University of Georgia Athletics
October 21, 2022 | Football, The Frierson Files
Nolan Smith wants to build bridges. Seriously. Both the ones we drive across and the metaphorical kinds.
The 6-foot-3 (and seems a little taller) and 235-pound Smith, from Savannah, Ga., is an exceptional football player. On the Bulldogs' stout (and balanced) defense, which ranks second in the FBS in scoring defense, allowing just 9.1 points per game, Smith leads the way with 3.0 sacks and 6.0 tackles for loss.
Equally impressive in the classroom, Smith is studying engineering, with an eye toward one day, hopefully after a long NFL career, opening his own engineering firm. He wants to build bridges and roads and shopping centers and anything else he sets his mind to. And when he's not building those physical bridges, he wants to build the other kind through work in his community. He's already started a summer camp back home, and he wants to do more.
This is Smith's third Quick Chat in the past few years. We sat down for the first time nearly two years ago, and then did another Q&A a few days before the Bulldogs went up to Indianapolis and won a national championship.
During a Quick Chat after practice Tuesday, as the top-ranked Bulldogs enjoy the off week after seven straight wins to start the season, Smith talked about his favorite Halloween candy, focusing on impact, not stats, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: What is the best part of the off week?
Smith: I'd say the best part is, we don't ever look ahead (in a normal week), and this week we get to look ahead at different teams, see different schemes, see what other people are doing. We can also look at ourselves.
One big thing about the bye week is you really want to look at yourself and see what you can fix and do better.
Frierson: When you look at your play this season, is there something you look at and say, I want to do this better in the second half of the season?
Smith: I'd 100% say sacks. We talk about (how offenses are) getting the ball out fast, but we've still got to affect the quarterback, batted balls, a lot of things — also TFLs (tackles for loss) and havoc. Those are things that I need to do better myself. I expect more from myself.
Frierson: Do you worry about numbers or do you focus on impact? You can totally disrupt a play and an offense without laying a hand on the quarterback.
Smith: I just worry about impact. The impact I make on my team and the players I play with is the ultimate goal. I couldn't care less about numbers — I'm not a big stat guy — and as long as my team is winning, and I can help my team win, that's the ultimate goal and the reason why I'm here.
Frierson: Is that approach something you've had to develop? Everyone on this team was a star in high school and put up good or huge numbers, but this is obviously a much different situation from high school.
Smith: I was really kind of the same way in high school. I made the plays that came to me and I didn't worry about trying to go out there and get sacks and numbers. I just kept working day-in and day-out on my craft.
Frierson: We've talked a lot about food in the past, so with Halloween coming up soon, what is your favorite Halloween candy?
Smith: Oh, man, I love Milky Ways. Milky Way is 100% my favorite candy. That's one of the things that I love, and I eat a lot of Milky Ways.
I'm one of those guys, I take care of my body, but that's my one cheat.
Frierson: I don't feel like Milky Way ever comes up when I ask that question. It seems a bit like an overlooked candy bar.
Smith: I know. Milky Way is 100% the best chocolate. I keep it in the training room every day, and if I just failed a test or something like that, I come get a Milky Way to make me feel better.
Frierson: Wait a minute. The idea of you failing a test is pretty hard to imagine.
Smith: [Laughs] Yeah, not really. My mom would always tell me: the only Cs in the house are in her name. My mom counts a C as a fail.
Frierson: Where did your drive to excel academically come from? Did you always have that?
Smith: I want to be the first in my family to graduate college. My brothers also, I try to drive myself so that my brothers can see that.
Frierson: Is there something specific you would like to design or build one day?
Smith: Literally, I want to build bridges. I want to build bridges, help roads, and one day open up a few buildings of my own, hopefully. ... You try to start off small and then we start going bigger from there, maybe New York or San Francisco, and build skyscrapers.
Frierson: I feel like you're a guy that wants to build bridges in his community, as well.
Smith: Yes, sir. I started a camp two years ago. That was one of my big things, giving back to my city, the city of Savannah. Last year, I handed out about 500 book bags with school supplies in them. We did hot dogs and hamburgers before that, but I wanted to do a bit more, so this year it was hot dogs, hamburgers, school supplies, and the whole camp was free.
