Athlete of the Week - Eli Smith

Dedication, hard work, long committed hours, and a positive attitude have helped senior Eli Smith make an impact on the White County High School Warriors football and baseball team this season.

When asked about one game that stood out to Smith this season, he pointed out a big game for the team, which was against their rival team, Cookeville. This game stood out for him due to the fact that, no matter how much the momentum changed, the team didn't let it affect them. 

Smith believes his biggest improvement throughout this season has been his physicality alongside improving his football IQ as a whole.

As Smith has continued to grow as a player, he credits his brother for being his biggest influence in sports. While his brother didn’t play football, Smith believes the two have always been competitive, and playing sports together has helped them build their bond. 

Facing many challenges over the last 5 years, he has been playing football, but one has stood out the most. When asked about it, Smith said, “My biggest challenge was tearing my labrum my junior year and missing the entire baseball season.”

Although this was difficult and a big setback for Smith, this experience helped Smith remember to keep a positive attitude and to continue to work through big challenges.

“The biggest lesson sports have taught me is probably just to always keep a positive mindset about things and to never complain,” said Smith.

Outside of being an athlete, Smith enjoys getting to spend quality time with his friends. While athletics have taught him many different things like the value of hard work and competition, it has also given him the opportunity to build relationships with his teammates and continue to make new friends.  However, when it comes to football, his main focus is to keep helping his team succeed. 

Smith believes the key to his and the team's success this season has been taking every game this season one play at a time. 

As the Warriors continue into their last few games of the season, Smith remains focused on improving his game and continuing to contribute to the team's success.

Through his growth on defense, his continued growth of his football IQ and his commitment to keeping a positive attitude on the field, Smith demonstrates the importance of staying focused on what's happening in the moment and not being distracted by the outcome of things.