Q&A: Former Central athlete Orwin Smith talks football, family and future

Former Central and Georgia Tech athlete Orwin Smith has shifted his attention away from football. While he still works out and hopes for an opportunity, he said that he can’t wait on another opportunity they may not coming.

After spending the final half of the 2013 NFL season on the Green Bay Packers practice squad, he was released in April 2014. Now, he spends his time as a revenue analyst in Phenix City and is trying to give back in the form of a football camp for young kids.

Smith spoke with the Ledger-Enquirer at his football camp on Saturday.

So, tell me a little bit about the camp. How did everything go?

The camp went well. Not what we expected, but it’s a great start. The kids came out and they enjoyed it. That was the main thing. If one showed up, we would have acted as if it was a thousand and made sure he had a great time.

What's the future for the camp? Do you expect to continue this or other camps in the future?

I plan on doing it annually. I think it’s going to be bigger next year. I plan on partnering with more organizations. We’re going to tweak the marketing plan a little bit, but other than that we’re just going to keep going. I’m excited for the future.

Why little kids? What is it about them that you thought was important to give them this opportunity?

I’m a father myself, so I see how my kids love playing sports and being around other kids. I think there should be more for children to do around here. This year was just one day, but in the future I’d like to break it up even into a four-day camp.

Give us an update on yourself. Where do you stand with football?

I still work out. I still have it in me. But, I’ve shifted towards plan B a little bit as far as moving on with life. Because life doesn’t stop. I can’t wait on football. I keep training, because you never know. It’s one of those things where I’m not going to wait on it, but I still think about it. Right now, I’m the revenue analyst for the city and just living a normal life.

For someone competitive like yourself, does that fire every go out?

It never will. Even with something like the camp. I love adversity, because it keeps driving me and I look forward to next time. Because it can always get better. I have two sons, and they won’t let it. They still think I play, and I tell them to keep their dreams going.

What do you get out of a camp like this? Why is it important to you?

I love it. I wish I had it growing up. There were football camps, but there weren’t many. I just think there should be something for kids to look forward to. Especially getting outside. Technology is killing our kids nowadays.

David Mitchell, Follow David on Twitter @leprepsports.

This story was originally published June 27, 2015 at 5:53 PM with the headline "Q&A: Former Central athlete Orwin Smith talks football, family and future."