When building a brand new soccer club, the process begins with recruiting an entire roster ready for the first match of the season. As the season moves on, however, clubs make moves and acquisitions to continue to grow and evolve. Rhode Island FC made sure that Collin Smith was one of those in-season acquisitions.
Collin Smith joined Rhode Island FC after most recently playing for MLS Next Pro side New England Revolution II. Prior to finding his way to New England, Smith spent the 2023 season as a regular member of the starting 11 for Birmingham Legion FC on loan from FC Dallas.
Smith didn’t always know the direction his career would go and had to make some important decisions in his life to get him where he is today. In his second USL Championship season, Smith is proud to represent both where he came from and his new home in the Ocean State.
Here are five things to know about the defender:
Alabama Roots Through and Through
Smith was born in Jacksonville, Florida and grew up in Dallas, Texas but his family ties lie deep in Alabama. His mother was born in Eufaula, Alabama and his father in Mobile, Alabama. The couple met while studying at the University of Alabama. Smith has always embraced his family connection to the University and enjoys every trip to Bryant-Denny Stadium to watch college football as a loyal fan of the Crimson Tide.
Many members of Smith’s family continue to reside in Alabama including his 88-year-old great grandmother who lives in Clayton, Alabama. And while Smith’s immediate family decided to make the move from Alabama to Dallas, Texas, where much of Smith’s athletic success would begin, Smith made another return to Alabama last year while on loan at Birmingham. The opportunity allowed Smith to go back to his roots and be closer to much of his extended family.
Before the Pitch, There was the Court
After making the move to Dallas, Smith pursued his love for basketball, a sport he enjoyed playing from a young age. While playing basketball competitively, his parents saw how talented of a soccer player his older sister Camryn was and thought he had a chance to succeed at the sport as well.
As he continued to develop as a dual-sport athlete, Smith played point guard for Pro Skills Basketball. One day, some of Smith’s teammates asked him to also join their soccer team. The only catch: Smith would have to give up playing basketball to fully commit to the soccer team. Smith eventually agreed to join the team, Solar SC, and it wasn’t until after that he found out the club was an affiliate of Major League Soccer side FC Dallas.
Taking the Term Student-Athlete to Another Level
Considering the amount of success Smith has found so far in his soccer career, it’s easy to forget he’s only 20 years old. When the world shut down four years ago during the coronavirus pandemic, not only was Smith splitting time between FC Dallas Academy and North Texas SC, but he was also attending high school in Texas. From logging into class pitchside on Zoom or sprinting to his truck as soon as class was over, keeping up with elite level athletics and a strict academic schedule was nothing short of challenging. Eventually Smith switched to a full-time online school so he could complete his secondary education. Unfortunately, he missed his high school graduation for an away match in Colorado, but luckily for Smith, scoring a goal helped make up for it.
Smith’s days of being a student athlete are not quite over. His parents have always reinforced how important his education is and he wanted to make sure he continued it. After taking a gap year to see what it was like to be solely a professional athlete, Smith began his college education online with the University of Houston. Through this process, Smith has learned the importance of time management and has had times where he needed to find ways to squeeze in his school work even on matchdays. During his time with Birmingham, Smith recalls an especially memorable moment when the club was in Memphis for an away match. Following a victory against Memphis 901 FC, Smith found himself with his teammates in the middle of downtown Memphis taking an exam on his computer while music and loud noise swept through the city. Smith continues to pursue his college education and aims to fully complete his journey in the near future.
A Man of Style
Carrying a bold sense of fashion and a love for sneakers, Smith has always had a knack for style.
He has a massive shoe collection which he’s grown proud of. Traveling from state to state and setting up shop frequently has made it difficult for him to always transport his entire collection, but he continues to bring essential pairs along with him wherever he moves. His favorite pair comes from Michael Jordans’ signature line in the Air Jordan 11. He’s also a big fan of Nike Air Max 270s. Smith equally has a taste for designer brands with his go-to being Louis Vuitton as he enjoys the French luxury fashion’s slick style of footwear.
However, a secret portion of Smith’s footwear collection is only revealed to the public on matchdays. When matchday arrives, Smith comes out with flair and believes that if you look good, you’ll feel good, and if you feel good, you’ll play good! Smith keeps this special set of shoes because he wants to bring about a professional aura around him as he means strictly business on matchday.
A Sibling Camaraderie
Smith and his sister Camryn grew up together with a close and competitive bond. The two always played soccer against one another and Camryn often got the best of Smith, using her strength to maneuver around and through her younger sibling. Eventually, as Smith became bigger and honed in on his craft, he would get the last laugh. Now a professional, Smith still loves getting together to kick the ball around with his big sister.
Beyond the soccer pitch, the duo’s fun and competitive spirit spills into video games. When time allows, the siblings play multiplayer games like Overwatch, where Smith specializes in using the character Soldier 76.