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Story & Photos by Kevin
Pakos for Arizona Sports Network Radio. Posted
8/6/17
Country Boys Can Survive. Jeremiah Smith grew
up in Wyoming. A state with amazing history,
views and people. From the Snake River to
historic Cheyene it is a place were heaven
touches earth everyday. How could anyone leave
that. Well, find some place that is just as
awesome.
Jeremiah calls Flagstaff, Arizona home and is
proud to do so..He and his family love it here.
The views, four seasons, internationaly
recognized landmarks like the Grand Canyon, Snow
Bowl and more just a short trip away.
But the thing he loves most about Flagstaff. The
people. He teaches history, coaches football and
works hard to leave things, everday, better for
the people he serves. He speaks of his students,
players, coaches, school colleagues and admin as if
they were his family. He shares their pride,
hopes and dreams.
This will be the fourth season for Coach Smith
as shot caller for the Coconino Panthers High
School Football team. He has another young team
that has only a few seniors on it. The team
plays a tough schedule in 4A, the Grand Canyon
region. The squad will take more than a few
three hour plus bus rides this season.
I met Jeremiah because of football. He played in
the Arizona Football League when he arrived here
from WYO. One of his teammates was a lineman
name Deuce Lutui. You may know of him. He met
his wife, Jaime while playing quarterback in the
AzFL. Together they ran the Flagstaff
Hitmen, a
club team that helped over two dozen men restart
their college football careers.
If Jeremiah has a fault, it is being unable to
say no to a kid that might have a future in the
game. He takes their interests very seriously.
Since his arrival at Coco, the number of student
athletes going to college keeps rising each
year.
I sat with him for a few minutes on a beautiful
August night in Flagstaff to get his thoughts on
this upcoming season. You will enjoy the
inteview, it was a conversation with a man about
the thing he loves most. His family. The young
players on the Panthers are in good hands.
Jeremiah, he is home, in a an amazing city,
surrounded by people that make him thankful
every day. Listen, enjoy, share the audio link
with friends.
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