Community Garden Magazine Community Garden Magazine Issue 14 October 2016 | Page 10

Meet Vincent Smith, recipient of
Jadeveon Clowney's famous hit and
community activist
Eric Adelson
Yahoo Sports Oct 23, 2013, 11:16 PM
The name Vincent Smith doesn't register with a lot of college football fans.
The image of Vincent Smith in January's Outback Bowl? Everyone knows that.
Smith is the former Michigan running back who was blasted by Jadeveon Clowney late
in that game. More accurately, Clowney ran straight through him. The crushing hit
forced a fumble, changed the momentum of the game, and launched the South Carolina
pass rusher into football fame. There was even off-season debate about whether
Clowney would have gotten ejected under the new rules for his ferocious tackle.
But what became of Smith? What happened to the victim of one of the most famous
tackles in college football history? And what's it like turning on the TV every weekend
and seeing a highlight of yourself getting separated from the ball and your helmet?
First and foremost: Smith is OK. He was OK right after the hit, too. He went through the
concussion testing protocol and went right back into the game. "I didn't miss a series,"
he says. "I didn't miss a play.
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