I'm Spartacus.com
by CJ Sanchez
8/4/2008
 
The Football Expert.com has University of Central Florida running back Kevin Smith ranked as the eighth best running back available in the 2008 NFL draft. Kevin Smith disagrees. On his website, ImKevinSmith.com, Kevin has himself ranked first just ahead of Darren McFadden and Matt Forte. And why not? There's nothing wrong with a bit of self-confidence is there?
 
But who exactly is Kevin Smith and what really does make him standout from the pack?
 
Well, lets start with the solid facts – Kevin Smith is a 6'1 217lb junior from UCF. He led the NCAA in rushing and scoring last year with 30 touchdowns and a staggering 2567 yards, only 61 short of Barry Sanders all time single season record. Oh and he also had 24 receptions for 242 yards as well. After having such a huge season, Kevin decided to turn pro a year early.
 
With numbers like those, you would have thought that there would be huge hype surrounding the running back. Or that he would at least make the top five RBs list. But sadly there has been very little attention paid to him at all by the media. The problem is a simple one; he played for a small school. Or rather he played for a school outside the top 25 in the country.
 
Perhaps that's why he decided to launch ImKevinSmith.com. With numerous highlight videos and pieces to camera, Kevin is doing his best to get the word out and he's using the power of the Internet in a remarkable way. Whilst several big name college players have websites, ImKevinsmith.com is different. Kevin interacts with his audience, he has a mobile phone that is dedicated to the site and asks viewers to txt in with their suggestions or opinions. He writes posts about what he's up to and what his opinions are on certain events (which I guess means he is both a vlogger and a blogger…) The whole thing just feels a lot more personal then other websites.
 
On seeing reports of shootings at the Dade County Youth Fair in his hometown of Miami, Kevin wrote:
 
“We need to really start early to do what ever we can to educate kids about violence and guns. I'm not telling the whole story because I wasn't there, just saw it on the local news, but my point is that its very sad when you expect your kids to return home from a county fair and they end up dead. It's hard in Miami, and many other places for that matter. What can be done?”
 
This speaks volumes about Smith's character as does the whole concept of the website. He is a good athlete and a smart young man. He genuinely believes he has what it takes to play in the NFL and instead of sitting back and waiting for the phone to ring, he's inviting us in on the journey. He wants us to be a part of it with him.
 
There's an insider video on the site of Kevin's pro day workout at UCF. He ran a 4.4 forty (faster then he did at the combine) and took many receptions to show-off his versatility. He looks to have incredible acceleration and great hands, but it's always hard to tell, outside of game tape.
 
With several of his videos now appearing on You Tube, perhaps more people will start taking notice. Whether they will be the right sort of people is hard to say, but word of mouth is a powerful thing and the internet has given many an unknown their shot at fame. Just look at that 'Numa Numa' kid… what the heck was that all about?
 
Drafttek.com has Kevin being drafted in the third round by the Indianapolis Colts at pick number 93. They also mark this pick as a 'reach'. But I disagree.
 
Having read and watched and interacted with Kevin through his website, I believe he could well be next year's Marques Colston. He won't go as late as Colston did, but he will likely be as underrated as he was. And he's almost certain to have a similar impact.
 
NFL coaches love to see players show enthusiasm and dedication to the sport and through his website, Kevin Smith is showing a vast amount of both. I'm sure whomever ends up taking him will be glad they did. And so will their fans.
 
For more on Kevin visit: I'mKevinSmith.com