January 22, 2020 Issue, Page 9 of 10

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Page 10 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma ‘Wednesday, January 22, 2020 OSU football alum took his first athletic director job at a school with shortcomings By Jenni Carlson, The ball player. They made nice A&M San Antonio. is its first athletic director. to ensure that you can move at UCO who became family. Oklahoman, Oklahoma pitches. They offered com- Never heard of it? He is building the program forward as a unit," he said. Being in Edmond for a de- City pelling reasons. But some- Texas A&M San Antonio from scratch. But as much as anything, cade created strong bonds Darnell Smith always thing he'd heard from his is a relatively young univer- "T love the challenge," he he learned patience. Every- and made the move bitter- wanted to be a college ath- mentors kept popping into sity, only a decade old. And said late last week via tele- thing couldn't be fixed in a sweet, but Smith knew Texas letic director. his head. athletics? The school hasn't phone. "Every opportunity flash. Steps had to be taken A&M San Antonio was why Over the past decade or "You'll know it," they fielded a team yet. It doesn't is a learning opportunity, every day to reach the ulti- he never felt the time or the so, he had opportunities would say, "when you know have facilities. Or coaches. and the idea of trying to do mate goal. place was right to become an to fulfill that goal. Several it.” Or players. Smith, who was -- I'm not going to say the He knows he'll need a sim- athletic director before. schools wanted to hire the None of the schools felt hired in December and for- impossible -- something that ilar approach at Texas A&M "It's a surreal moment," I never even conceived was San Antonio. Smith said, "but it's one of former Oklahoma State foot- quite right -- until Texas mally introduced last week, very, very appealing to me." Building facilities and hir- those when you feel like University president Cyn- ing staff are big-ticket items you've reached a goal and How Miami went from thia Teniente-Matson said Smith is focused on now. you worked so hard to get last week when Smith was Texas A&M San Antonio, there, you just can't believe formally introduced, "His after all, plans to field its first that it's done." nearly forgotten by the experience as a talented teams this fall. They will Now don't misunderstand administrator and a strong compete at the NAIA level -- he doesn't believe he's ar- advocate for the long-term and play in the Red River rived. He knows he has lots NFL to back on top as success of ethnic minorities Athletic Conference. Even to do. In addition to his work, and women ... make him though no new facilities he and wife, Candace, had a uniquely suited leader to are likely to be completed a baby in December. They ‘Super Bowl City’ oversee the implementation for practice or competition, now have two sons, a 4-year- of our athletics plan." Smith believes several teams old and a 1-month-old, and After Smith exhausted his taking the field later this year if that weren't enough, Smith football eligibility in 2006 is possible, namely men's is working to finish his doc- By Greg Cote, Miami son. annual Miami Open tennis -- he was a two-year starter and women's soccer. toral dissertation. Herald tournament. It would bring for the Cowboys at defen- "It's very, very big in the When does he sleep? MIAMI _ The idiom of With this 11th Super Bowl the College Football Play- sive end -- his first full-time conference," he said of soc- "Whenever my kid lets dangling a carrot in front of _ five in the old Orange job in college sports came at cer, "and especially here in me," he said. "I make it off (HRS hosts the 2020 one's nose sees its extreme in season national champion- New Mexico. He worked as San Antonio, especially the about two or three hours." Bowl and this will be the the NFL dangling the pros- sixth time in what is now ship game). It would attract the director of compliance He laughed. south side of San Antonio." pect of hosting Super Bowls Hard Rock, in the suburb of major music concerts like as the Lobos were coming Smith knows that, by the "Some people may say, in front of wide-eyed cities. Miami Gardens _ Greater the Rolling Stones. It would off serious NCAA sanctions way, because San Antonio "Darnell, you're crazy to try The perfume is powerful Miami breaks a tie and sur- lure one-off big events like from academic fraud in the is his hometown. He grew to take on all of this." enough to move mountains, passes New Orleans' 10 for Wrestlemania. And it would mid-2000s. up a military kid, and after Damell Smith doesn't see to see local governments the most ever, with Pasadena create a destination for ma- He then moved into com- attending school on Lack- any of this as a chore. He be- genuflect, to get new stadi- a distant third place with five jor international soccer in- pliance at the University of land Air Force Base in San lieves this is why those other ums built. Super Bowls hosted. cluding, Ross expects, 2026 Central Oklahoma in 2010 Antonio, he graduated high job options didn't feel right. In Miami, it was powerful Add this to Miami's claim World Cup matches here. He believes, too, being at as it dealt with the aftermath school from Taft on the north enough to convince Stephen to the title "Super Bowl Mostly, though, Ross’ fi- of major infractions, too. side of the city. this place at this time in his Ross to part with $350 mil- City": The Dolphins’ five nancial