Dec. 18, 2006

Troy Smith is kicking the door down in 2006. He's consistently out-competing players by using his quickness and determination. He executes the game plan against defenders who are bigger than he is and, on paper, should stop him.

But this isn't in reference to college football's Heisman Trophy campaign and the great Troy Smith from Ohio State University. There's another Troy Smith who resides in Northeastern Colorado. He's not a quarterback and he doesn't wear scarlet and silver.

This Troy Smith, a guard on the Northeastern Junior College basketball team, won't take home any college football hardware this year like his counterpart from Columbus, Ohio. But NJC basketball's Troy Smith is making a quick splash on the junior college basketball scene. And he's doing it with the play-making ability, speed and quickness that is comparable to the Buckeyes' Troy Smith.

"He's a competitor like me," NJC's Troy Smith said about the Ohio State quarterback. "He goes out to win, no matter what."

NJC Troy Smith's will to win extends far beyond the Bank of Colorado Event Center where he plays the role of "sixth man." The freshman from Baltimore has a passion for using the free enterprise system to benefit himself and his family. The momentum he's building toward success keeps him motivated when it comes to surviving as a college student and basketball player.

"I have a two-year-old daughter who's legally blind, and she strengthens me," Smith said. "I want to help her live and overcome that obstacle and be successful. The only way I can do that is to be successful myself so I can create the right opportunities for her."

This motivation to succeed as a business man stems from an overwhelming fire inside Smith to help people help themselves. It stems from a history he has of seeing the people close to him struggle.

"I was in the streets," Smith said. "It's not something I'm proud of but I was there. I see my boys, and they're in a position where they feel like there is nothing they can do to get out of that lifestyle. It's an environment where not many people want to see you succeed. And I don't want to just go talk about my success story to these people. I want to create a happier life for them."

Smith believes he has the solution to improve the lifestyle of the people back in an area of Baltimore where people often give up hope for a better environment. He's dedicated to his movement because he's seen all the horrors of street life, first-hand.

"I realize that it takes help and family support to get opportunities. I got support, so now I'm in school and playing basketball," Smith said. "So I want to put people in a position to be successful by giving them that support some day. I want to do it by helping one person at a time. That's the only way it will work. If I can get to know people in bad situations, and focus on them one by one, I can help more people in the long run."

One key ingredient Smith is building his new life with is direction. He already has an official name for his cause and vision...H.O.M.E. or Helping Out My Environment. And just like his mindset on the court, Smith believes his mission is unstoppable. He said all he lacks is a little financial backing which he says will come as he progresses through college and basketball.

"My dream is to be financially stable enough to take people out of the environment I was in. But to put people in position to be successful, I have to be successful myself and have money," Smith said. "When help is not there for people, they tend to get in trouble. That's how it was for me. I got some support and now I'm on the right track."

Smith said he's looking for the right advice from a qualified expert to see this thing through.

"I'd like to sit down and talk to any business man interested in a young mind," Smith said. "I know I can't get H.O.M.E. going now because I'm focused in basketball. But I want to get with an established business leader to talk about what support I need and everything it takes for my idea to work. I want to be ahead of the game by the time I can start my business."

On the court, Smith excels with the same aggressive approach he plans to take into the business world. He likes to create opportunities for himself and for others by going strong to the basket without fear in order to open things up for his teammates.

"Why not try to make my teammate look good," Smith said. "Because at the end of the day, I look good, too, since I passed him the ball. I have confidence that I can score every time I touch the ball, but I'm playing for a bigger dream of a national championship. To get that, we're going to need everybody involved."

Smith is averaging just under 10 points a game for the 12-1 Plainsmen basketball team. And as the first player off the bench for Head Coach Eddie Trenkle, Smith has filled up more of the stat sheet that just the "points per game" column. Smith is pulling down almost four rebounds a game while dishing out two assists per contest. He's making the most of his 19 minutes of playing time he gets every game.

"Whether I start or come off the bench really doesn't matter," Smith said. "It comes down to winning. All I know is that when I'm in the game, the guy I'm guarding and the guy guarding me won't get any time off. Coach Trenkle knows what he's going to get from me...100 percent. He's (Trenkle) giving me an opportunity to make a better life for myself and build my name, so I'll do whatever it takes to help us win."

Smith is also doing everything he can to shed the label of "Tyler's younger brother." To say that Tyler Smith was a stud for the NJC hoops program would be an understatement. He averaged 20 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals a game last year in his sophomore season.

"I can't shake that label and I don't want to," Troy Smith said of being compared to his brother. "Hey, he's good. And if we're both successful, it's only going to build the family name for business and for helping other people. And with us two leading our family, we can't be stopped."

Troy said Tyler taught him to "play like there is nobody guarding you." And there is nothing else guarding Troy's success; now that he's driven past his negative environment. He just hopes he can help the next "Troy Smith"