Dandy Dozen: Rashad Smith ( with VIDEO)

By TRAVIS DOWNEY

travisd@nwfdailynews.com

Inspiration can come in many forms and in many places.

For Fort Walton Beach's Rashad Smith, it came in a bowling alley.

It was while bowling with some friends earlier this summer that Smith, the Daily News' reigning Defensive Player of the Year and 2008 Dandy Dozen selection, bumped into former Vikings' standout Raphael Ausley, who graduated as the school's all-time leading tackler.

"He was a beast in ‘04 with Glen Coffee," Smith recounted. "He had over 400 tackles at our school."

Already a highly-motivated individual, Smith left the lanes that night even more determined to leave his mark on the Vikings' program.

And what better place to start than at the top of the school's tackles list.

"I'm trying to beat his records, I'm trying to knock them out of there," Smith said.

As a junior, Smith was a wrecking ball himself.

Ninety-two tackles - 72 solos - 11 tackles for a loss, two sacks, two interceptions and three fumble recoveries.

"I think my strength last year was hitting people on the sweeps and ripping through blocks," Smith said.

Relentless in his pursuit of the football, Vikings' coach Mike Owens lauds Smith as one of the hardest workers - both on and off the field - he has ever come in contact with.

"I've never coached anybody that plays as hard as Rashad Smith," Owens said. "I've never seen anybody play as hard as him."

Still, Smith entered the offseason and summer strength and conditioning program eager to gain a step on his opponents.

"I wanted to get in the weightroom and get a little bit better and a little bit faster," Smith said.

A fast 40 time is nice, but for Smith, the game remains brutally simple - see the ballcarrier, hit the ballcarrier.

"When you see somebody pull, you have to go to the hole," Smith said.