INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla. — Sitting between Fort Pierce and Vero Beach, Gifford is kind of a forgotten city.
"Gifford is, I wouldn't say, small, but it is. Everybody knows everybody," said Indianapolis Colts Defensive Tackle, Tim Smith.
WATCH BELOW: 'It's time to get to work,' Tim Smith tells WPTV's Kendall Hyde
Well, that small town birthed a gem.
"With Tim, he's always been a team guy," said Tyrone Perry, the Sebastian River High School football coach, who coached Smith for four years.
Smith learned his team values on the baseball diamond.
"Gifford Park, where my Little League team was, was right around the corner from my house," said Smith. "So, some days I would just have my bat and glove in one hand, and I'm just going out there to go to practice.”
While baseball was his first love, things would change his first year at Sebastian River High School, coaches couldn't help but notice his size.
"He was big," said Perry, who is correct, because as a freshman, Smith stood 6-foot-3 and weighed 300 pounds.
His size led coaches to beg his mom to allow him on the football team. After his mom OK'ed his football journey, he was a player on the field and in the bleachers.
"Yeah, I'm out there playing football and performing at halftime in my uniform," Smith said.
While playing time was minimal his freshman year, he was able to play in the school band. He was one of the band's marimba players for a year. His sophomore year, he quit the band, and lets just say things on the football field picked up.
"Shoot, sophomore year, I ended up getting offered by Alabama," said Smith.
Of course, when Nick Saban offers you a scholarship, you accept, but year one for the Alabama Crimson Tide was anything but easy.
"I was being immature and irresponsible. I jumped up from 315 to 352 pounds," said Smith.
He dedicated that offseason to weight loss and learning the playbook, and it paid off.
"In the 'Natty,' we played Ohio State. I think my first play of the game; I double back up the middle and got a hit on Justin Fields," said Smith.
That lone play created a monster for the rest of his time playing college football at Alabama.
At 6'4, and over 306 pounds, Smith played in 64 games, racked up 14 tackles for loss, and six and a half sacks. Those numbers were enough to have Smith selected in the sixth round of the 2025 draft by the Indianapolis Colts.
"It was a lot of emotions running, but I knew wherever I ended up, it's time to get to work," said Smith.
Just months into his NFL journey, Smith is already facing a harsh reality.
"Those O-Linemen are strong as an ox, boy. Like they got two to three kids at home,” said a laughing Smith.
While he's still getting acclimated to the league's physicality, he's happy to be representing Gifford as he finds his way.
Tim, we look forward to watching you on Sundays.
