Smith in action at Celebration Bowl this weekend

Published 4:52 pm Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Staff Report

Batesville native Brady Smith will play in the fourth annual Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl this weekend in Atlanta when the Alcorn State Braves play the North Carolina A&T Aggies.

Alcorn State will represent the SWAC as conference champions and North Carolina A&T won the MEAC championship. The Aggies beat Grambling State last year to win the bowl title.

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The game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium Saturday (Dec. 15) and aired live on ABC. Kickoff is slated for 11 a.m. CST.

Smith is a senior defensive back majoring in secondary education. He started every game for the Braves this year and recorded an interception at MVSU on Sept. 22,  and scooped up a fumble the following week at Southern.

Smith played under Lance Pogue at South Panola and had a strong career and going to playoff games each of his seasons, and won a 6A State Championship as a junior. He played two years at Northeast Mississippi Community College, recording 52 tackles each season.

He is the son of Donna Richmond and Leonard Smith.

Entering its fourth year, the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl has established itself as a premier bowl game and celebrates the heritage, legacy, pageantry, and tradition of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). It is a championship-style game between the MEAC and SWAC champions and will be televised on ABC.

ESPN Events collaborates with 100 Black Men of Atlanta to organize the game’s ancillary events which include a youth symposium, robotics showcase, gospel night, fan experience and more. The MEAC leads the overall Celebration Bowl series 2-1 after three years