Why Choctaw edge rusher Will Smith’s signing with Tulsa is a ‘testament to his resilience’

CHOCTAW — Night had fallen over Bill Jensen Field as an introspective visitor sat on the turf in solitude.

With a major decision looming, Choctaw edge rusher Will Smith needed a quiet space for thinking. So, at about 9:30 on an autumn evening, the high school senior found solace in a familiar locale: his hometown football stadium.

He ruminated on his options. Then he called Tulsa coach Kevin Wilson and made an independent decision.

“Nobody (but Wilson) knew I had committed to Tulsa whenever I did it,” Smith said.

After decommitting from Oklahoma State and reevaluating his future, Smith knew he needed to make a choice on his own. Family, friends and coaches could offer guidance, but he had to trust his instincts to lead him to his new home.

Although Smith was intentionally alone when he committed in October, he later treasured the chance to celebrate with a supportive group that spanned the McCharen Center’s bleachers as he made his decision official. All eyes were on Smith when he signed with Tulsa during his Wednesday afternoon ceremony at Choctaw.

Seconds before Smith inked his letter, Choctaw football coach Jake Corbin addressed Smith’s lively congregation of peers.

“It’s important for us to remember that all the young athletes and adults can testify that your path to success will not be a straight line,” Corbin told the crowd through a microphone. “I promise you.”

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Smith said his coach’s wise message “means everything” to him. The physical distance from Choctaw to Tulsa is only 95 miles, but his road has been paved with detours and stops.

Starting at age 3, Smith grew up in the foster system, bouncing among various living situations. He didn’t start seriously playing football until his sophomore year. Even as an established senior star at Choctaw, Smith dealt with turbulence, missing games this year because of appendicitis and a concussion.

Through it all, Smith has consistently returned to his sanctuary: a football field, the place where he made his college decision. A village of supporters now surrounds him, but his independent mindset – the approach he had to develop to endure chaotic times – is his ultimate compass.

His Tulsa signing ceremony just solidified his destination.

“It’s a testament to his resilience,” Corbin said. “It’s a testament to his faith in God, in himself, and just understanding that you’re gonna have ups and downs, and the true mark of a champion is, how many times can you get back up and keep going?”

With Smith’s story as the example, Corbin has probably lost count.

Smith was a sixth-grade kid when Corbin, then Choctaw’s new coach, met him. In his younger years, Smith didn’t envision himself as a college football player. Although his older brothers, James and Mekhi, played for Corbin, Smith gravitated toward basketball.

Sprouting up to 6-foot-4, he fit into the hoops scene with his height, but a harsh reality swayed him to a different sport. If he wanted to play in college, the odds were better with football simply because of the number of players on a team, he said.

“I kind of buckled down and realized what I had to do, and I did it,” Smith said.

He had to adjust quickly.

In middle school, Smith had joined the football team but spent most of his time on the sideline. As a freshman, he took a break from football, so gaining varsity reps as a sophomore was a major transition.

That was hardly the first time he had to rely on adaptability.

While growing up in multiple households with various guardians, Smith clung to sports as his outlet, or as he said, his “getaway.”

A few years ago, Smith found more stability through a serendipitous situation.

After his freshman year, he forged a friendship with classmate Micah Tarbell and bonded with all of the Tarbells, eventually moving in with them. Smith also met Cam Ramos, Tarbell’s cousin who moved to Choctaw from San Diego, and the trio became Yellowjacket football teammates.

Now, Smith knows Tarbell as his brother and Ramos as his cousin.

“It’s just an unfathomable feeling to feel that you can get loved by another family that you had no clue even knew about you,” Smith said. “It’s just wild how this world works.”

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And the encouragement hasn’t been one-sided. Smith’s welcoming, congenial nature helped Ramos while he was trying to fit in as a new student at Choctaw.

“It was hard for me when I first moved here,” said Ramos, a senior tight end. “I didn’t really think that Choctaw was for me. I wasn’t too sure yet. He kind of, as my older brother, helped guide me to this school, guided me to just play football and just do the correct things to be a Choctaw Yellowjacket, so he’s definitely helped me through my whole journey.”

Ramos said he noticed Smith’s “amazing” football abilities soon after moving to Choctaw, and Smith has contributed to a surging program in big ways. In his first start as a sophomore, Smith embraced the challenge of matching up with Tulsa Booker T. Washington standouts Gentry Williams and Micah Tease, forcing a fumble. During his junior year, he and the Yellowjackets reached the Class 6A-II state finals.

He entered his senior season as a highly touted recruit, but he still had to wrestle with setbacks.

During football practice, Smith’s stomach was aching. At night, he struggled to sleep. When he checked into the emergency room, he was told his appendix would have ruptured if he had showed up even one day later.

After undergoing an appendectomy, Smith stood on the sideline during Choctaw’s home opener against Del City, a game that was cut short because of a fatal shooting at the stadium. Neither the suspect nor the victim attended Choctaw or Del City, but both teams had to figure out how to carry on after the sudden tragedy.

“We knew that (through) this adversity, we had to come together and not break or tear us apart,” Smith said.

Smith returned for the next game, a resounding 29-10 win over Class 6A-I Westmoore to steer the Yellowjackets back on track. Although he later had to miss some matchups because of a concussion, he maximized his opportunities on the field, finishing the season with 34 tackles and eight sacks as Choctaw advanced to the state semifinals.

In the middle of that 8-2 season, Smith took the time he needed to plan for his future. He entered the fall as an uncommitted recruit, looking for a landing spot after decommiting from OSU. He said he had initially chosen OSU mainly because of one important person in his life, but he wasn’t sure it was the best fit for him.

“I felt like I was doing it for the wrong reasons,” Smith said, “so I felt I needed to take matters into my own hands and figure out what I wanted to do. And I figured that out, and I found home (at) Tulsa.”

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Although Smith made his decision as an individual, Ramos wasn’t surprised. Ramos and Tarbell had joined him on his unofficial visit, and Ramos said he could see Smith’s love for Tulsa as they met the coaches and toured the facilities.

At Wednesday’s signing ceremony, Smith wore a Tulsa T-shirt as loved ones took turns posing for photos with him in front of a Choctaw Yellowjacket backdrop. Football coaches and teammates surrounded him. Steve Tarbell, the man Smith now knows as a father figure, showed up wearing Tulsa attire. Smith’s brother, Mekhi, congratulated him, too.

Over the years, Smith’s community has grown.

But when he signed his National Letter of Intent, he chose to sit at the table by himself.

It was Smith’s decision, and he was the one who brought his dream to fruition.

“It feels like I’ve accomplished something that I’ve been working toward for the past four years,” Smith said. “My whole life, really, because I’ve been trying to prove everybody wrong.”

Hallie Hart covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Hallie? She can be reached at hhart@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at@halliehart. Sign up forThe Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Hallie's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing adigital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma high school football Choctaw DE Will Smith signs with Tulsa