At first, J’Mar Smith played defense like his father did all throughout his football career.

Kenny Smith, a 1997 graduate of Meridian High School, was a defensive lineman for the Wildcats, the Alabama Crimson Tide and in the NFL. His story started out at linebacker in middle school when he was at Northeast Lauderdale before he started attending Meridian in high school.

By that point, Kenny Smith was a member of the New England Patriots and teammates with Tom Brady, who played quarterback for Michigan in the Orange Bowl against Alabama during the 1999 season when Kenny Smith was a junior for the Crimson Tide. As fate would have it, J’Mar Smith ultimately ended up playing the same position as Brady, and he was signed as a free agent by New England following the 2020 NFL Draft.

“I actually took (J’Mar) up there my second trip up there,” Kenny Smith recalled of his stint with the Patriots. “I came out of the weight room and he was in the locker room throwing the ball with Tom, so I knew I had lost him as a defensive player that day.”

J’Mar Smith became a starter for Meridian at quarterback during his sophomore season, eventually earning a scholarship from Louisiana Tech to continue his football career. He started for the Bulldogs under center during his sophomore, junior and senior seasons and earned Conference USA Football Offensive Player of the Year honors this past fall. When Kenny Smith found out the Patriots signed his son, he said he couldn’t have been more proud.

“I was thrilled for him to get the call,” Kenny Smith said. “I knew the Patriots liked him.”

Kenny Smith never pressured his son into playing football — “I’m not stuck on my kid playing; it’s his life” — and football wasn’t a given for the elder Smith when he was young. 

“Growing up, I knew the sky was the limit for me,” Kenny Smith said. “I knew I had the ability but didn’t know how I would get to where I wanted to go. My mom told me I couldn’t play until I had the grades.”

After a standout career at Meridian, Kenny Smith signed with Alabama as a defensive lineman and was a member of the 1999 SEC Champion Crimson Tide squad. A third-round draft pick by New Orleans in 2001, Kenny Smith spent the next four years playing for the Saints and was also a member of the Oakland Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kansas City Chiefs and Patriots during his NFL career. By the time J’Mar Smith reached his teenage years, though, Kenny Smith said he knew it was time for him to quit football and be around his son more.

“I didn’t want to take any more time away from him,” Kenny Smith explained. “It was hard, but I wanted to be my son’s biggest fan.”

Now that his son is walking a similar path as him, Kenny Smith said his best advice for J’Mar Smith is to always carry himself as a professional and have fun with the experience.

“I just told him you never know who’s watching you, so just watch your back — meaning, do the right thing,” Kenny Smith said. “It can be easy to get off the right path. Nobody is perfect, and we all go through bad times in life. You just have to watch yourself and enjoy the (NFL) life.”

Due to Patriots team rules on rookies not speaking to the media, J’Mar Smith was not available to comment.