Meigs County standout Martin Smith pushes on after family tragedy

Meigs County running back Martin Smith is a rushing force for the Tigers, but off the field the junior has had to overcome personal challenges bigger than any opposing defense.
Meigs County running back Martin Smith is a rushing force for the Tigers, but off the field the junior has had to overcome personal challenges bigger than any opposing defense.

DECATUR, Tenn. - About 10 minutes before tonight's second-round playoff game kicks off, Meigs County High School's football locker room will be a bustling beehive of last-minute activity.

Assistant coaches will stop to remind captains of their assignments, linemen will tug and tighten shoulder pads, and strains of rap and heavy rock music will screech from earbuds as players nod their heads and transport themselves into a game-ready state of mind.

The same scene has been repeated before every Tigers game this season.

photo Meigs County running back Martin Smith is a strong running back for the Tigers this year.

Seated at his locker near an exit, Martin Smith, a finely tuned 6-foot, 185-pound junior running back, will withdraw from the commotion and solemnly bow his head for a more personal pregame ritual. Once he's able to clear the surrounding noise, Martin will pray silently, asking for the strength to play well and for protection for his teammates and himself. He even will pray for protection for the opposing players, including their safe trip home.

He will conclude by calling the names of two people he knows won't be sitting in the stands yet are always with him, and he will promise to continue working to make them proud. Once he lifts his head, Martin will join his teammates as they burst from the doorway and make their to the field where an adoring community waits to support its top-ranked, undefeated Tigers.

Those who know Martin best have reason to put a little extra encouragement in their voice when he emerges onto the field.

"A lot of people would have to know Martin's situation to know what he's been through, because he's never showed it outwardly," Meigs County coach Jason Fitzgerald said. "I've never seen him down, even though I know there were plenty of days when he was. He just kept working, in school and on the field.

"Being in a small, tight-knit community made a big difference because everybody knew who Martin was and what type kid he is, and nobody was going to let him get lost. The things he's been through, he knows what tough feels like, and playing football is not tough. The game is his outlet."

EVERYDAY STRUGGLE

As far back as he can remember, home life was tough for Martin and his family. There was the three-year period when he and 10 relatives crammed into a two-bedroom mobile home where food was scarce, with privacy and personal space even harder to find.

Eventually Martin, his mother Shannon and two sisters moved into an apartment together, but the day-to-day hardship followed them.

"I didn't stay there very much," Martin said. "My mom wasn't always there, and there wasn't much to eat. Maybe a cup of noodles or something like that. For a while I had one pair of khaki pants and two V-neck T-shirts - one had a hole in it - and that was all the clothes I had to wear.

"I would ask friends at school or after practice if I could crash at their house, so I kind of just bounced around from place to place. I never talked to anybody about my problems. I knew they weren't in the same shoes as me, so they wouldn't understand. I didn't want to talk. I wanted to get through it myself, but some of my friends knew my situation and helped out."

Teammate Austin Judd's family took Martin in for several months, providing the security of food, clothes and a place to sleep. That's where Martin was on the morning of Jan. 26, when his brother and sisters showed up at around 6 a.m. with tragic news.

"I was still half asleep and confused, but I remember my older sister saying that my mom had died in a car wreck," Martin recalled. "She had been drinking and wasn't wearing a seat belt. Later that morning on the ride to my dad's, it finally hit me and I cried for three days straight, every night. No matter what, that was my mom and she was gone."

Martin had barely had time to absorb what had just happened when life dealt another brutal blow. One day after his mother's death, Martin was at his dad's house when the phone rang. He knew from the expression on his father's face that more horrific news was being delivered.

"I saw a tear roll down my dad's cheek, and when he hung up he told me that my brother had died," Martin said. "I think he was depressed over our mom and was trying to numb the pain, and he accidentally overdosed. He was 23, and that news hurt me just as much as my mom. I felt like I was on my own."

Coach Fitzgerald and the entire Tigers team were there for the funerals, everyone wanting to encourage Martin that he would not have to face the heartbreak alone.

"He's always quiet, but he was a little more so around that time," Fitzgerald said. "He holds a lot of things inside and doesn't let you see if he's struggling. He wanted to come back to school the day after his mom's funeral, I think because he feels like he has a family with the team and in the school environment."

Two funerals for loved ones were followed by the traumatic uncertainty of where he and his younger sister would live. Because his father lives in Etowah - too far away for Martin to continue attending Meigs County with his friends - the decision was made for his aunt, Kristina Parks, to take in both teenagers.

"My aunt took me and my sister shopping first thing, and we have our own rooms and it's a more steady home life," Martin explained. "Just knowing I've got clean clothes and food when I get home, that's made a big difference. My grades have gotten better, and I'm starting to believe in myself now.

"My aunt works a lot of hours, but she comes to my games when she can, and I'm humbled whenever she comes. When she or my sisters or my mamaw come to my games, it makes me want to show out and have a big game for them. I don't take anything for granted."

SETTING AN EXAMPLE

Once this season rolled around, it soon became obvious Martin's talents were catching up with all the work he had put in. On a team loaded with skill players, he quickly became more than a complement to dual-threat quarterback Aaron Swafford, who was recently named a Mr. Football semifinalist, and developed into a key player on offense.

With a rushing average of 7 yards per carry this season, Martin has run for 884 yards and 15 touchdowns, and tonight he will try to help Meigs County get past Happy Valley (8-3) and reach next week's Class 2A quarterfinals. The Tigers, who have outscored opponents by an average of 39-11 this season, have not gone beyond the second round since 1995, which was also their most recent appearance in a state title game.

"Teams that concentrate on stopping Swafford are finding out real quick that Martin can beat them, too," Fitzgerald said. "He's very elusive, and when he gets the ball, he's not looking for a 4- to 5-yard gain, he's looking to get past defenders and get 10 to 20 yards or take it to the house.

"He's always shown up with a positive attitude and worked hard, but now you can see him gaining confidence and getting better and better. He's maturing every week."

The maturing process has carried over into Martin's personal life as well as his academics. Explaining how he made a connection with one of the team's weekly devotionals, Martin said he began praying before games as a way to both mentally prepare himself and to express the feelings he had bottled up over the loss of his mother and brother.

"I really listened to the pastor, and one of the early lessons got me to thinking that God put me on this earth to accomplish something," Martin said. "So now, whatever it is I'm doing - school work or football or whatever - I do it the best I can and try to be positive about it.

"I just want other people who might be going through tough times to be able to look at me as an example that if you just keep going, you can overcome anything."

Although he still has another year of high school and football beyond this season, the combination of on-field talent and solid grades has Martin and those who work with him each day filled with a sense of optimism when they talk about his future.

"He works as hard in class as he does on the football field and always comes into my room with a great attitude," said Malinda Langford, who teaches Spanish. "All the teachers know he's a star student, and we respect the fact that there's something in him that says, 'I have to get up and go take the next step today.'

"Martin won't be defined by his surroundings. He will write his own definition for his life. My heart swells when I see him playing on Fridays. When I see him on that field and he breaks away from everybody else, I think to myself 'Run Martin! Run your way straight into college. Run straight into your life.'"

Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.

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