A new Smith starring for SL

AMELIA KUNHARDT/The Patriot Ledger

Dee Smith helped break the game open for Silver Lake against New Bedford on Friday.

By Justin A. Rice

For The Patriot Ledger

Posted Sep 22, 2008 @ 01:21 AM

Last update Sep 22, 2008 @ 01:25 AM

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QUINCY — Dee Smith might’ve started the process of following in his brother Jeff’s footsteps on Friday night, returning the first kickoff of his Silver Lake Regional football career for a touchdown. But the younger Smith wants to be clear that he’s his own man.

After all, the day after the younger Smith went 85 yards for a touchdown to lift Silver Lake to a 28-16 victory against New Bedford, the elder Smith, a renowned Boston College returner, could only muster a 56-yard return on Saturday to set up the Eagles’ go-ahead score – and eventual win – against Central Florida.

“It’s hard: a lot of people expect me to be like him, but I’m my own person,” the Silver Lake senior from Plympton said of his brother, who surprisingly returned to the Eagles’ lineup this season after suffering several concussions as a sophomore. “But I still look up to a lot of the things he does. I was actually really impressed (with Jeff’s return). I thought he was gonna go all the way. I thought it was a good motivational boost for the team.”

Dee’s kickoff return on Friday was a motivational boost in its own right. After New Bedford scored three points on the opening drive, Silver Lake (2-0) responded with Smith’s touchdown that came off a brand new blocking scheme. More impressive than scoring on that first time was that Dee had missed several practices with strep throat-like symptoms.

“I was pretty sick,” Dee said. “I came back and this is what they came up with. It was good. It worked; the blocking was perfect. Coach (Dana Battista) decided it would be a good change. Instead of a wedge up middle he saw an opportunity to get to 50-yard line on the return. He had everyone run over to sidelines make a wall.”

The younger Smith, who is keeping his options open about college, said even though he doesn’t like to be compared to his brother, he still takes his advice about kick returning. In 2006, the elder Smith returned 23 kicks for 645 yards (28.0 average), placing him first in the Atlantic Coast Conference and eighth in the nation in kickoff returns.

“He usually tells me to try to use my instincts and not to overthink it,” Dee said, “because otherwise you could freeze up and he just wants me to use my speed.”