Braden Smith pilots planes when not catching football for UC

WEST HARRISON, Indiana – Jets approaching or departing Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky airport often fly over the fields in Indiana where the Cincinnati Bearcats hold training camp near the state line.

Most Bearcats on the roster have flown to and from NCAA football games. Some fly on the field with the jet propulsion possessed only by unique Division I athletes.

Redshirt senior Braden Smith is a frequent flier.

The recent Louisville transfer says his last recorded time in the 40-yard dash is 4.4 seconds, certified lightning quick. His most impressive certification though is off the field and in the air. At age 23, Smith is a pilot having recently passed his exam.

Receiving coaches in the past have used the term "land the plane" to describe catching the football. Smith not only catches spiraling objects in acrobatic fashion, he truly can land a plane.

From bird to plane to Bearcat

Not long after catching three passes for 45 yards for Louisville in their 24-7 win over UC in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl last December, Smith started the process of becoming a pilot in his home state of Mississippi.

"It was really just testing it out to see if it was something I could possibly do," Smith said. "I ended up falling in love with it. I kept truckin' along five or six days a week."

By January, he started another process, entering the transfer portal with one year of eligibility. By May, Smith was reunited with Scott Satterfield and staff. After 59 receptions in parts of three seasons with the Cardinals, he's a Bearcat and has shown his aerial skills throughout August tracking down footballs.

Prior to that, he earned his non-football aerial skills at Lunken Airport on Cincinnati's east side.

"It's pretty cool there," Smith said. "They've got a lot of private jets that come in there. It's a cool little process to meet those guys and talk with those guys and connect with them."

He's also flown to Sporty's Pilot Shop in Clermont County, a notorious spot for aviators that Parrothead pilot Jimmy Buffett has name-checked on occasion in concert.

The sky's the limit

"For me, as I got older, I was thinking about what can I do and be interested in outside of football?" Smith said. "I was happy I was able to find a passion."

Though he's thinking of asking the pilots on UC's first road trip if he can have a look-see in the cockpit, Smith has long-term goals of working for UPS or FedEx, carrying cargo. But, he remains open to the airlines, just as he's often been open for Bearcat quarterbacks.

Just as he enjoys green space in the secondary, the 5-10, 185-pound speedster treasures the blue skies above the clouds. Many have caught a football, but few have flown a plane.

"I just enjoy the thrill of being hands-on and being in control and going through procedures and things of that nature," Smith said. "The first time I went up I was kind of shakin' at the knees. I didn't know what to expect. Luckily, I had a really good instructor and was able to keep flying. I got more confident with it and once I was able to get my license I really built up that confidence in myself."

Smith expects to continue his training, acquiring more hours, ratings and certificates along the way. He compares landing a plane to the hand-eye coordination involved in catching the football. By most accounts, he's flagged down an array of passes chucked his way in camp and looks to be a go-to for quarterback Emory Jones along with Dee Wiggins and Xzavier Henderson.

Pulling footballs from the heavens

Smith and Wiggins know the Louisville offense that Satterfield ran and Henderson has caught SEC touchdowns from Jones when both were Florida Gators. Smith had 27 catches his freshman year at Louisville, then just 11 when he was restricted to four games in 2021 due to injury. He had 21 catches last season and UC's coaches feel he's fully recovered from a knee injury that slowed him two years ago.

"It's the first time that I feel really strong and back to my old self," Smith said. "A huge part for me was getting over that mental block with my knee. It's such a miracle and I feel so blessed to be back to my old self."

Prepare for take-off

Smith's old self also has another talent through the air that may be seen in Cincinnati. At Louisville, he threw two touchdown passes out of the wide receiver position.

At UC, they're preparing the cabin for the arrival of the latest No. 0.

"He knows the system," UC offensive coordinator Brad Glenn said. "From a football IQ standpoint, he knows it better than any of them. (He's a) smart player, intelligent, works hard. coachable and he's really making plays in camp."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati's Braden Smith is a licensed pilot when not on the gridiron