“I’ve always thought about giving it a shot, and it’s something I’ve wanted to do before I get too old,” the Flint native said. “It seems like a good opportunity for me, and I’ve always heard a lot of people mention it … once they see my size they always tell me I need to be out on the field.”

The football field is where the 6-foot-8-inch, 260-pound Smith has found himself lately as he has been working out with the MSU football team at Duffy Daugherty Football Building.

During the team’s winter conditioning sessions, Smith has been taking part in drills and lifting with the team to prepare for MSU’s March 12 Pro Day, where they will take part in measurable tests such as weightlifting, 40-yard dash and vertical jump.

Smith said the help and support of current players has helped him through the practices and workouts.

“All these guys, they might call me old, but they encourage me through the drills and push me as hard as possible and keep the intensity up,” he said. “I know they want to see me give it a shot, and they want to see it work out.”

While the intensity put forth by the current MSU football players is high, Smith said he has no trouble keeping up with players who are about 10 years younger than him.

“That’s no problem, the problem is they have to keep up with me,” Smith said while laughing. “I’m full of energy, that’s no problem at all. I know my body — I’ve never really been out of shape, never really had any serious injury, so I pretty much always kept running (and working out).”

Aside from working out with the team, Smith also has received individual attention from the MSU coaching and training staff.

Former MSU center and current graduate assistant John Masters has helped Smith with blocking techniques, while assistant strength and conditioning coach Mike Vorkapich has critiqued his catching and route running.

“Technique-wise, he’s all right, and you would expect that,” Masters said. “He’s come a long way, but it would be difficult for anybody to try to learn something and master it at the level some of those guys have.

While Smith’s blocking has slowly gotten better — Masters said he’s improved every time they’ve worked together — his hands have been a strength since the beginning.

“I’ve been working with him since last fall with the JUGS machine, zipping balls at him and making him catch them … for a big fella he’s got really good hands,” said Vorkapich, adding that Smith has been catching 97 or 98 balls out of every 100.

Head strength and conditioning coach Ken Mannie said he believes Smith will catch the ball well and perform well at the measurable tests, but there’s one key question surrounding him. Mannie said he is curious to see how Smith will play in shoulder pads — something he thinks the NFL will wonder about too.

“When he’s in full gear and the action is live, is he going to respond well to that?” Mannie said. “I’ve always known him to be a very physical basketball player — but will he bring that height and the physicality that he needs to bring to the game of football?

“I want to believe that he will, but I really can’t believe that for sure.”

Two people who had confidence Smith could make the move while he was at MSU were men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo and former MSU football head coach, and current Alabama coach, Nick Saban.

“I always thought he could be a hell of a player — still do, and I always wanted him to go out (for football) in his fifth year here,” Izzo said.

While questions regarding his age — Smith will turn 32 the week before the NFL draft — and lack of football experience surround him, all the former Spartan is asking for is a chance to prove what he can do.

“That’s the only thing I’m really working for, is to get a good look,” Smith said. “Once I get out there, I’ll make something happen, I’ll work my way in … I know that once I get out on that field they’ll have to give me something because I’ll work.”