CARROLLTON - A typical summer for a teenage kid consists of getting plenty of fresh air, going to camps of different varieties, goofing off, and most importantly enjoying oneself.
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For Jerrett Smith he hardly had the chance to do any of that.
“I’m just now getting back into the swing of things and summer’s already over, so that kind of sucked,” Smith said.
The star Carrollton athlete, who racked up 1,434 all-purpose yards, 17 total touchdowns, and 143 tackles was picking up injuries left and right during the football and basketball seasons last year.
He picked up minor injuries during the football season, but during the middle of the basketball season he injured his right elbow.
However, Smith played through it and actually enjoyed some of his best basketball of his career, but then he rolled his ankle with a couple weeks to go in the season and was never 100 percent from there on out.
The first big setback occurred when he broke his nose right before baseball started.
“I took off baseball because I was getting my nose worked on and I got to work out and get back in the swing of things,” Smith said. “Then I had that surgery and it took me out of that. After that I got back into the swing of things again, then I had my knee surgery and that took me out.”
When Smith was cleared to play, he was involved with the football team’s first 7-on-7 as well as the first four summer basketball games.
That’s when he suffered a knee injury by tearing his meniscus.
It didn’t take too long to fully recover, but part of the healing process to a meniscus is to not sweat at all.
That meant Smith had to stay inside for three weeks, literally.
“It was so hot that I just had to sit inside. I couldn’t even go outside or else I’d start sweating.”
Being the hard worker that he is on and off the field, having been reduced to not going outside and finding activities indoors was mentally a bit of torture.
“It sucked. I started getting headaches because I was watching too much TV and stuff. Just bad.”
It’s not the first time that Netflix and chill has caused headaches to someone.
But that wasn’t it.
During that time, his broken nose was so swollen to the point that his vision was somewhat impaired.
“With my nose, my eyes swelled almost completely shut.”
Smith soldiered on and finally was given the go-ahead a week ago.
So how does it feel to be back out on the football field with his team?
“Great,” Smith said.
He was involved with the Hawks on Saturday and helped them win the Hawk Pride 7-on-7 Tournament on a hot and humid day.
Coming off of what he endured the past several weeks, being outside and competing with the Hawks was like heaven for Smith, who had no complaints whatsoever, sort of.
“Even though it was hot and muggy and it kind of sucked at times I’d rather have it this way than the other.”
Like the rest of the community, Smith is excited for what Carrollton has in store for the up coming football season as he’s expected to be one of the leaders.
“I was excited as soon as basketball got over. I’m giddy and ready to go.”Dan Brannan also contributed to this story.
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