Outside linebacker Nick Smith won't have to travel far from home when he arrives for the start of summer B classes at UF later this month with the rest of the 2017 signees.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Smith, a three-star recruit out of Orlando (Fla.) Dr. Phillips High School, de-committed from N.C. State in mid-January - and then a week after visiting Florida during the weekend of Jan. 20, he announced his commitment to the Gators.
Today, it's time to learn a little bit more about Smith on a personal level in this edition of Getting to Know.
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I know you were looked at by a bunch of different schools. What led you to choose the University of Florida?
"On my official visit, it honestly felt like home. I was up at Michigan State before because that was one of my final two schools. I felt like I didn’t relate to the players and coaches like I did at Florida. So, when it came down to it, Florida was my final decision."
Take us through the process that led to your commitment. What was that experience like for you?
"When I was UF, it was a great atmosphere. It felt like it was place that I could call home for the next four years. On my last day, I had a meeting with Coach McElwain, and I decided to pull the trigger."
What would you say are some of your greatest strengths as a football player?
"I think my versatility is a big part of how I play. I’m not just somebody who’s out there who’s just going to play the run. I can play the pass, I can come off of the edge. If you need me, you can move me down to defensive end. I think I’m athletic enough that, if you had to, I can go back and play some strong safety."
Who would you compare your skill set to in the NFL?
"Most likely Von Miller. I don’t think that there’s a linebacker right now that could rush off the edge as well as I can. If we bring in a different formation and they need a Defensive End to come down, I can go from linebacker and rush off the edge."
What city would you love to live in right now if you could drop everything and move there?
"It would probably be Los Angeles or Tampa."
What would be your first purchase if you get drafted in the first round?
"I have to get my mom a BMW. I remember in the third grade, she told me she wanted a BMW."
What item can you not live without?
"I would say my PS4. I play 2K, Madden, Black Ops, all of that."
What's your favorite professional team in any sport?
"In the NBA, the Lakers. I don’t really have a favorite team in the NFL. Maybe the Vikings."
In football or in any sport, who is your favorite professional player?
"I would say Kevin Garnett. I just like the emotion and the passion that he plays with. He plays like every game is his last. He comes out and gives it his all no matter what."
What is your favorite type of music and who is your favorite artist?
"My favorite music is rap, but I don’t have a particular artist. I listen to a little bit of everybody. I listen to Tee Grizzley, Lud Foe, and Kodak Black."
What is your favorite movie?
"It might be Suicide Squad. I don’t really have a favorite movie, I just like superhero movies like Civil War and that new Thor movie that’s about to come out. I’ve got to see the new Guardians of the Galaxy."
Favorite TV show?
"Prison Break."
What is one thing about you that the Gator Nation would be surprised to find out about?
"The energy that I play with. It’s not just on the field, it’s also off the field. I think I’m a pretty happy person. I’m always out playing around and jumping around. But I know when it’s time to get serious."
Where do you see yourself in five years?
"In the NFL.
What are a few things on your bucket list?
"I want to go skydiving. I want to get a pick-six in the NFL. I want to jump in the crowd."
Who has been the biggest role model for you in your life?
"My mom and my dad. My dad pretty much showed me and gave me little tips about what I need to do. He always taught me that things aren’t going to be handed to me. I have to earn it. And my mom, I just watched how hard she worked. For as long as I could remember, she has done everything that she could do for us. She’s done a lot of it by herself. The things that she’s done…I don’t think that I would ever be able to do."
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