69  Matt Smith
	Class: Junior Hometown: Louisville, Ky. High School: St. Xavier Height / Weight: 6-4 / 303 Position: Center Experience: 2L

• SEC Academic Honor Roll (2010)

Returning starter at center ... Intelligent performer who does a good job with the line calls ... Also handles the shotgun snap well ... Came to UK as a defensive tackle before moving to center ... Has played in 19 games, including 13 starts.

2010 (Sophomore): Played well in his first season as the starting center ... Started all 13 games ... Earned the job after winning the center battle in fall camp with his consistent play ... Helped UK rank in the nation's top 25 in fewest quarterback sacks allowed.

2009 (Redshirt Freshman): Played in six games ... Saw extensive action in the season opener vs. Miami when Jorge Gonzalez and Marcus Davis were sidelined.

2008 (Freshman): Redshirt season ... Was named the Offensive Scout Team Player of the Week prior to the Mississippi State game.

High School: First-team all-state as a senior by the Louisville Courier-Journal ... Named to the "Class of the Commonwealth" listing of the top 22 seniors in Kentucky by the Lexington Herald-Leader ... Also tabbed for the "Kentucky Tremendous 26" ... Played primarily in the defensive line for perennial power St. Xavier HS in Louisville ... Helped St. Xavier reach the state finals in his senior and sophomore seasons, going 14-1 in each campaign ... Known for his upper-body strength and playing savvy ... Saw occasional action at tight end ... Although he played mostly on defense in high school, he could see action on either side of the ball in college ... Scout.com lists him as the No. 63 offensive guard in the country ... Coached by Mike Glaser ... Played in the Kentucky East-West All-Star Game ... Was the leading tackler for the winning West team with seven tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss and a quarterback sack ... Participated on his school's powerllifting team ... Won a national powerlifting meet in Texas as a freshman ... Won another national meet in Wisconsin his sophomore year ... Also a competitive swimmer on a club team, competing in all four events ... Member of the National Honor Society.

Personal: Born in Louisville, Ky. ... Son of Steve and Mary Smith ... Major is middle school education.

Community Cats: Participated in a youth literacy event (2010) and Read Across America (2011).

Matt says ... When I played football as a kid, I pretended I was: skinny... The one thing I like most about football is: how much they feed us ... Something people might not know about me is: I swam competitively for 12 years ... What I like about Coach Phillips is: the relationships he makes with each player ... What I like about my position coach, Mike Summers, is: his knowledge of the game and his determination to win.