Meridian High School ’ s J ’ Mar Smith scrambles out of the pocket as he looks for a receiver against Neshoba Central High School . Aug . 15 , 2014 . Paula Merrit , The Meridian Star .
“ I was a senior when he came to this earth , so being able to see your son there , and I ’ m sure him knowing I was on the same field , it ’ s kind of a spark for both sides ,” Kenny said .
J ’ Mar watched former Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year Tyler Russell lead the Wildcats to a 26-20 win over South Panola in the 2008 5A State Championship , breaking the Tigers ’ 89-game win streak . At that moment , he knew what fans expected of the starting MHS quarterback .
“ There ’ s a lot of guys that we ’ ve had at quarterback that could throw the ball , run the ball ,” he said . “ For me to be one of the ninth graders who came through Meridian High and had a chance to play and start at quarterback in ninth grade , it was a big responsibility . Everybody in Meridian knows sports is life , especially football and basketball .”
He said he thought a couple of his Meridian teams were good enough to win state titles , but they came up short . Still , J ’ Mar displayed his talents . He often exceeded expectations , leading his team to a district championship as a freshman while throwing for 2,565 yards with a 62.8 % completion percentage , 26 touchdowns and no interceptions as a senior .
J ’ Mar ’ s dad said he knew his son would be good enough to play in college , but he also knew J ’ Mar had to drop weight to stay at quarterback at the next level . J ’ Mar conditioned his body over the course of his high school career ,
As a quarterback , as a player , as a football person , you should compete . As a person in general , you should compete in your daily life . It just makes things fun , it makes things better , it makes things competitive .
J ’ Mar Smith
Louisiana Tech quarterback J ’ Mar Smith is shown in the first half of an NCAA college football game against LSU in Baton Rouge , La ., on Sept . 22 , 2018 . AP Photo / Tyler Kaufman
trading excess fat for muscle until he stood 6-foot-1 , 215- pounds by his senior year .
It was during that time when football and baseball scouts were targeting J ’ Mar , who 247Sports ranked as the No . 31 quarterback in the 2015 recruiting class .
He was recruited by several Southeastern Conference schools , including Alabama where his father played . The Crimson Tide staff wanted J ’ Mar to switch to defense . Additionally , Ole Miss targeted him as a linebacker . Instead , he set his sights on Mississippi State , which started recruiting him during his freshman year .
However , the dream to play for the Bulldogs never came to fruition because State pulled J ’ Mar ’ s offer in 2014 after two quarterbacks committed before him . He said he was planning on committing at State ’ s next game while on a visit that weekend , but he found out from a reporter that his offer was pulled .
“ That was a bummer because I really did want to go to Mississippi State ,” he said .
J ’ Mar wanted to either become a high draft pick in the Major League Baseball or play both of his sports in college at a high level , and he spent a few months prior to his senior year focusing exclusively on baseball so he might achieve one of those goals . That led the San Diego Padres to draft him in the 24th round of the 2015 MLB Draft , but the organization could not convince him to sign .
Louisiana Tech fans can thank Tim Rattay , LA Tech ’ s
18 • MERIDIAN LIFE