Big Paint Branch OL charged with guarding twins blindside

Will Smith is older than his twin, David Smith, by a mere two minutes, but that hasn't kept Will from assuming typical big-brother responsibilities.

You see, Will, a massive 6-foot-4, 285-pound lineman at Burtonsville (Md.) Paint Branch, has always been just a little bigger, a little stronger and a little more talented than David, a 6-2, 225-pound quarterback. So he takes it on himself to make sure no one ever messes with his kid brother.

"We give each other a hard time and fight like all brothers, but when he's down or someone gets on him for throwing an interception, I always try to bring him back up," Will said. "I want to be someone he can lean on and depend on."

It's fitting, then, that Will Smith is a left tackle, the man charged with keeping the quarterback upright. In the last three years, the Smith twins can count on one hand the number of times a defensive end eluded Will and sacked David.

"I've never had to worry about anyone touching me or getting to me," David Smith said. "I know Will will be there for me. He's got my blindside."

David happens to be the primary beneficiary of Will's blocks, but it's likely Will would excel regardless of who was under center. His combination of size, power and athleticism are unusual at the high school level, according to his coach Mike Nesmith.

"Will is a man-child," Nesmith said. "The toughness, the energy, the athleticism - he plays three sports - you just don't see that. He's definitely a Division-I prospect with a bright future ahead of him."

Smith has developed into one of the best linemen in Montgomery County, but he's taken a circuitous route to the top.

By order of Will and David's parents, the two never played organized football as youngsters. What's more, both were so much bigger than their peers they would've been forced to line up against kids three years older than them - a daunting proposition for protective parents.

Thus, the Smith boys took up baseball, a sport they both dominated. David starred at the hot corner, while Will, a "Little League Babe Ruth," picked his throws at first base. But while the two shined on the diamond, their youth coaches knew they belonged on a gridiron.

One coach alerted Nesmith, telling him he needed to take a look at the two brawny infielders.

"Before they even got to Paint Branch, we knew they were coming," said Nesmith, laughing. "We knew we had a potential scholarship kid in Will and a great player in Dave. We were ready for them."

The Smiths were ready for the Panthers, too. Football, they asserted, was their calling.

"We both love baseball," David said, "But we couldn't wait to start playing football in high school. We were both excited to get started."

Will was physically ready to contribute on varsity as a freshman, but Nesmith kept him on the junior varsity team so he could hone his fundamentals. After all, the kid had never played a down before.

But pitting Will against junior varsity competition was the equivalent of putting a lion against a deer. He ripped them apart.

Needless to say, it didn't take long to earn a promotion. (David, meanwhile, also excelled and was called up to varsity, too).

"As soon as he put the pads on in the summer his sophomore year, we knew he was going to be our left tackle and anchor the line," Nesmith said of Will. "The kid literally looked like a man. He had a beard."

It's not everyday that a 15-year-old kid can grow a full face of hair. But Will's face was feathered with thick, fiery red whiskers.

"I guess I just want to look more intimidating," Will said. "I like the look; it's a lineman look."

Whether or not the beard actually helped is questionable, but there's little doubt Will thrived from the get-go. On Paint Branch's very first rushing touchdown in 2009, he bulled over an opposing defender, clearing an elephant-sized hole for the back.

"After we scored, he started running up the sideline and yelling to me, 'Coach, I love this! I love this!'" Nesmith said. "It was so funny the way he said it, but it showed his passion and energy for the game."

Smith channeled that passion into every block, eventually becoming the team's No. 1 pass protector by mid-season. He still struggled at times with his footwork, leverage and conditioning, but with a full offseason ahead of him, Smith was primed for a breakout 2010.

But the winter was not kind to Will Smith.

After football ended, Smith began wrestling for Paint Branch. During one midseason match, an opponent rolled into his leg, forcing him to buckle over. His knee gave out.

The diagnosis? A torn ACL.

"It was heartbreaking news," Smith said. "The doctor said there was no way I was coming back for football the next year."

Will had hit a physical and emotional nadir, but this time his brother was there to pick him up. David not only offered encouraging words and unconditional support, but he urged him on in his rehab.

After all, David needed his left tackle back.

"It was a big blow; I felt for him," David Smith said. "But we [the Smith family] all encouraged him, and he worked really hard to get back. He didn't miss a beat."

Will did miss Paint Branch's first six games last year, but the doctors cleared him for the Oct. 15 game against Rockville (Md.) Montgomery. He ended up starting in each of the last four contests, picking up where he left off his sophomore year.

"He had zero offseason conditioning and wasn't in the best of shape," Nesmith said. "But he was still our best lineman when he came back."

In Week 8 against Clarksburg (Md.) High, Smith had perhaps his best performance of the year. Paint Branch was trailing 20-6 at halftime and was struggling to move the ball. So before the third quarter started, Will approached Nesmith and asked him to run the ball right behind him. The Panthers proceeded to grind away, scoring 21 unanswered points in a 27-20 overtime victory.

"We just kept running the same play and I kept pushing my man off the ball," Will Smith said. "That gave me a lot of confidence. After that, I knew I was back."

Now, he'll try and prove it to the college recruiters. Without adequate game film from last year, he's not likely to land an early offer. That means he'll have to show out this fall.

"If he didn't get hurt, he'd probably have some scholarship offers by now," David Smith said. "But I know he can get to the D-I level. He's just a great player and a great talent."

And a great brother.