His numbers were steady last week. Most people would consider them strong, but hardly eye-popping.
McComb senior running back Mario Smith’s 89 yards on six carries averaged out to nearly 15 yards an attempt.
Not bad, even if he didn’t find the end zone.
Consider, however, what he’s been through this season, and just being on the football field is an accomplishment for Smith.
His tough fight to return to the gridiron and his work helping the Tigers to a 32-0 victory over Pearl River Central garnered Smith this week’s Enterprise-Journal’s Player of the Week award.
He returned to near-100 percent form last week in the Tigers’ win at Pearl River Central.
In that game, Smith had some attention-grabbing runs, including a 48-yarder in which he leapfrogged a defender and sprinted to the Pearl River Central 10-yard line to set up a McComb touchdown.
“He surprised me,” McComb head coach Malcolm Jones said of Smith’s run. “In the past, I sat back in amazement with the tackles he broke. He’s a sprinter.”
Smith saw his season take a detour in the Tigers’ preseason jamboree against Mendenhall. After breaking tackles in one of his trademark power runs, Smith was tackled by three defenders, sending him straight to the ground, breaking his left hip.
Smith had to be helped off the field.
“All their weight came down on me,” Smith said. “I didn’t know I broke my hip. I thought I pulled my groin.”
The accident put the brakes on what was a promising season for Smith and sent him under the knife.
After the operation, Smith underwent an excruciating rehab schedule that included strength training, workout on a leg machine and squats three times a week.
“I was doing a whole bunch of stuff,” Smith said.
Although he admittedly is not yet back to 100 percent, Smith said he’s glad to be back in time for the Tigers’ last-ditch run at the postseason.
“It feels good to be back, knowing I can still help my team,” Smith said. “People have been waiting for me, (quarterback) Lamarvin Ashley and (running backs) Demarcus Jenkins and Marshall Dexter to carry the team to the promised land. We’ve just got to keep our minds right and keep working every day.”
