Former PSU QB now focusing on teaching career

For the first time in five years, Mark Smith was not at Carnie Smith Stadium in preparation for the first day of spring workouts.
Smith, who was Pittsburg State’s starting quarterback for the last two years, found himself Tuesday getting ready for teacher interviews instead of preparing for, what was supposed to be the early-morning start to spring drills.
However, heavy rains, lightning and thunder keep the Gorillas off the field.
“I heard that it was raining too much, so I am glad that I did not get up,” Smith said. “I am student-teaching in Girard so, I have to get up anyway.
“I would’ve liked to have been at practice.”
Smith, who is second on the Gorillas all-time single season yardage list behind Andy Majors after passing for 2,163 yards last season.
Now, Smith is embarking on a new part of his life in searching for a job as a history teacher and coach.
“It has been going really good,” Smith said. “They are the first interviews that I have done, so it has been a really good experience.”
For Smith, however, the adjustment from looking for a career instead of not getting up for morning drills has been good and bad.
“It is and it isn’t” Smith said. “I enjoyed my five years at Pitt State more than anything but, we have a lot of good quarterbacks and it will be interesting to see who gets the job next year.”
But, he said, it is time to start a new chapter of his life.
“I know that football was one of the biggest parts of my life but, it is time to move on,” Smith said. “I look forward to just being a spectator and watching the Gorillas next season.”
That does not mean that Smith will not still be rooting for Pitt State, no matter where he winds up as a teacher.
“If I can get a job close I will watch, but even if I have to drive, I will make all of the home games,” Smith said. “Once a gorilla always a Gorilla and it will be good to watch all of my old buddies back on the field.”
With a potential quarterback battle for the starting job, there are some in contention — John McCoy, Mark’s younger brother Jeff Smith and junior college transfer Zac Dickey — that may be seeking some advice from the person who spent a lot of time under center for the Gorillas.
“I have learned so much from Mark and Jeff growing up together,” said Dickey, who transferred from Fort Scott Community College and played behind Jeff and Mark at St. Mary’s-Colgan High School. “They were both ahead of me and I was learning how to play the game from both of them.
“Mark is really where I learned how to be a quarterback. He was who I tried to emulate and look up to.”
But, Mark said that there are no favorites for him when it comes to who may replace him on the field for the 2009 season.
“I am sure that John is the front-runner this year because he was my back-up,” Mark said. “They brought in Zac Dickey and he has been doing well and Jeff is finally healthy.
“They are going to have to go out and earn it. I wish them all the best.”
Mark said that if any of them wanted advice, his door is always open.
“I have not really got a chance to see a lot of them this year, but if they want advice, I would be more than glad to give it to them,” Mark said.
But, Dickey said that it is time for those on the field to step up and try to be as good as they can be.
“I haven’t really talked to him that much,” Dickey said. “There is not much that I would know to ask him. I see him a lot and we chat and me, Jeff and John know that we just have to go out and do what we can, the best we can.”
And, if the Gorillas go far during the season, Mark said that he will not have any regrets about his time as the Pitt State quarterback.
“I will feel great if they go far next season,” Mark said. “I hope we beat Northwest twice this year ... I will not be mad about that at all.”

Matthew Clark can be reached at matthew.clark@morningsun.net or at 620-231-2600, Ext. 140. Follow Morning Sun sports at twitter.com/mssports.