The postseason honors continue to pile up for Campbell quarterback Daniel Smith. Monday, the freshman from Leesburg, Va., was named by the Pioneer Football League as its 2017 Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Smith led all FCS freshmen and quarterbacks by rushing for 1,272 yards this season, a total that ranked fourth in the nation. His average of 9.13 yards per carry was the best in FCS while also ranking among the top 10 in the division in rushing yards per game, points responsible for per game and total offense.
In all, Smith rushed for better than 100 yards six times in 10 games this season, including a 289-yard performance at Davidson that included four rushing touchdowns and another passing score to lead the Camels to a 42-29 victory.
Smith set Campbell single-season records for rushing yards, total offense (3,161), all-purpose yards (1,272) and touchdowns responsible for (30). After just one season, Smith is already Campbell’s career leader with 18 touchdown passes while throwing for 1,889 yards.
In addition to his conference award, he is a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award as the FCS Freshman of the Year.
“I just love watching great football players and that’s what he is, a great football player,” Campbell coach Mike Minter said of Smith after the Davidson game. “He loves playing the game. He doesn’t try to be perfect, he’s just playing football. It’s backyard football to him.”
