Signee Q and A: Kaden Smith
Cardinal Sports Report's Signee Q and A series continues with a conversation with arguably the nation's top tight end, Marcus High School's Kaden Smith.
Smith received his first college offer all the way back in the spring of his freshman year of high school, from Clemson. Stanford followed suit a little less than a year later, making Smith the first class of 2016 prospect to earn an offer from the Cardinal.
After taking several visits and narrowing down his list of options, Smith committed to Stanford last April.
Cardinal Sports Report caught up with the talented tight end to discuss his recovery from a serious knee injury and the highs and lows of the recruiting process.
Cardinal Sports Report: First with your health, you suffered the knee injury in December. What was that injury - what was the technical injury suffered, and how are you doing in your recovery?
Kaden Smith: I tore my ACL and MCL. So I got a patella tendon graft. I'm doing really well. I'm currently I think almost four weeks out of surgery and I'm walking without the brace, a lot more flexibility. I'm working on that constantly.
CSR: Was that the first major injury you have suffered?
Smith: Yeah, I've broken my foot once or twice, but besides that, there has been nothing.
CSR: You're such a high level athlete - football, basketball, the rest. The physical part of it I think is clear. But what's the emotional component to dealing with something where you can't do anything physically for such an extended stretch?
Smith: It's kind of stressful. You're just sitting there knowing that you'll be working out in a few months and you'll have to play catch up. I know Coach Turley has programs for all of the incoming freshmen (that involve moving) a lot of body weight, so it's tough not being able to run and get in shape, but I can do what I can. I've been lifting upper body and for cardio I've been swimming, just trying to get ready.
CSR: It's been, we're approaching now two weeks since Signing Day. You had been committed to Stanford forever, and you were committed quite a while ago. But is this still kind of a period where there is a sense of relief, where you are happy the recruiting process officially over? Or was the last half of it since you committed really not all that stressful?
Smith: I've been excited for the recruiting process to be done with. I was never a huge fan of it - I never really enjoyed it. The visits were nice and fun, but talking to coaches constantly just wasn't my thing. So now that it's over, I'm committed and admitted, and it's a nice feeling.
CSR: What was the worst part of the process? Which part did you dislike the most?
Smith: (My high school) Coach (Gerry) Stanford, he helped me out a lot. He was like, if you don't want to talk to coaches, tell me now. So I ended up not having to talk to a lot of schools, only a few. But probably just talking to some of the coaches - they would try to sell me the program, but I felt like the program would sell itself.
CSR: What was your favorite part - was there a favorite part?
Smith: Probably meeting the team. So going out to campus and meeting some of the players - especially the Stanford players, they're different and a lot of fun and they really welcomed us in like family.
CSR: Stanford was obviously your choice - you signed with them. Did you have a runner-up? Was there a second place team for you?
Smith: It's kind of hard - Stanford stood out so far. Some of the other schools that could fall into No. 2 are like Alabama, Texas. I wasn't looking at a ton of schools. I knew Stanford was my home.
CSR: You've been recruited for a long, long time. What was the funniest recruiting pitch you got from a coach? Does anything stand out to you as being particularly humorous?
Smith: I don't really remember the school, but one coach pretty much just told me that I would have fun and there are a lot of cute girls on campus.
CSR: What was the most memorable recruiting pitch you got from a coach if that was at all different?
Smith: Probably the first time I sat down in Nick Saban's office with him my sophomore yer and they offered me. He kind of recruited me a bit and told me how they could use me. Nick Saban is a very big figure in college football, so that was very memorable.
CSR: Like I mentioned, you probably have been recruited longer than anyone in Stanford's class, getting that (Clemson offer) your freshman year. If you could do it all over again, what advice would you have for eighth grade Kaden about the recruiting process?
Smith: Probably enjoy it more. Take a few more visits. The first time I went out to Stanford I pretty much knew I was going to go there at that point. It might have been just looking for a backup plan. But visit more schools, enjoy it more. The big thing is just enjoying it.
CSR: Did you ever experience any negative recruiting from other coaches specifically toward Stanford?
Smith: Definitely. A coach at one of Stanford's recruiting competitors once talked to me and mentioned that Stanford was not on the rise anymore, that they're losing all of their recruits. And, I mean, academically obviously it's there, but he was just saying to keep an eye on them because Stanford might not do too well.
CSR: You did take a number of visits - what was the craziest thing you saw or experienced on a recruiting trip over the course of your process?
Smith: I don't think I can think of anything too crazy. Obviously they take you out and show you around and have fun, but nothing out of the ordinary.
CSR: I haven't talked to you since that Stanford official last month - you had been there so many times already, but were there any new takeaways or I guess learning experiences that trip provided?
Smith: That was the first time I got together with some of the future teammates. Simi, that was the first time I met him - he's a goofy guy. It was just great meeting the rest of the recruiting class, knowing that I'll be with them the next few years.
CSR: Finally, you're heading up there a few months from now, really. What part of beginning at Stanford are you most looking forward to at this point?
Smith: I'm looking forward to meeting new people and having some fun. And I'm ready to get into Coach Turley's program - he's very good with injury prevention, so that's a big deal for me right now, obviously. So just getting me started, getting adjusted to the schedule.