Broadneck's Jason Smith, one of the area's top all-around athletes, has verbally committed to play football at Rutgers next fall.
Smith, a 6-foot-2, 170-pound receiver, made his decision yesterday, choosing the Scarlet Knights over Boston College and Nebraska.
"Last night [Tuesday], I had a dream that I was playing football for Rutgers," said Smith. "With it being close to home, my parents would be able to see me play."
This past season, Smith played receiver, slotback and quarterback for the Bruins (6-3). He caught 43 passes for 565 yards and eight touchdowns, passed for 216 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 116 yards.
A three-time first-team All-Anne Arundel County pick, Smith set county records for receptions (149), yards (2,286) and touchdown receptions (25). In 1993, Smith established a state record for receptions with 75. He was a first-team All-Metro selection in 1993, scoring 14 touchdowns and 1,068 yards.
Smith was also a first-team All-Metro pick in basketball last season, averaging 18.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists, breaking the school record in points scored (1,162) and steals (131) in a career.
Smith wasn't heavily recruited for basketball, which made the decision to play football simple.
Last spring, Smith won the state track Class 3A 100- and 200-meter --es.
"I'm happy for him and his parents because they really researched each college involved," said his football coach Jeff Herrick. "The high graduation [rate] of [Rutgers] football players and the courteous and professional manner of its coaching staff really was a big factor."