The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

BIRTHDAY boy Ed Smith said he’s thrilled to have been selected as the honorary ambassador for the 2018 Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl.

On his 68th birthday yesterday at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium with family and friends, including long-time childhood playmate Allan Ingraham, Smith shared the stage at a press conference with organisers of the fifth annual bowl game, scheduled for 12:30pm on December 21.

Among those in attendance were Pete Derzis, the senior vice president of college sports programming and events at ESPN, Richard Giannini, the executive director for Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl, Dr Jon Steinbrecher, the commissioner of the Mid-American Conference, Tyrone Sawyer, the senior director of airlifts for the Ministry of Tourism and Quinton Brennen, the new general manager of the National Sports Authority.

Smith, who grew up in Bain Town and played multi-sports for the Big Red Machine at St Augustine’s College before he moved to the United States at the age of 15, was the first Bahamian to be drafted in the National Football League by the Denver Broncos as a defensive end in the 13th round as the No. 319th pick overall in 1973.

Although he would only play two seasons due to a torn knee ligament just prior to the 1975 season opener that eventually led to him retiring from the NFL before the 1977 season, the 6-foot, 5-inch, 241-pound Smith was able to inspire a number of Bahamians to play American football, including his son Alex, who played 11 seasons in the NFL.

“I think when it was all said and done, all that I was able to achieve on the football field, was no bigger achievement than watching my son play,” said Smith of Alex, who followed in his footsteps and played from 2005 to 2015 as a tight end with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Redskins.

“As many of us as fathers in here, when you think as many of them demonstrated, that we have done the right thing with them. So that truly was a joy just to see the success that he was able to achieve. I’m thankful to the good Lord above that I did something right.”

Smith, now residing in Denver, Colorado, expressed his gratitude to the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl for affording him the opportunity to return home where his “heart is” to serve as the honourary ambassador for the game.

“I just want to say how much of a pleasure it is to be recognised with this prestigious recognition as honourary ambassador and one that I am not taking lightly,” he said.

“They had many folks that they could choose from. All they had to do was make a phone call and many folks would be running down here to spend time in this great, wonderful Bahamas.”

Prior to the game, Smith and Ingraham will join a host of college coaches and players who will participate in a clinic for Bahamian students on the outside of the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium on December 17. The youngsters will also be given free access to the game.

In the past four years, Chris Pika, director of communications for the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl, said they have spent over $23, 757, 491 in the Bahamas in the form of transportation, food and entertainment, hotels and ESPN coverage of the game.

The two participants in the game won’t be decided until a couple weeks before the game is played, but Steinbrecher said the Mid-American Conference is fully committed to the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl.

“This is a special place. There is no other bowl among the 40 bowl games that has what this has,” he said. “We get to go to a country that is outside of the US. We get to go to a country that so warmly embraces us and we get to bring some young men who would have never been here before.”

He said the Atlantis resort, the host of the participants, has made it extra special. He noted that a couple years ago after the passing of the hurricane, they partnered with Atlantis to make a $50,000 donation to the relief efforts of the Red Cross.

This year, Makers Wanted out of Elk Grove Village, Illinois, will be the principal sponsors. Elk Grove Village is a proactive and business-friendly community that values its corporate residents and works diligently to support their growth.

Giannini said Elk Grove Village, which is the largest consolidated industrial park in the United States, is the first to sponsor a bowl game through Makers Wanted, which was launched in 2015 to generate brand awareness of Elk Grove’s business-friendly practices and to attract more businesses to move to Elk Grove Village. He noted that Mayor Craig B Johnson is expected to be in attendance at the game.

Sawyer, offering his welcome on behalf of Dionisio D’Aguilar, the Minister of Tourism and Aviation, said the Bahamas has indeed become the ideal choice of teams around the world for sports and they will continue to partner with the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl to produce what has become a quality event.

And Brennen, who came over from the Atlantis resort, said the NSA plans on ensuring that the 2018 Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl is the best ever held.