Note: The following appears in the Georgia Southern football digital gameday guide, available HERE.
For punter Jack Smith, sports have always been a way of life.
His journey with football began when he was only three or four years old, and although he grew up playing both baseball and football, he has always loved the latter.
“I’ve always loved football…who from the South doesn’t love football?”
Growing up, he played multiple positions, including quarterback and defensive line. But when he played youth football, he always punted, so it was natural when his coach needed a punter, Smith was an excellent candidate.
“You find something you’re good at and try to be the best at it. That’s what I’ve been trying to do. I ran with it.”
When he first visited Clemson, the Saraland, Ala. native was struck by how similar the campus felt to his hometown. He was drawn to the family feel, a place where it seemed everyone knew everyone and all were treated like family.
Five years after his initial visit, Smith has totaled 65 career punts for the Tigers, with nearly half downed inside the 20-yard line. In the 2025 season as a starter, he helped the Tigers lead the nation in yards per punt return allowed (0.2).
When considering his favorite game at Clemson, the 2025 South Carolina contest immediately comes to mind for Smith. The game was incredibly fun not only for him, but for the team. During the game, one of Smith’s punt landed inside the five-yard line, and with the next play being a “pick-six,” it is hard not to credit a portion of the play's success to Smith’s skills inching the team closer and closer to the end zone.
“It was really cool to see how most people don’t think punting can play a big role in games like that, but you can see how it correlates, and it was also a huge team win.”
When reflecting on what makes the Clemson football program so special, Smith pointed to Head Coach Dabo Swinney and all he stands for.
“It’s about what this program stands for. It’s not all about winning football games. You develop as a person, develop as a man. You come in as a child, and you leave as a grown man, and you get to win championships and have a good time doing it.”
A big part of that development for Smith stems from the P.A.W. Journey program.
“I’ve gotten so much professional experience from P.A.W. Journey…like traveling abroad to South Africa and Australia and internships all across the country.”
As a student at Clemson, Smith especially appreciates the university’s culture.
“There’s a reason people talk about it. It’s very welcoming and warm. It’s not cliquey and it’s easy to make friends.”
In August 2025, Smith graduated with a bachelor's degree in business and economics, and he is currently working toward his MBA. Smith has appreciated the unique environment that Clemson’s MBA program in Greenville provides.
“In the MBA program, you have some people your age, but there's also business owners and there's people who have been in the workforce for 20 years, so you get to experience different people at different places in life and talk to them and see their experiences and learn from their experiences. It's a smaller cohort, so it's not as many people. You get to learn people's names, which is really cool.”
After graduating, Smith aims to work in a position that highlights the relational aspect of his personality. He wants to continue being a part of a team, focusing on building solid, strong relationships with clients. Outside of academics and football, Smith enjoys being in nature, hunting and fishing with his friends. He also enjoys a good TV binge with his roommates, as recently he has been watching the Scandal series.
For Smith, faith stands out as a crucial component of his daily life and Clemson experience, and it is the aspect of his life he is most passionate about.
“There’s a reason people who put their identity in football live roller-coaster lives. They’re up, they’re down. Their lives are only football, and it can get taken away or lost. I would rather put my faith and trust into something I know is going to be there and that I can always lean on in times of struggle.”
As Smith is in his fifth and final year playing for the Tigers, his mindset is focused on gratitude, peace and the elements within his control. Gratitude is particularly weighing heavily on the punter's mind.
In his last year, he aims to “take it in” and “smell the roses.”