L.J. Smith's brother moves to defensive end for Temple

Temple's Nate D. Smith remembers the excitement of attending the Super Bowl and watching his brother, tight end L.J. Smith, play for the Eagles after the 2004 season.

The younger Smith went to Jacksonville, Fla., where the Eagles lost, 24-21, to the New England Patriots. His brother had four receptions for 27 yards and a touchdown and if the younger Smith wasn't hooked on football before, that sealed the deal.

"I remember going to Jacksonville with all my family and we met Ice Cube and a lot of celebrities," Smith said Monday after Temple's practice. "It was a lot of fun, and seeing how much success he had, I said that I wanted to make it to that level and it has made me go harder and harder."

The 6-foot, 236-pound Smith is moving this year to defensive end after appearing in 11 games, including seven starts, last season at middle linebacker. He missed one game with a hamstring injury. Smith recorded 71 tackles for the 6-6 Owls.

The redshirt senior said he relishes his new position change, even though some offensive linemen can outweigh him by more than 100 pounds. "You just have to use your quickness," he said matter-of-factly.

That is something Smith has in abundance.

"Nate is so quick and strong off the ball," said linebacker and all-American candidate Tyler Matakevich. "Some of the tackles have no idea what to do against him."

As a sophomore, Smith started 10 games, three at defensive end, so this isn't entirely new to him.

Temple coach Matt Rhule explained that part of the reason for the position switch is to have middle linebacker Jarred Alwan and Smith on the field at the same time.

"We think Nate is a dynamic pass rusher and he is relentless," Rhule said.

Smith, who has made 27 career starts at Temple, is still taking snaps at linebacker, so he could also surface there.

Either way, he's embracing his new role and seeking the counsel of his older brother on a daily basis.

"He has been a big influence in my life and my football career at Temple," Smith said. "We talk every day about small things such as how to better my body, eating habits, and ways to get stronger."

Smith said his brother is a store owner in Central New Jersey and sees as many of his games as possible. Of course, one thing L.J. Smith can't do is give his brother pass-rushing tips.

"No, but he can critique my attitude and my effort," Smith said. "He has been so helpful and has been a big part of my success."

@sjnard