investment was The NCAA had slapped the He still has lots of family life is nothing but blessing lion. And the result is South Super Bowl team appear- made with Super Bowls in Edmond university with nu- in San Antonio. and opportunity. Florida's transformation to ances mean 16 of the first mind. With getting Miami merous sanctions after the "As I've become an athlet- "I believe the good Lord "Super Bowl City" - a place 54 SBs (or 30 percent) will back in the rotation. football program broke sev- was just kind of guiding the ic director, it is my duty and at the center of the NFL uni- have involved Miami as host "That weighed a lot," he eral major rules, including order of my steps," Smith responsibility now to then verse. or participant, comfortably says, "I'm hoping we'll have impermissible inducements "T felt like as long as I help someone else get over If he hadn't, the Kansas the most of any city or re- a Super Bowl at least once and extra benefits to players. just had faith ... I'd end up in that hump," he said. "Be- City Chiefs and the the San gion. every five years. The cities Smith learned lots in both the place He wanted me to ing African-American, it's Francisco 49ers would not But Miami as a Super in the rotation all the time places. be. It worked out that it's in important for me that I'm a be headed to Miami, where Bowl destination had dried should be Miami and Los "Problem solving. Work- my hometown with my fam- good role model, that I can the eyes of the world will be up after the 2010 game, per- Angeles." ing with campus constitu- ily, my friends." therefore help others and fixed on the biggest sporting haps permanently. ents. Having a plan in place He feels like he left friends blaze that pathway." event in America on Feb. 2. "Until Ross decided to Miami hosted three of the Miami and his Hard Rock write the big check," said Basketball and first five Super Bowls, so Stadium are only hosting Rodney Barreto, chairman the city's record-setting 11th of the Miami Super Bowl South Florida and the prom- Super Bow! this season be- ise of postcard weather were Host Committee since 1988. "That got us back in the appealing to the NFL from wrestling roundup cause Ross made that com- the start. mitment. The NFL had made game." that clear. The massive makeover But the league's interest in "Our stadium wasn't mod- featured giant video boards Miami began to sag as the ern and up to date and it re- in the four inside corners aging Orange Bowl did the ally wasn't a showcase," as of the stadium, additional same, and it took Robbie By Don Munsch, Editor Hydo 61, Merritt 38 Woodward, 73, Elk City Ross put it. "The league said suites, and an open-air can- building his brand new sta- Results from recent girls Tomlin-Sanders led with 60 they weren't coming back opy over the main seating dium to rekindle the league's basketball games: 12 points Gavin Chadwick led all to Miami unless we did up- areas. In the redesign capac- interest _ just as decades lat- Merritt 61, Riverside 46 Boys basketball Elks with 17 points in the grade the stadium." ity was reduced by around er it would take Ross' mas- Three Oilerettes scored in Elk City 73, Clinton JV 26 game played at Woodward. Ross, the Miami Dolphins 10,000, to roughly 65,500, sive makeover of the The double figures in the Thurs- Tres Hill led all Elk City Kane Craig and Drake owner, spent more than a but the higher percentage House That Joe Built to get day game of the Merritt scorers with 13 points, while Hughes each scored 10 third of a billion dollars in of premium seating meant the NFL's attention back. Classic: Joshlyn Tomlin- Kane Craig was second i points. a privately funded 2015-16 overall revenue increases for Every Super Bowl is his- Sanders, 16; Dayli Pollard, scoring with 12 points Wrestling facelift of the stadium Joe Ross (and for the NFL put- tory making, and the 10 in 14; and Blakely Barnett, 10. the game at the Clinton Hub The Elk City High School Robbie had built (also pri- ting Super Bowls here) even Miami have not fallen short. Hollis 63, Merritt 37 City Classic. Nate Jarel and team beat Woodward 57-21 vately funded) in 1987. That with the lower maximum at- In the briefest chronology, Tomlin-Sanders led all Corey Culver had 10 points we have hosted: Oilerettes with 12 points in each. to go to 3-2 on the season. is why Miami ended its 10- tendance. Super Bowl Week unof- the Friday game. Clinton 64, Elk City 42 The middle school team year drought, after previous- Ross funded the 20-month ficially kicks off on Jan. 27 Merritt 43, Mangum 42 Nate Jarel led the Elks won, 60-18. From the varsity ly last hosting a Super Bowl renovation for a number of following the 2009 season, reasons. with Super Bowl Opening Tomlin-Sanders led with with 15 points. match, Andrew Valdez, Will and earned the distinction It would benefit his Dol- Night, when both teams ap- 16 points. OKC Knights 61, Elk City Wright, Sam Leal, Junior of hosting the Super Bowl phins and other main ten- pear for interviews before Merritt 35, Sayre, 31 46 Arvizu and Felix Gonzales 54 game that will crown and ant, Hurricanes football. hundreds of gathered media Tomlin-Sanders led with Tate Trotter led all Elk each won by a pin. Aldo Ar- cap the league's 100th sea- It would attract the major at Marlins Park. 12 points. City scorers with 13 points. mendariz won by points. Nea a Good luck to all area Have a great season! student-athletes! America’s 2009 S. Main St, Elk City The Phillips Family Lor cally owned and operated for over 30 years 580-243-1200