played with him at Richardson said: "It was something about him," the boy said. "It wasn't right."
This story surfaces 18 months after Guerdwich Montimere, 22, was
caught posing as 16-year-old basketball star Jerry Joseph at
Permian (Odessa, Texas), the school famous for "Friday Night Lights."
Montimere was a pretty fair prep basketball player at
Dillard (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) but evidently wasn't satisfied with his high school career. He was recognized by a group of Florida prep writers and though the story was odd, it wasn't a major crime.
That is until it was learned that had sex with a 15-year-old girl while posing as Joseph.
In July, then 23, he was sentenced to three years in prison after reaching a plea deal. Montimere pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault and three counts of tampering with government records.
Unlike Montimere, Smith has not been apprehended or charged with any crime.
Smith's case appears to be the sports version of Frank Abagnale Jr., who was played by Leonardo DiCaprio in the 2002 film "Catch Me if You Can."
