Former Lake Highlands football player Wade Smith has started 25 games in the NFL. He is now a backup offensive lineman and special teams player for the Kansas City Chiefs, who will take on the Dallas Cowboys this Sunday at noon on Fox (Ch. 4).
Smith was part of the 1998 team that was just 5-5 in the regular season but went on a magical run to the state semifinals.
He was a tight end at LH and during his first two college seasons at Memphis, but a coaching change necessitated a move to the offensive line. That move resulted in Smith being drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He spent three years with the Dolphins, another two with the New York Jets and is now in his second season with the Chiefs. He has started at tackle, guard and center during his NFL career.
Smith still lives in the Dallas area during the off-season and, as you’ll see in this Q&A with the Advocate, he still keeps up with the Wildcats.
Q: You’re playing the Cowboys this week. Is it still exciting to play your hometown team?
A: Not anymore. Early in my career, I played against them my rookie year on Thanksgiving and we beat them. That was a good Thanksgiving. Now it’s not that big of a deal.
Q: You were part of the 1998 team that had that unlikely run through the playoffs. So you’re a 1999 graduate?
A: Best class in Lake Highlands history. Let me change that – the 1982 class won a state championship. I’ll give them that.
We started off the season 0-4. We started off slow and had a lot of injuries, but we turned it on when it mattered. We lost to Cedric Benson and that machine they had going out there [at Midland Lee] and we came up short.
For more, please click on the link to the jump page.