It was really nice. We had two groups of 250 come through and it was a really fun day and a fun time.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
The 6-foot-3 (and seems a little taller) and 235-pound Smith, from Savannah, Ga., is an exceptional football player. On the Bulldogs' stout (and balanced) defense, which ranks second in the FBS in scoring defense, allowing just 9.1 points per game, Smith leads the way with 3.0 sacks and 6.0 tackles for loss.
Equally impressive in the classroom, Smith is studying engineering, with an eye toward one day, hopefully after a long NFL career, opening his own engineering firm. He wants to build bridges and roads and shopping centers and anything else he sets his mind to. And when he's not building those physical bridges, he wants to build the other kind through work in his community. He's already started a summer camp back home, and he wants to do more.
This is Smith's third Quick Chat in the past few years. We sat down for the first time nearly two years ago, and then did another Q&A a few days before the Bulldogs went up to Indianapolis and won a national championship.
During a Quick Chat after practice Tuesday, as the top-ranked Bulldogs enjoy the off week after seven straight wins to start the season, Smith talked about his favorite Halloween candy, focusing on impact, not stats, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: What is the best part of the off week?
Smith: I'd say the best part is, we don't ever look ahead (in a normal week), and this week we get to look ahead at different teams, see different schemes, see what other people are doing. We can also look at ourselves.
One big thing about the bye week is you really want to look at yourself and see what you can fix and do better.
Frierson: When you look at your play this season, is there something you look at and say, I want to do this better in the second half of the season?
Smith: I'd 100% say sacks. We talk about (how offenses are) getting the ball out fast, but we've still got to affect the quarterback, batted balls, a lot of things — also TFLs (tackles for loss) and havoc. Those are things that I need to do better myself. I expect more from myself.
Frierson: Do you worry about numbers or do you focus on impact? You can totally disrupt a play and an offense without laying a hand on the quarterback.
Smith: I just worry about impact. The impact I make on my team and the players I play with is the ultimate goal. I couldn't care less about numbers — I'm not a big stat guy — and as long as my team is winning, and I can help my team win, that's the ultimate goal and the reason why I'm here.
Frierson: Is that approach something you've had to develop? Everyone on this team was a star in high school and put up good or huge numbers, but this is obviously a much different situation from high school.
Smith: I was really kind of the same way in high school. I made the plays that came to me and I didn't worry about trying to go out there and get sacks and numbers. I just kept working day-in and day-out on my craft.
Frierson: We've talked a lot about food in the past, so with Halloween coming up soon, what is your favorite Halloween candy?
Smith: Oh, man, I love Milky Ways. Milky Way is 100% my favorite candy. That's one of the things that I love, and I eat a lot of Milky Ways.
I'm one of those guys, I take care of my body, but that's my one cheat.
Frierson: I don't feel like Milky Way ever comes up when I ask that question. It seems a bit like an overlooked candy bar.
Smith: I know. Milky Way is 100% the best chocolate. I keep it in the training room every day, and if I just failed a test or something like that, I come get a Milky Way to make me feel better.
Frierson: Wait a minute. The idea of you failing a test is pretty hard to imagine.
Smith: [Laughs] Yeah, not really. My mom would always tell me: the only Cs in the house are in her name. My mom counts a C as a fail.
Frierson: Where did your drive to excel academically come from? Did you always have that?
Smith: I want to be the first in my family to graduate college. My brothers also, I try to drive myself so that my brothers can see that.
Frierson: Is there something specific you would like to design or build one day?
Smith: Literally, I want to build bridges. I want to build bridges, help roads, and one day open up a few buildings of my own, hopefully. ... You try to start off small and then we start going bigger from there, maybe New York or San Francisco, and build skyscrapers.
Frierson: I feel like you're a guy that wants to build bridges in his community, as well.
Smith: Yes, sir. I started a camp two years ago. That was one of my big things, giving back to my city, the city of Savannah. Last year, I handed out about 500 book bags with school supplies in them. We did hot dogs and hamburgers before that, but I wanted to do a bit more, so this year it was hot dogs, hamburgers, school supplies, and the whole camp was free.
It was really nice. We had two groups of 250 come through and it was a really fun day and a fun time.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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