The fifth annual Nolan Smith Pups Day Out youth football camp on Sunday in Savannah was the first when its namesake could have gone by the title "Super Bowl champion."
PHOTO: Campers and coaches gather for a group photo at the 5th annual Pups Day Out, with Super Bowl champion Nolan Smith standing in the back row. Courtesy Prep Sports Report Staff
Nolan Smith Jr., a second-year outside linebacker, and the Philadelphia Eagles won the NFL's ultimate team prize by defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 on Feb. 9 in Super Bowl LIX.
But Smith, who was also part of two national championship teams at the University of Georgia, said he's only looking ahead.
PHOTO: Nolan Smith speaks to the media following his 5th annual Pups Day Out youth football camp in Savannah. Courtesy Prep Sports Report Staff
"The story's not finished yet," the Savannah native said Sunday after the free, one-day camp for children ages 10-13. "I'm going on my third year in the league. I just try to keep writing a new chapter in my life every day. You wake up and you get a new 24 hours. The Super Bowl and all those rings, they're behind me. Now, it's what's next?"
So what's next? W-I-N.
"What's important now?" the 24-year-old explained. "That's what win stands for."
A major focus at Daffin Park's Floyd Morris Field, where, as a youngster, he honed his skills, was to give the 150 or so children a sense of life's possibilities with some pragmatic guidance and football knowledge.
For a couple of hours in the burning summer sun on a steamy field (with plenty of water breaks), the 6-foot-2, 238-pound professional athlete and camp staffers were leading kids through stretches, sprints, and drills. They were encouraging but also coaching, with Smith telling the campers, "Thank your coaches. Your coaches are just like your parents. They're going to tell you what's best for you."
There could be some hard truths along the way, but dreams shouldn't be killed in those so young, only nurtured.
"(There are) different avenues in life, and you can do anything you put your mind to," Smith said in a media session after the camp. "One of the kids came up to me and he said, 'I'm not going to be in the NFL like you.' I said, 'You don't know that. You have to have the mindset that you are.' So I try to give them the mindset and the mentality that you can be better and do better, and also, you're a student-athlete."
PHOTO: Nolan Smith over seeing warm-up drills with campers during his 5th annual Pups Day Out youth football camp in Savannah. Courtesy Prep Sports Report Staff
He's only a few years removed from his college career, but the landscape of intercollegiate athletics changes so rapidly. He reminded the campers that the revenue stream for current college athletes to earn money through NIL (name, image, and likeness) opportunities wasn't part of his college experience.
"They were paying for my school (at UGA)," he reiterated in the media session. "Now they're paying for the school and they're giving you money (through NIL). So I don't know what else you need to be a college football player nowadays."
Again, they don't have to be football players. Smith stressed the student in student-athlete, working hard, doing the right things, going to class, listening to parents and showing respect.
One way Smith, who played at Calvary Day School and graduated from IMG Academy in Florida, shows respect for what he has been given is by giving back. His foundation has community food drives and teams up with the Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club, where he was active as a child. He estimated that they gave away about 250 bicycles this year.
He also involves local businesses and institutions as sponsors so the camp is free for children, who each received a T-shirt and a book bag. Among the partnerships for Sunday's camp were Optim Orthopedics, Savannah Car Rentals, E93 WEAS-FM, the Brown Firm law office, and the Savannah Recreation and Leisure Services Department.
The state has recognized Smith's contributions, with Georgia Sen. Derek Mallow (District 2) presenting Smith with a certificate proclaiming him an "Outstanding Georgia Citizen."
PHOTO: Georgia Sen. Derek Mallow (District 2) presents Nolan Smith with a certificate recognizing him as an "Outstanding Georgia Citizen." Photo (L–R): Sen. Derek Mallow, Nolan Smith’s mother - Monica Smith, Nolan Smith - Courtesy Prep Sports Report Staff
Get moving
When Smith talked about children's abilities to go places, he also literally meant to get out of the house.
PHOTO: Nolan Smith brings energy and hands-on instruction during a drill at his Pups Day Out youth football camp in Savannah. Courtesy Prep Sports Report Staff
"I tell them, 'Go outside.' We get kids that come out here (to the camp) and don't do anything all year and then come out here and they're tired," Smith said. "I say, 'I don't know why. We live in beautiful Savannah. You should be outside at a park, playing basketball, doing something fun every day.'"
PHOTO: Nolan Smith speaks to a group of young athletes at his 5th annual Pups Day Out youth football camp, sharing life lessons and encouragement.
Courtesy Prep Sports Report Staff
He's having fun at his job, though it comes with pain and sacrifice as well as joy, sometimes all at the same time. When the Eagles won the Super Bowl, Smith tore his left triceps about 30 seconds into the second quarter, he said, and he kept playing.
He played 30 defensive snaps and three on special teams, and had two hits on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes as the game became a blowout.
An edge rusher, Smith started 10 of his 16 regular-season games in 2024 and collected 42 tackles, including 6.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries.
He really picked up the pace in the playoffs, when he had four sacks and 16 tackles in the first three games as Philadelphia captured the NFC title and qualified for its second Super Bowl appearance in three years.
A touch of Athens in Philadelphia
This amount of success at every stage of a football career could go to one's head, yet Smith keeps it in perspective. Even the presence of the "Georgia Philly Dawgs," the sizeable collection of former UGA players drafted or acquired by the Eagles.
The current roster includes eight former Georgia Bulldogs, including Smith, the 30th overall pick of the 2023 draft.
"I tell them every year, we're fortunate enough to get a year together," Smith said. "It's not given; it's earned. So let's go earn our keep."
He describes himself as a supporting cast member, as he pulls people up instead of putting them down, which is something a leader says.
Smith has shown leadership skills in situations such as his senior year at UGA, when a torn pectoral muscle ended the team captain's season after just eight games. A preseason All-America and candidate for national awards for defensive players, Smith's college career was over.
PHOTO: From Bulldog to Super Bowl champion — Nolan Smith celebrates a national title with Georgia and NFL Super Bowl Champion as a Philadelphia Eagle. Courtesy Nolan Smith's Instagram page
He remained a vital part of the team, a de facto assistant coach, and contributed to the Bulldogs' 15-0 season and second consecutive national championship. He also earned a degree in mathematics.
Smith said having a camp for children and seeing their hunger to improve inspires him.
"Just keep going. Keep my head down and keep going," he said. "Exactly what I tell the kids, I'm talking to myself half the time. But I'm spreading my message. Stay low to the ground and keep your nose clean and keep going."
Photos courtesy of the Prep Sports Report staff.
Optim Orthopedics: Championing Savannah's Prep Sports Scene!
The fifth annual "Pups Day Out" was once again made possible thanks to the support of Optim Orthopedics, a proud sponsor of local athletes across the Coastal Empire.
From the gridiron to the hardwood, Optim Orthopedics stands tall as a dedicated supporter of high school athletes across Savannah. They're not just sponsors—they're game-changers, delivering top-notch medical care to nine standout schools:
- Dr. Don Aaron: Bryan County Middle/High School
- Dr. David Sedory: Benedictine Military, Bradwell Institute, Liberty County
- Dr. David Palmer: Calvary Day, Richmond Hill, South Effingham
- Dr. Thomas Alexander: Savannah Country Day, St. Vincent's
As Southeast leaders in fellowship-trained orthopedic care, Optim Orthopedics fuels Prep Sports Report's basketball and football coverage. Because when the game's on the line, Optim Orthopedics gets you back in it!
