May 11,2017
Winning a championship in sports is a
dream come true for an athlete, or coach. For someone to win seven
titles, is almost unheard of. One of the few people in sports to have
that distinction is Baltimore Brigade head coach Omarr Smith. He has
seven ArenaBowl titles. He won four as a player in the AFL, and three as
an assistant coach. The only other man to have that many collective
ArenaBowl wins is Tim Marcum, who won all seven of his as a head coach.
They won one together in 2003, with Marcum coaching Smith on the Tampa
Bay Storm.
Outside of that 2003 championship season with Tampa Bay, the former San Jose State Spartan cornerback played the rest of his career with the San Jose Sabercats. That’s where he won three of his four ArenaBowls, as a player. He also won a championship with the team in the role of associate head coach in 2015. His previous two coaching ArenaBowl victories came in his previous stop, as the defensive coordinator for the Arizona Rattlers.
Just as parents always say they don’t have a favorite child, athletes often say all of their wins, or titles, mean the same to them. When asked if any of his seven titles carry more significance than the others, Smith answered, “They’re all special. They’re all important. I was able to be around some very successful teams.” He continued, “But if I had to pick one I would probably say 2004. Clevan Thomas was the best defensive back in the league, and he tore his ACL during Week 3. It was one of those situations, where I had to take over for him. When he went down, everyone thought we wouldn’t have a chance. There were a lot of expectations put on my shoulders, and we went on and ended up winning the championship, even though we had to go through the course of the season with some difficult injuries. If I had to pick one, that would be the reason why.”
In any sport, you hear the term, “they’re not a winner” placed on a specific coach or player. Smith doesn’t think the winning culture stops on the field. “You have to have championship people, not just championship players. You have to have front office staff, personnel staff, interns, trainers and all that who really get what it takes to be a champion,” he explains. “I would definitely say you have to have championship people. People that it means everything to. People that are mentally tough and can fight through adversity and understand the long-term goal and what it takes to get there.”
With a resume that includes seven ArenaBowl wins and counting, it is no surprise Smith was inducted into the Arena Football League Hall of Fame. Having that honor bestowed on him in 2014, was an unexpected reward. “That was an unbelievable achievement. It wasn’t something I set out for as a player. I just wanted to play and compete and try to win as much as I could. But, to be acknowledged in that type of way means a lot,” shares the Hall of Famer Smith. “That’s the ultimate individual accolade – to be acknowledged by your peers saying that you did something well or at a level to be worthy of Hall of Fame is second-to-none.”
Changes happen over time in a sport, especially when you’ve been in it for as long as Smith has. In relation to the evolving league, he described, “The defenses have gotten a little bit more intricate, but it’s still blocking and tackling and throwing and taking care of the football. The majority of my years it was a two-way game, so the game has changed a little bit. It’s no longer a two-way game. It’s still a great product. It’s still a great game. I’m fortunate to be a part of it still.”
In the present, he leads the 1-3 Baltimore Brigade. Can his current team win this year’s ArenaBowl? “We have to do a whole lot to win a title. We are still early in our development. We have to stay healthy. The development of our quarterback position is the most important situation for us this season,” explained the head coach. If there is one person in this league that can lead them to the promised land, it’s Omarr Smith.
Outside of that 2003 championship season with Tampa Bay, the former San Jose State Spartan cornerback played the rest of his career with the San Jose Sabercats. That’s where he won three of his four ArenaBowls, as a player. He also won a championship with the team in the role of associate head coach in 2015. His previous two coaching ArenaBowl victories came in his previous stop, as the defensive coordinator for the Arizona Rattlers.
Just as parents always say they don’t have a favorite child, athletes often say all of their wins, or titles, mean the same to them. When asked if any of his seven titles carry more significance than the others, Smith answered, “They’re all special. They’re all important. I was able to be around some very successful teams.” He continued, “But if I had to pick one I would probably say 2004. Clevan Thomas was the best defensive back in the league, and he tore his ACL during Week 3. It was one of those situations, where I had to take over for him. When he went down, everyone thought we wouldn’t have a chance. There were a lot of expectations put on my shoulders, and we went on and ended up winning the championship, even though we had to go through the course of the season with some difficult injuries. If I had to pick one, that would be the reason why.”
In any sport, you hear the term, “they’re not a winner” placed on a specific coach or player. Smith doesn’t think the winning culture stops on the field. “You have to have championship people, not just championship players. You have to have front office staff, personnel staff, interns, trainers and all that who really get what it takes to be a champion,” he explains. “I would definitely say you have to have championship people. People that it means everything to. People that are mentally tough and can fight through adversity and understand the long-term goal and what it takes to get there.”
With a resume that includes seven ArenaBowl wins and counting, it is no surprise Smith was inducted into the Arena Football League Hall of Fame. Having that honor bestowed on him in 2014, was an unexpected reward. “That was an unbelievable achievement. It wasn’t something I set out for as a player. I just wanted to play and compete and try to win as much as I could. But, to be acknowledged in that type of way means a lot,” shares the Hall of Famer Smith. “That’s the ultimate individual accolade – to be acknowledged by your peers saying that you did something well or at a level to be worthy of Hall of Fame is second-to-none.”
Changes happen over time in a sport, especially when you’ve been in it for as long as Smith has. In relation to the evolving league, he described, “The defenses have gotten a little bit more intricate, but it’s still blocking and tackling and throwing and taking care of the football. The majority of my years it was a two-way game, so the game has changed a little bit. It’s no longer a two-way game. It’s still a great product. It’s still a great game. I’m fortunate to be a part of it still.”
In the present, he leads the 1-3 Baltimore Brigade. Can his current team win this year’s ArenaBowl? “We have to do a whole lot to win a title. We are still early in our development. We have to stay healthy. The development of our quarterback position is the most important situation for us this season,” explained the head coach. If there is one person in this league that can lead them to the promised land, it’s Omarr Smith.
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