By Elton Hayes

ehayes@themeridianstar.com

Chris Smith, who was shot and killed Friday night at Frank Berry Courts, is being remembered not just for his dominating presence and acumen as a football player, but also for his off the field camaraderie and his devotion to being a good father.

Smith was a member of the 2008 Wildcat football team that snapped South Panola’s 89-game win streak to win the Mississippi High School Athletic Association Class 5A state championship.

Former Wildcat head coach Larry Weems’ first year at Meridian was also Smith’s.

“He was a really good player — always competitive,” Weems said. “It was always important for him to win, and he didn’t want to lose in anything. He was always intense. He was an outstanding player who worked hard and learned his trade. He ended up being a good player and had an opportunity to go to college to get his degree. I was really proud of him.”

Kevin Roberts played with Smith at Meridian and was also a member of the 2008 championship team. The two shared a friendship that began at the youth football level, and, according to Roberts, remained just as strong over the years.

“I just talked to his mother today, and she was telling me, ‘I still remember when you hit my baby so hard’ when we played pee-wee league football — because we played against each other and they beat us in the Super Bowl that year,” Roberts said. “That’s when I first met him. From that day on we stayed in touch, and somehow we ended up going to the same school and stayed in touch and grew up together.”

Roberts said Smith could be counted on as a confidant beyond the football field, as well.

“As a friend, he was everything you could ask for,” Roberts, who is now Meridian’s defensive backs coach, said. “He was a funny guy. We always used to joke and say that if he didn’t play football, he could be a comedian because he would always make people laugh. If he was still here, he’s the type of person who would try to turn the negative situation into a positive one. He was just a very likeable guy.”

In his 14-1 senior season at Meridian, Smith — who also lettered in track, basketball and soccer — led the Wildcats with 1,076 receiving yards and was second on the team in receiving touchdowns with 10.

During Smith’s recruitment, Rivals ranked the then-6-foot-1, 191-pound wideout No. 31 nationally and No. 7 overall recruit in Mississippi, and he garnered a number of First-Team All-State selections by state media outlets.

Smith committed to Mississippi State in 2008 and played in 10 games — including two starts — as a freshman in 2009. He ended his Bulldog career with 109 receptions, 1,180 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

Upon leaving Starkville, Smith returned to Meridian, where he resided at the time of his death.

“He had a talent at a young age in high school, and stepped up to the plate as a dad,” Roberts said. “That’s what he is now. He took care of his kids and would bend over backwards for them. We talked every day.”