Making a move

CLEMSON - Combined with the MCL injury to Chris Hairston and a bout of the flu making its rounds through the offensive line a couple of weeks ago, David Smith was shifted from guard to tackle.

Rated as three-star prospect and the No. 49 offensive tackle prospect by Scout.com in 2007, Smith was moved to guard upon his arrival to Clemson. His recent position change has had a few bumps along the way because he hadn’t played the position since his days as a Red Raider at Greenville HS.

“(Moving from guard to tackle) wasn’t too bad…at first it was a little tough but from there it was pretty good, a smooth transition from there,” Smith said. “I had to practice hard and focus hard.”

He admits there have been plays during practice and even against Maryland when he wasn’t exactly sure as to what to do. He’s especially happy with the move since it’s going to present a better chance to get on the field.

Smith doesn’t like the view from the bench on game days. He’s a big fan of hard hitting.

“Coach (Danny) Pearman saw that and he really liked that,” he said. “I’m just doing that every single day, showing that I haven’t gone anywhere, even though I got hurt last year, I’m still here and still battling.”

Currently listed as the second team right tackle, Smith has also worked on the left side behind Chris Hairston during practice. Though he’s not quite where he would like to be yet—a starter, Smith doesn’t mind coming off the bench to help the team. As long as he getting some playing time, that’s OK for now.

As he tries to learn another position, Smith has spent a lot of time over the past week or so watching the 18 plays he played in the 24-21 loss at Maryland.

“I want to learn it. I just want to learn the position. It’s interesting, there’s a lot more to it, I guess you could say,” he said. “It’s more so being at the right place at the right time, finesse and everything. You can’t mess up.”