March 4, 2004

By Tiffani Listenbee
WSU Sports Information Office

Freshman Bobby Smith of Hillsborough, N.J., is nothing short of a true champion. The former New Jersey chess champion captured the title while only in middle school. Smith knew nothing about fencing until his freshman year of high school. During his interview with St. Benedict's Prep School, one of the interviewers happened to be a fencing coach. He recognized that Smith was a state chess champion and asked him if he wanted to play a sport much like physical chess. Smith, also a competitor of basketball, along with his fencing coach put the two sports together and created a fencing sensation.

Three months into fencing Smith took sixth place in the state among the freshman class and missed going to the semi-finals by just one touch. That is when Smith knew he fell in love with the sport.

"I loved it, it became something I really wanted to do," Smith says. "It's the only sport I've ever cried my first time losing."

Despite the negative comments of Smith never making it in life by a former teacher because he didn't conform to her ways, Smith went on to receive a scholarship from the Peter Westbrook Foundation in New York City by winning his age group. And for the fencing illiterates, Peter Westbrook has 13 U.S. National titles, three Pan-American Game Gold medals and a bronze medal in the 1984 Olympics. Westbrook's foundation is designed to teach fencing and importance of academic success for inner-city children. Following Smith's received scholarship, he was appointed to a three-time Olympic medalist to coach him. Smith has made appearances on CNN and ABC's Good Morning America demonstrating fencing techniques and strategies.

Surrounding himself with nothing less but fencing greats, Smith can't go wrong even if he tried. His good friend, Alexis Jemal of Rutgers University, is a three-time All-American and winner of the 2003 NCAA women's sabre title. Best friend Adam Crompton of Ohio State won the 2003 NCAA men's sabre title, was a first team All- American, oh and did I mention that Crompton is only a sophomore?

Searching for a school that met Smith's criteria of a quality undergraduate program (for his majors of pre-law and English), a reparable law school and a location in a big city with a diverse population.

"The choices kept dropping off and Wayne State kept popping up every time I kept talking to people about a good law school. And I found out they had a really good fencing team. So I made the call," Smith said.

Since Smith's arrival, he has been named to the Coach's Honor Roll for his excellence in the classroom. Smith posted a 9-3 mark at the Northwestern meet. He placed first in the 2003 Michigan Open going 15-8 and winning the men's sabre. Smith had a winning record of 16-9 in the sabre duals at Notre Dame, went 8-2 at the Cleveland State Duals and posted a perfect individual mark of 15-0 at the West vs. Central meet. Smith's fencing resumé resembles that of a graduating senior.

As a freshman, Smith has already adjusted well to the college setting, which takes most athletes at least the full year to adjust. Friendships with fellow athletes ease his mind, knowing that they are all experiencing the same thing.

"It doesn't matter what sport you play," Smith said. "Or what sport's better or what your record is, your people understand you."

Smith has defined himself as not a student-athlete but a "serious student-athlete," and yes, there is a difference.

"Athletics is my life, it's always been my life, and I love it," said Smith. " I'm competitive by nature in everything I do, but that also falls into school. I'm a student first and an athlete second. And sometimes it crosses over and gets the other way around, you need to decipher which one is more important."

Smith's study habits, which may sound very familiar to serious student-athletes, but foreign to regular students may seem a bit stressful. "There are people who don't have sports, who do the work and that's it, then they go and party, I can't. I go home I try not to pass out from exhaustion and then I try to hit the books keeping one eye open and one eye closed and switching every hour," Smith says of his study habits.

Although Smith has adjusted well to independence and time management, at times he finds himself homesick. He says that the people of the athletic department such as women's basketball head coach Gloria Bradley (also a native of New Jersey), Eva McGillivray (assistant sports information director) and athletic academic coordinator Jane Steinger help make Wayne State home. Smith admits that being the youngest and away from home is tough on him, but rougher on his mother.

"My first month here I got eight phone calls a day from my mother and when I got tired of it and didn't answer my phone, she proceeded to find out the number to the front desk of my residence hall," Smith said. "She would call the front desk, talk to one of the managers in charge, and asked her why I'm not picking up my phone and has she seen me."

Smith's career is blossoming at a rapid pace and not by chance, but because of old-fashioned hard work.

"I have four hours of practice that I put on myself. I have that extra hour that I do by myself and I have to work out to be that much better and that much faster," Smith said.

Experiencing so much success already, Smith had to reset his goals to now gain higher achievements.

"My new goal is to be an All-American by the end of my sophomore year," Smith said.

When asked about the sophomore jinx, Smith has never heard of such, but replied, "I don't think it can happen, I'm too determined, I'm too focused." Smith wants to be number one in the country, and you can feel his passion and focus by just talking to him, but that would mean one thing, he would have to beat his best friend.