Darrin Smith 2025 NFF COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS

Darrin Smith

By Matt Fortuna

Darrin Smith took his mother to a doctor's appointment. The two of them left the office with a double-dose of good news. His mother was fine, first and foremost.

While there, though, Smith received an unexpected call from John Routh, the executive director of the Miami Sports Hall of Fame who also used to perform as Sebastian the Ibis. Turns out Smith was about to gain more notoriety than the Hurricanes' famed mascot. Routh informed Smith that he was getting into the NFF College Football Hall of Fame, making him the 10th former Miami player to make the Hall.

Smith joins former Miami teammates such as Gino Torretta (2009) and Russell Maryland (2011), along with his college coach, Dennis Erickson (2019), and the man who recruited him, Jimmy Johnson (2012). Johnson was among the many congratulatory callers in the aftermath of the news. Given that Smith went on to play for him in the NFL, it only made sense.

"When Jimmy left (Miami) I was like, Oh man, I hate this, because this is the guy that brought me in," Smith said. "But I didn't know how later on in my life he would be so impactful because he would be the same guy that drafted me to Dallas."

Hailing from Miami Norland High, Smith burst onto the scene from the get-go, helping the Hurricanes win national titles in his freshman (1989) and junior (1991) seasons. He starred with fellow linebackers Micheal Barrow and Jessie Armstead to form the famed "Bermuda Triangle" in the middle of the Miami defense, tallying 401 career tackles, 10 sacks, 15 tackles for loss and 24 pass breakups.

"Sometimes it's hard for me to really appreciate (my accomplishments)," Smith said. "When I think about all those guys I played with: The Russell Marylands, the Cortez Kennedys, those defensive linemen who were so great, who were probably the biggest part of us having great success at UM, especially the linebackers. We had some great defensive linemen in front of us that really allowed us to go and play and be successful."

The Hurricanes went 44-4 during Smith's career. They never finished lower than No. 3 in the major polls. Smith fell in love with Miami when he was 13, as one of his two older brothers took hm to his first college football game: the Orange Bowl against Nebraska to close out the 1983 season. As he learned more and more about The U over the years, he'd hear names such as Alonzo Highsmith, Melvin Bratton and Brett Perriman - all of whom were locals. Randy Shannon was just a few years ahead of Smith at Miami Norland, too.

The youngest of five siblings, Smith lost his dad when he was just 3 years old. He credits his mother and his youth coaches for filling the void in his life and allowing him to blossom into the man and football player he became.

"She raised all five of us on her own, and it was those coaches that kind of stepped into my life in a father figure role," Smith said. "So, I was looking to these coaches to not only be a football coach, but for guidance as far as what a man is."

That meant stressing academics as much as athletics. Smith can't help but say that he was "truly, truly blessed" to experience everything that he has, as he played 12 NFL seasons for four teams, winning back-to-back Super Bowls with the Cowboys. But he is just as proud of the work that he has done in his post-playing career, paying forward the lessons that his mentors had taught him.

He is now a chaplain and youth football coach who is heavily involved with several charitable endeavors, including founding "Project 59" to assist children academically.

"To be part of that team, to be around those great players, it was incredible to win two national championships with that team," Smith said. "But my main goal when I went to college was not just to win, because I really in my mind didn't think I was good enough to even be on that team. So, I worked really hard to graduate. I ended up getting two, my undergrad and my master's degree, before I got drafted because I was like, Man, I just want to get everything out of this school before I get out of here and go into the real world. I wasn't even sure about the NFL."