In coach Thad Fortune's mind, senior cornerback Jacob Smith is one of Midland High School's key players, and it all comes down to his physical style of play.
"I get to mess with the receivers a little bit and get them mad. They hate whenever you touch them. Whenever you're physical, receivers hate that," Smith told the Midland Reporter-Telegram.
Smith said that former defensive coordinator for the Bulldogs, Jeff Streun, is his inspiration for the style of play that he has adopted today.
"Ever since Coach Streun was here, he really taught all of us corners not to be the weakest one on defense and go out there and try to make the plays," Smith said..
Fortune, who took over as coach this spring, told the Midland Reporter-Telegram that Smith made his inaugural season with the Bulldogs easier.
"He can really run. The best thing is about Jacob Smith is he's a competitor, and he wants to get after it. He'll fight you every snap. Jacob Smith is a great asset to us as far as his attitude, how he competes. He works hard in the weight room, he works hard in the classroom. Another every day guy that I'm excited about and that I am grateful for. He's come up big for us at corner. He's a really good player on our defense to have," Fortune said.
The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Smith has helped the Bulldogs keep opposing passing games honest, allowing a paltry 104 yards passing per contest.
Smith was barely out of middle school when he made the transition from hauling in passes to intercepting them, according to the Midland Reporter-Telegram. Despite a 1-2 start to 2021, Midland has proven to be difficult to move against. The Bulldogs have surrendered just under 240 yards per game this season.
Under new bench boss Fortune, Midland is looking to improve from a dismal three-year period in which the Bulldogs won just three games, Midland Times reported.