DE Assistant Sports Editor

Imagine being a freshman, third-string quarterback expecting only to learn the team’s offensive system and, before midseason, being thrust into the starting role.

This happened to Saluki sophomore quarterback Danny Smith when he was a member of the University of Miami (Ohio) football team in 1993.

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I would say at Miami, I was surprised and overwhelmed, Smith said, I went into camp with two majorly sprained ankles and I never thought I would play my freshman year, anyway.

Then, all of a sudden, two quarterbacks go down, and then it was me. I was really unprepared.

After a year at Miami, where he completed 92 passes for 982 yards in seven games, Smith said he took a hiatus from the game.

I was really tired, he said. I was really immature and I had to do a lot of growing up.

It may not have been the best decision to leave (football), and to this day, I still regret it. But, now that I’m back, the regret is in the past.

Smith’s putting his past behind him showed Saturday, when he was again thrust into the spotlight against Murray State.

Saluki head coach Shawn Watson pulled starting quarterback Reggie Kennedy after a rough first half, and gave Smith the nod in the second half.

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Smith responded by completing 7 passes for 83 yards in one half of action and may have played his way into the starting job against Arkansas State, Sept. 16.

Despite the Dawgs falling 35-3 to Murray State, Smith said he felt more comfortable Saturday as a Saluki than he ever did at Miami.

Here, I feel like I’ve had to really work and really strive to get the starting position, and I feel really comfortable, he said. At Miami, I was unsure of myself at times here, I’m not at all.

Although he will be the Salukis’ second starting quarterback in three weeks, Smith said there is animosity among the signal callers.

Reggie and I, we’re real close along with Chris (Schullian) and we help each other out, and that’s why I think that we’re growing as a unit at that position, he said. I was helping Reggie in the first half last week, telling him what I saw (on the field).

Even after he (Kennedy) came out, he’d come to me every time I would come off the field and just tell me what was going on, or don’t worry, shake it off.’