Roy Smith, born and raised in Miami’s historic Overtown community, is a proud graduate of Miami Northwestern Senior High School, where he made a name for himself as one of the nation’s premier high school hurdlers. He was ranked No. 3 nationally in the 110m hurdles and held the No. 1 national ranking in the 400m hurdles for a period of time. His senior year was highlighted by winning the Florida 6A State Championship in the 110m hurdles, being named MVP of the Golden South Classic, and placing 3rd at the 2010 New Balance Nationals.
Smith continued his athletic and academic career at the University of North Carolina, where he walked on to the Tar Heels football team during training camp in 2012 and earned a scholarship through his exceptional performance and dedication. On the football field, he returned 12 punts for 164 yards, averaging 13.7 yards per return. In his collegiate debut vs. Elon, he returned six punts for 127 yards, including a long of 28, helping UNC break the ACC single-game punt return yardage record with 260 yards.
Simultaneously, Smith was a standout in UNC’s track and field program, where he earned several ACC awards and finished his career ranked among the top five all-time fastest hurdlers in UNC history. He also represented Team USA at the Pan American Junior Championships, where he won a silver medal in the 110m hurdles and crushed his personal record with a time of 13.24 seconds, finishing the season ranked No. 3 in the IAAF World Junior Rankings.
Smith later earned his degree from UNC and completed further studies at St. Thomas University, where he began his coaching career as the Wide Receivers Coach, mentoring two Freshman All-Americans in his first season. He then joined the staff at Florida Memorial University, where he has helped develop players who earned Second Team All-American honors and multiple Player of the Week accolades. Roy now serves as Tight Ends Coach and Special Teams Coordinator, bringing high-level experience, a deep Miami-rooted passion for the game, and a commitment to developing young men on and off the field.
